One theme running through the FT’s reporting was the shock many homeowners felt when they first saw the scale of the repair work required after a leak, fire or other property incident. They expected a small fix — but were told entire rooms, floors or ceilings needed to be removed and rebuilt. In some cases, the final settlement figure was far higher than the homeowner anticipated; in others, it was lower, due to gaps in the scope or disagreements over what should be included.
This gap between expectations and reality is common, and it usually comes down to one thing: reinstatement is more technical than most people realise.
A wider explanation of why claims have become more complex is available in our article on why home insurance claims are becoming harder to resolve, which sets out the system pressures behind these situations.
This article explains what reinstatement actually involves, why costs rise, and why the true scope of work often becomes clear only after the property has been inspected, dried and opened up.
1. Reinstatement is a sequence of specialist tasks — not a single repair
Many homeowners imagine reinstatement as: “Fix the leak, repair the room, finish the job.”
But the real process is closer to a building project, involving several stages that must happen in order:
- Identify the cause
- Stop further damage
- Remove saturated materials
- Dry the structure
- Inspect once the building is stable
- Prepare a costed scope of work
- Rebuild room by room
- Complete finishing work and decoration
Each stage requires different skills. This is why insurers often involve several contractors and why delays in one stage can cause long pauses in the rest of the claim. These multi-stage bottlenecks are a key factor in the hidden reasons home insurance claims get delayed, where a single missing step can slow the entire chain.
2. Drying determines the true extent of the damage
Drying is one of the biggest unknowns for homeowners.
Once water has entered:
- joists
- subfloors
- plasterboard
- insulation
- structural timber
the building must be dried to the correct moisture levels before reinstatement can begin. This is essential. If the property is rebuilt too early, trapped moisture can cause mould, rot or structural movement later.
Why costs rise: Drying exposes hidden issues — swollen timber, damaged insulation, cracked plaster, loose tiles — that cannot be assessed at the start of the claim.
These hidden conditions also explain why insurers focus heavily on clear early evidence, which we outline in our guide to common reasons home insurance claims are rejected.
Most homeowners don’t see this coming, which is why early estimates often grow as the drying process continues.
3. Strip-out work often looks more dramatic than the original incident
A small leak can affect several rooms. A small area of visible staining can hide large volumes of water under floors or behind walls.
When saturated materials are removed, homeowners often say: “It looks far worse now than it did at the beginning.”
This is normal, because:
- plasterboard absorbs moisture quickly
- insulation holds water like a sponge
- engineered flooring swells across the whole area
- pipes may run through several rooms
- water always travels to the lowest point
Why costs rise: More rooms end up included in the scope of reinstatement, even when the visible damage was limited.
4. Older housing stock needs more careful reinstatement
Many homes in Northern Ireland use:
- suspended timber floors
- lathe-and-plaster walls
- older heating systems
- mixed materials from past renovations
These features often increase:
- drying times
- the amount of strip-out required
- the complexity of reinstatement
- the cost of finishing work
This is one reason why NI’s average settlement values have risen in the past few years. Our analysis of home insurance claims data across Northern Ireland shows the same trend, with older properties contributing to higher reinstatement complexity.
5. Reinstatement costs reflect full reconstruction — not patch repairs
A typical reinstatement scope may include:
- replacing entire flooring areas
- renewing skirting and architraves
- reboarding and plastering walls
- redecorating affected rooms
- replacing damaged kitchen units
- removing and refitting radiators or pipework
- repairing ceilings below the leak
- reconnecting electrics
- ensuring rooms are returned to pre-loss standard
Patch repairs often aren’t suitable when moisture has spread, because partial reinstatement can leave hidden problems behind.
Why costs rise: Restoring a room to its original condition often requires more work than people expect.
6. Multi-trade involvement increases timescales and cost
Reinstatement can involve:
- joiners
- plasterers
- painters
- plumbers
- flooring specialists
- electricians
- drying technicians
- kitchen fitters
- sometimes structural surveyors
Each trade must complete its work in sequence. If one trade is delayed, the whole project pauses.
Why this matters: Homeowners often believe a delay is caused by the insurer, when in reality it is due to contractor scheduling or the availability of specific trades.
7. Cash settlements don’t always match reinstatement expectations
The FT article featured examples where homeowners expected one outcome, but the insurer proposed a cash settlement instead. Cash settlements are based on:
- the validated scope of work
- insurer pricing models
- contractor availability
- policy wording
- cost trends at the time
The amount offered may cover reinstatement using standard materials and methods, but not always the homeowner’s preferred trades or specifications.
Why this happens: Insurers must price claims consistently across the market. Homeowners, by contrast, may want different materials or a specific standard of finish.
This difference in expectations can create tension, even when both sides are acting reasonably.
8. Final settlement values reflect the full reinstatement picture, not just the damage
The FT article highlighted cases where the repair bill was far higher than the homeowner imagined. This happens because:
- drying exposes hidden issues
- strip-out reveals wider spread
- building costs have risen since previous years
- complex layouts increase the work required
- losses can affect flooring, plaster, joinery and kitchens simultaneously
By the end of the process, the claim often reflects the full cost of returning the home to its pre-loss condition — not just fixing the visible damage.
Why this matters
Reinstatement is not a single repair. It is a coordinated building project shaped by damage type, building materials, drying requirements and practical constraints. Understanding these steps helps homeowners plan realistically and avoid confusion when the scope grows or when contractors explain why more work is required.
For practical steps that help homeowners stay organised through these stages, see our guide on how to regain control of a difficult insurance claim.
When a claim becomes complex, accurate assessment and clear documentation are vital. These are the factors that prevent disputes, reduce delays and help ensure the right work is carried out.
Next in the FT Response Series
Part 7: “The Claims Process in Plain English: Your Rights, Responsibilities and What to Expect”
The next article in this series will outline the full claims process from start to finish — so homeowners know what to expect at each stage.
