Hive mind wisdom sought!

High winds a couple of months back damaged our roof, nothing too major. Roofer (local, used before) comes and says job will need scaffolding which will make it expensive, suggests using house insurance, gives quote including scaffolding.

Never made insurance claim before, contacted insurer who sent round surveyor who looked and roof and quote and said go ahead. Insurer promptly gave us necessary money, less excess.

Roofer arrives, completes job but uses two ladders and no scaffolding.

Invoice arrives, items and amount match quote, scaffolding included.

Am I right to feel slightly uneasy about this? I’ve never made an insurance claim before, so don’t know whether this will lead to a noticeable increase in the premium come renewal time – if it does, then I think I’m right to feel uneasy about it!

Or is this commonplace, and just ‘how it works’?

Do I have a quandary, or am I concerned about nothing?

I’d be totally miffed with the roofer. He’s charging you for work not carried out (scaffolding)
If he didn’t need the scaffolding I’m assuming it would have been cheaper and maybe you wouldn’t have gone through the insurance company. In which case his dishonesty has maybe cost you increased insurance premiums etc…

whether you pay or insurance pays it’ll cost you in the end.

Tell the insurers, I don’t know whether they’ll be bothered.

In a perfect world you would inform the insurers scaffolding was not used and ask for a revised invoice from the builder and give the difference back to the insurer. You will get karma points to use when you next do a dangerous jump on your bike.

In an imperfect world you’d deduct the cost of scaffolding and pay the rest to the builder and perhaps save the difference to cover the increase in your insurance premium next year.

The total claim cost does play a factor to the insurers. Many will not quote if you’ve claimed recently for >£2,000. Out of interest, with the scaffolding cost removed is it a figure you would have paid out of your own pocket?

Do a deal with a roofer to split the cost of the ‘scaffolding’ between you 🙂

Out of interest, with the scaffolding cost removed is it a figure you would have paid out of your own pocket?

Yes, that’s what would have happened.

Total cost was <1k but I’ve no idea the effect this’ll have come renewal.

If the insurance has paid you direct then ask roofer for revised invoice and keep the difference. cheeky roofer

If the roofer has invoiced you for work that wasn’t done, do you need to pay his invoice at all? Would you be within your rights just to ignore it?

He did the work, he’s just charged for imaginary scaffolding!

I’d ask the roofer for an accurate bill less the scaffolding. Then keep the difference to pay the increased insurance premiums.