Home insurance add-ons and optional extras: what are they and do you need them?

When you take out home insurance, the standard policy is usually just the starting point. It protects you from big events, like a fire, flood or burglary.

But what if your boiler breaks, or you crack your laptop screen? Optional extras can give you protection for these more common problems.

This guide explains how home insurance add-ons work, what they can cover, and how to decide which ones may be useful for you.

Key takeaways:

• Home insurance add-ons are optional extras you can bolt on to your standard policy for an additional cost.
• They cover things your main policy doesn't, like plumbing and drainage, central heating, or legal expenses.
• Whether you need them depends on your home, your circumstances, and how much risk you're comfortable with.

What does standard home insurance cover?

Before we look at optional extras, it helps to know what you usually get with a standard policy.

Most home insurance comes in two parts:

• Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your home: This includes the walls, roof, floors, windows, and fitted fixtures like your kitchen and bathroom.
• Contents insurance covers the belongings inside your home: This includes furniture, appliances, clothing, and valuables.

You can take out buildings and contents insurance separately, or together as a combined policy.

If you own your home, you'll likely want both. If you're renting, your landlord is usually responsible for buildings insurance. But contents cover can still be worth having for your own belongings. You can read more about why you might need both buildings and contents insurance.

Standard policies cover a lot, but they don't cover everything. That's where optional extras come in.

What are optional extras on home insurance?

Optional extras, also called add-ons, are additional layers of cover you can add to your policy. You usually pay more for them, either monthly or annually.

They exist because standard home insurance is not designed to cover every possible situation. For example, a boiler breaking down, a blocked drain or a dispute with a neighbour aren't typically included in your main policy.

Add-ons let you fill in those gaps based on what's most relevant to your home and lifestyle.

Common home insurance add-ons include:

• Plumbing and drainage cover
• Central heating and boiler cover
• Home emergency cover
• Legal expenses cover
• Personal possessions cover
• Accidental damage cover
• Excess protection

The key is understanding what each add-on does, then deciding whether the extra cost is worth it for you.

Plumbing and drainage cover: what is it and do you need it?

Plumbing and drainage cover protects you against the cost of repairs to your home's water pipes and drainage system. It typically covers things like burst pipes, leaking internal pipes, and blockages in your drains.

Standard home insurance policies will usually cover damage caused by a sudden leak, like if a burst pipe floods your living room. But they won't cover the cost of actually fixing the pipe itself.

They almost never cover blockages, which can be expensive to clear, especially if the problem is deep in your drainage system.

Does home insurance cover blocked drains?

Not usually without an add-on. Blocked drains are considered a maintenance issue rather than accidental damage, so most standard policies exclude them. Plumbing and drainage cover is specifically designed to fill that gap.

Does home insurance cover water leaks?

It depends on the cause. If a sudden, unexpected leak causes damage to your home, that damage may be covered under your standard buildings insurance. But the source of the leak (i.e. the pipe itself) usually isn't. Plumbing cover steps in to cover the repair costs.

What is trace and access cover?

Trace and access cover is often included as part of plumbing and drainage cover, but it's worth understanding separately. It covers the cost of finding a hidden leak, like one behind a wall or under a floor, and the work needed to access it.

That means cutting through tiles, plasterboard, or floorboards to locate the source. Without this cover, those investigative costs can add up quickly, even before any actual repairs begin.

Who needs plumbing and drainage cover most?

Plumbing and drainage cover is particularly useful if you live in an older property, where pipes are more likely to wear out or develop problems.

It's also worth considering if your home has mature trees nearby. Roots can grow into drainage systems over time and cause significant blockages.

If you want to understand more about how water damage can affect your home, our guide to damp and home insurance is a good place to start.

Central heating cover: is it worth adding?

Central heating cover, sometimes called boiler cover, protects you against the cost of repairing or replacing your boiler and central heating system if something goes wrong.

A boiler breakdown often happens at the worst possible time, like during a cold snap in January. Repair costs can run into hundreds of pounds, and a full boiler replacement can cost thousands.

