Farm and Agricultural Claims

Illustrative images only.

A farm has many buildings and many kinds of cover. Storm can lift sheeting from a shed. A fire can destroy a machinery store. If you are facing a farm insurance claim, this page explains what it can involve.

Common causes and signs

Farm property can be damaged in many ways. Examples include:

Storm damage to sheds, roofs, sheeting, doors and gates.
Fire in a shed, a hay barn, a workshop or a farmhouse.
Flood or water damage to yards, buildings and stores.
Damage to silage pits, slatted units and other farm structures.
Fallen trees on buildings, fences and gates, including damage to forestry.
Break-in or vandalism at a yard or a store.

What the claim can cover?

Depending on your policy, a claim can include:

Repair or rebuilding of the farmhouse and the farm buildings.
Machinery, tools and equipment.
Fencing, gates and yard structures.
Stock and stored goods, such as feed or fertiliser.
Clearing debris and making the site safe.
Loss of income while the farm cannot work as normal, where the policy has that cover.

Farm policies often combine several sections in one document. These can be for the house, the buildings, machinery and livestock. Check which section applies to your loss. The wording and the limits can differ between sections.

What to do first?

Make the area safe. Keep people and animals away from damaged buildings, loose sheeting and fallen power lines.
Take photographs of every damaged building, machine and fence before any clearing.
Make temporary repairs to stop further damage. Do not climb on a damaged roof or a farm shed roof: ask a competent contractor to cover it. Keep the receipts.
List what was damaged or lost, with the age and the value of each item.
Keep damaged parts until your insurer has seen them.
Read your policy for notice conditions. Tell your insurer as soon as you can, and within any time limit in your policy.

Where claims get difficult

Farm claims can be complex. The usual points of dispute are:

Which section of the policy applies.
The age and condition of older buildings, and the effect of wear and tear.
The value of machinery and of items kept in sheds.
Whether the sum insured matches the cost of rebuilding. Underinsurance can reduce a payment.
Whether the policy covers items stored outside.

Records help. Keep receipts, photographs and lists up to date before something goes wrong. We cannot promise the outcome of any claim.

How we help

As Loss Assessors, we act for you. We report the claim to your insurer and meet the loss adjuster at your farm. We put together the detailed costs of the repairs and the replacements. We deal with your insurer until the claim is settled.

Tell us what happened. Contact us.