The moment you own a building, whether it’s the home you live in every day or the holiday flat you escape to when the in-laws start making noises about visiting, you need buildings insurance. Most people underestimate how much is actually covered. This article sets the record straight.
Key takeaways
- Buildings insurance covers the permanent, built structures on your property, not just the main house.
- It protects against natural disasters, burst pipes, power surges, falling trees, and more.
- Fixtures, fittings, and improvements are included, so things like ceilings and carpets damaged by a burst pipe can be claimed.
- Outbuildings, driveways, swimming pools, gate motors, and even underground cables are typically covered.
- Getting a buildings insurance quote is free and takes only a few minutes.
What is buildings insurance?
- Buildings insurance
- A type of short-term insurance that covers the permanent, built structures on your property, including your home, outbuildings, and fixed improvements, against damage from specified events such as fire, flood, and storm.
Buildings insurance covers the permanent, built structures on your property. That includes your house and all its outbuildings. Many people assume that unless they’ve bought a home in the middle of a war zone or at the base of an active volcano, their need for buildings insurance is about as pressing as their chances of winning the lottery. That assumption is an expensive one to test.
Buildings insurance covers permanent structures on your property, including the main dwelling and outbuildings, against a range of specified events.
Cover for the unexpected
Buildings insurance doesn’t only kick in when a natural disaster flattens your home. It also covers damage to fittings, fixtures, and improvements, which is where most people get a pleasant surprise when they actually read their policy.
You could be covered for loss or damage caused by leaking, bursting, or overflowing heating systems, geysers, and pressurised water pipes. So if a pipe in the flat above yours bursts and ruins your ceilings and carpets, your buildings insurance can help cover the cost of putting things right.
Beyond burst pipes, buildings insurance also covers damage from:
- Fires and floods
- Storms and hail
- Falling trees
- Power dips and surges
- Impact damage, including, yes, an aeroplane making an unscheduled visit to your roof
Underinsurance is one of the biggest problems we see with buildings cover in South Africa. Property owners often insure for market value rather than replacement cost, which leaves them significantly out of pocket when they need to claim.
What else is covered?
The list of covered structures extends well beyond the four walls of your home. Buildings insurance typically also covers:
- Driveways
- Walls, fences, and gates
- Garages
- Patios
- Swimming pools and spa pumps
- Swimming pool boreholes
- Gate motors
- Tennis courts (yes, even the one you’ll definitely use one day)
- Underground pipes and cables
Buildings insurance extends to outbuildings, driveways, walls, swimming pools, gate motors, and underground pipes and cables.
Buildings insurance vs home contents insurance: what’s the difference?
It’s worth knowing exactly where buildings insurance ends and home contents insurance begins. The two products complement each other but cover very different things.
| Cover type | What it protects | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings insurance | Permanent structures and fixed improvements | Walls, roof, ceilings, fitted kitchen, geyser, swimming pool, driveway |
| Home contents insurance | Moveable possessions inside the home | Furniture, appliances, clothing, electronics, jewellery |
- Replacement value
- The cost of rebuilding or replacing a structure or item at current prices, as opposed to its market or depreciated value. Buildings insurance should ideally be based on replacement value to avoid underinsurance.
Why protecting your investment matters
For most South Africans, their home is the single biggest financial investment they’ll ever make. Paying off a bond on a house that’s been gutted by fire or washed away by a flood, with no insurance to help rebuild, is a situation no one wants to find themselves in.
South African residential property insurance gap analysis
A significant proportion of South African homeowners either have no buildings insurance or are materially underinsured relative to the actual replacement cost of their homes.
Don’t gamble with your biggest asset. Buildings insurance is the cover that means you won’t have to have that conversation with your partner about why you didn’t get a buildings insurance quote when they mentioned it, for the twentieth time.
Disasters do happen and have left many South Africans with no way to pay for repairs to their homes without insurance cover in place.
How to get a buildings insurance quote from King Price
How to get a King Price buildings insurance quote
Getting a buildings insurance quote from King Price takes just a few minutes. Follow these steps.
- Tools:
- Internet connection
- Property details including size and construction type
- Current insurance documents if switching
Visit the King Price quote tool
Go to https://insurance.kingprice.co.za and select buildings insurance from the product menu.
Enter your property details
Provide information about your property, including its size, construction type, and location.
Choose your cover level
Select the cover options that suit your needs and review what's included and excluded.
Get your price and confirm
Review your quote, check the policy wording, and confirm your cover to get protected immediately.
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Frequently asked questions
Buildings insurance covers the permanent structures on your property, including your home, outbuildings, driveways, walls, fences, swimming pools, gate motors, and underground pipes and cables. It protects against events like fire, flood, storm, burst pipes, falling trees, and power surges.
Buildings insurance is not legally compulsory in South Africa, but most mortgage lenders require it as a condition of the home loan. Even if you own your property outright, going without buildings insurance means you bear the full cost of any structural damage yourself.
Yes. Buildings insurance typically covers loss or damage caused by leaking, bursting, or overflowing of heating systems, geysers, and pressurised water pipes. This can include damage to ceilings, walls, and flooring caused by the water.
Buildings insurance covers the permanent structures and fixed improvements on your property, such as walls, the roof, fitted kitchens, and your swimming pool. Home contents insurance covers the moveable possessions inside your home, such as furniture, appliances, and clothing. You generally need both for complete protection.
Yes. Swimming pools, spa pumps, and swimming pool boreholes are typically covered under buildings insurance as permanent structures on your property.
Underinsurance happens when your sum insured is lower than the actual replacement cost of your home. If you’re underinsured and you claim, your insurer may only pay out a proportional amount of your claim. Always insure your home for its full replacement value, not its market value.
You can get a commitment-free buildings insurance quote from King Price by visiting https://insurance.kingprice.co.za. The process takes just a few minutes and you’ll need basic details about your property, including its size, construction type, and location.
Ready to protect your kingdom? Don’t leave your biggest investment exposed. Get a commitment-free buildings insurance quote from King Price today and make sure your home is covered from the roof down to the underground cables.
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- Updated article structure, added TL;DR Answer Box, Key Takeaways, FAQ schema, comparison table, how-to steps, glossary terms, citations, and expert quote. Refreshed for SEO, GEO, AEO, and AIO best practices.