Central heating cover typically includes emergency call-outs, parts and labour. Some policies also include an annual boiler service.

What does central heating cover include?

Most policies cover:

• Boiler repairs and parts
• Faults with your central heating system, including radiators, pipes and controls
• Emergency call-outs when your heating fails

Some policies also include an annual boiler service.

What is usually excluded?

Pre-existing faults are almost always excluded. This means problems that were already there before you bought the cover.

Very old boilers (typically over 15 years) may also be excluded, or subject to a higher excess. Always check the policy terms before you buy.

Is central heating cover the same as a service contract?

Not exactly. A boiler service contract is usually about keeping your boiler in good working order. Central heating cover is there to help when something breaks down.

Some add-ons combine both, which can be good value if your boiler hasn't been serviced recently.

Home emergency cover: what counts as an emergency?

Home emergency cover is designed for sudden, urgent problems that make your home unsafe or uninhabitable. It can help when something goes seriously wrong and you need help fast.

It typically covers:

• Complete heating failure, especially in cold weather
• Burst pipes causing flooding
• Electrical faults affecting your home's power supply
• Broken door or window locks that leave your home unsecured
• Some pest infestations, depending on the policy

What doesn't it cover?

Home emergency cover isn't designed for gradual wear and tear, cosmetic damage or general maintenance.

If your boiler is old and running inefficiently, that's a maintenance issue, not an emergency so it would not be covered. A dripping tap or a sticky window would not usually qualify either.

It's also worth knowing the difference between home emergency cover and general home maintenance. Emergency cover kicks in when something fails suddenly. Regular maintenance helps keep your home in good condition and may prevent claims in the first place.

For practical advice, take a look at our home maintenance and risk prevention guide.

Legal expenses cover: do you need it on your home insurance?

Legal expenses cover, sometimes called legal cover or home insurance legal cover, helps pay for legal costs if you become involved in a dispute related to your property.

Legal cover can help pay for solicitor fees and legal costs for certain property-related disputes.

Common situations include:

• Disputes with neighbours over boundaries, noise or shared access
• Problems with tradespeople who've done poor quality work on your home
• Issues with your landlord if you're renting
• Disagreements over property damage caused by someone else

Home insurance legal cover does not extend to cars. For legal cover related to driving, you would need motor legal protection as part of your car insurance.

Do I need legal cover on my home insurance?

This depends on your budget and living situation. Legal disputes involving property can be lengthy and expensive, even if you are not at fault.

Legal expenses cover usually costs a relatively small amount to add to your policy, and it can give you access to legal support without having to pay solicitor fees yourself.

It's particularly useful if you live in a terraced or semi-detached property, where boundary and noise disputes are more common. If you've ever wondered where your responsibility ends and your neighbour's begins, our guide to fence ownership rules covers this in detail.

Personal possessions cover: protecting your belongings outside the home

Standard contents insurance covers your belongings while they're inside your home. But what about the things you take out with you every day?

Personal possessions cover, sometimes called personal belongings cover, extends your contents insurance to items you carry with you when you leave the house.

This can include things like:

• Mobile phones
• Laptops and tablets
• Jewellery and watches
• Glasses and prescription eyewear
• Keys
• Handbags and wallets

Some items like mobile phones are not automatically covered by home insurance. Standard contents insurance covers your phone while it's at home, but not if it's lost, stolen, or damaged while you're out.

Personal possessions cover fills that gap. Some policies also offer specific gadget cover for higher-value tech items.

What are single item limits?

Most personal possessions policies have a single item limit. This is the maximum amount your insurer will pay out for any one item.

If you own expensive jewellery, a high-end camera, or a valuable watch, you may need to list these separately to make sure they're fully covered.

You can read more about how this works in our dedicated guide to home insurance personal possessions and portable items.

Other add-ons worth knowing about

Accidental damage cover

Accidental damage cover protects you against unintentional damage to your home or belongings. Things like spilling red wine on the carpet, putting your foot through the ceiling while in the loft, or knocking over a television.

It's often available as an add-on for both buildings and contents insurance.

