Guide
How to claim on insurance for shopfront damage
To claim for shopfront damage, tell your insurer as soon as you can, make the premises safe, record the damage and send a written repair quote. First check your excess and whether you or your landlord insures the glass. Your insurer must handle the claim fairly, and you can complain if it does not.
Last updated 3 November 2026. General guidance only: confirm anything legal with your council or adviser.
Who insures the shopfront?
Start with the lease. Some landlords insure the building, including the front, and recharge the premium, while others leave the glass with the tenant. Policies vary, so look for cover for glass, impact, malicious damage and theft. If a vehicle caused the damage, the driver's motor insurer may also be involved, so note the registration.
What should you send your insurer?
Insurers generally want the same core details: your policy number, the date, what happened and how much the repair will cost. Send what you have at the start, without waiting for everything, and add the rest as it arrives. Keep copies of every email and note who you spoke to.
- Crime reference number for a break-in or vandalism
- Dated photographs, before and after any boarding
- A written quote for the permanent repair
- Invoices for boarding and other emergency work
Can you start repairs before the insurer agrees?
Emergency work should not wait. Taking reasonable steps to limit the loss is normally a condition of cover, so board up and make the premises safe. Permanent repairs are different: get your insurer's agreement first, because they may want a loss adjuster to inspect. Keep damaged parts until you are told you can dispose of them.
We can supply a written quote and photographs of the damage for your claim. Boarding is £195 to £495 ex VAT per opening, and if the fault needs finding first, a repair starts with a charged diagnostic visit, from £125 ex VAT. Keep every invoice together, because your insurer will want to see them.
How does the excess affect a claim?
The excess is the part of each claim you pay yourself, so a small repair may not be worth claiming. Upgrades are usually your cost too. If you move from toughened to laminated glass, the insurer may pay only for like-for-like, so ask for both prices on the quote. Our written quotes list each item to make that easier.
What if your insurer refuses or delays?
Across the UK, Financial Conduct Authority rules require insurers to handle claims promptly and fairly and not to reject them unreasonably. Complain to the insurer in writing first. If you have no final response after eight weeks, or you disagree with it, smaller businesses within the size limits may be able to use the Financial Ombudsman Service.