Excess protection

When you make a claim on your home insurance, you'll usually need to pay an excess. This is an agreed amount you pay towards the cost of the claim.

Excess protection cover reimburses you for that amount, so you get the full value of your claim back. It can be particularly useful if your policy has a high excess.

Subsidence cover

Subsidence is when the ground beneath your home shifts or sinks, causing damage to the structure. It's more common in areas with clay-heavy soil or near old mine workings.

Some standard home insurance policies include some subsidence cover, but the cover can vary. If you live in a high-risk area, it's worth checking exactly what's included and whether additional cover is available.

Working from home cover

If you work from home, whether occasionally or full-time, it's worth checking whether your home insurance covers your work equipment.

Standard policies may not cover laptops, monitors, or other equipment if it's used for business purposes.

A working from home add-on can extend your cover to include these items and, in some cases, public liability if clients visit your home.

Student contents cover

If you have a family member going to university, their belongings may not automatically be covered by your home contents policy once they're living away.

Some insurers offer student cover as an add-on. This can protect their belongings at their term-time address.

Tenant liability cover

If you're renting, tenant liability cover protects you against the cost of accidental damage you cause to your landlord's fixtures and fittings.

This could include things like accidentally cracking a bathroom tile or damaging fitted furniture. It's worth considering alongside contents insurance if you're in rented accommodation.

For more on how insurance works when you're renting, see our guide to rental and landlord insurance.

How do I know which add-ons I actually need?

There's no single right answer. But asking yourself these questions is a good place to start:

• What type of property do you live in? Older homes are more likely to have plumbing issues. Flats often have different risks to houses. Rented properties have different requirements to owned ones.
• What are your biggest financial risks? A boiler replacement or a legal dispute could cost thousands.
• What problems would disrupt your life most? How long could you go without a working laptop, or central heating in the middle of winter?
• What valuable items do you own? If you carry expensive tech or jewellery, personal possessions cover makes a lot of sense.
• What's excluded from your standard policy? Always read your policy documents carefully. The gaps in your standard cover tell you exactly where add-ons could be useful.

The cost of add-ons varies. You can find out more about what home insurance typically costs and what affects your price in our guide to how much home insurance costs. And if you want to reduce your overall premium, our home security guide covers practical steps that can help.

Getting the right home insurance from Marshmallow

At Marshmallow, we know that navigating home insurance in the UK isn't always straightforward. Our home insurance is designed to be clear, flexible and fair.

You can build a policy that works for your home and your circumstances, with the option to add the extras that make sense for you.

Whether you're a homeowner or a renter, get a home insurance quote to see what you could save.

Frequently asked questions

Does home insurance cover plumbing and drainage?

Standard home insurance doesn't usually cover plumbing repairs or drainage blockages. You'll need to add plumbing and drainage cover to your policy for this.

Is boiler cover included in home insurance?

Not typically. Boiler and central heating cover is usually an optional add-on, not part of a standard home insurance policy.

What is trace and access cover on home insurance?

Trace and access cover pays for the cost of finding a hidden leak. This could include cutting through walls, floors or tiles to locate the leak and restoring the area once the repair is done.

Do I need legal cover on my home insurance?

Legal cover is not a legal requirement, but it can be useful. It can help pay solicitor fees for property-related disputes, such as boundary disagreements or problems with tradespeople.

Does home insurance cover my mobile phone?

Only if you have personal possessions cover. Standard contents insurance covers belongings inside your home, not items you take out with you.

What's the difference between home emergency cover and standard home insurance?

Standard home insurance covers damage to your home and belongings. Home emergency cover pays for urgent call-outs when something suddenly fails, like your boiler breaking down or a burst pipe.

Does home insurance cover subsidence?

Most standard policies include some level of subsidence cover, but it varies. If you live in a high-risk area, check your policy carefully and consider whether additional cover is needed.

Is personal possessions cover worth it?

If you regularly carry valuable items like a phone, laptop, or jewellery outside your home, it's worth considering. The cost of replacing these items out of pocket can far exceed the cost of the add-on.