The cost of insuring a thatched roof home in Britain has surged by more than 300% in four years, with average combined buildings and contents insurance premiums quadrupling from £598 to £2,404, according to figures from Compare the Market.
The price comparison site's data shows the average premium climbed steadily from £598 in January 2022 to £722 the following year, before doubling to £1,464 in 2024. It rose again to £2,016 in 2025 and hit £2,404 by January this year.
The figures mark a dramatic reversal for a segment that had long favoured buyers. Howden had previously noted that premiums were for years too low relative to claims costs, a correction that accelerated as several insurers withdrew from the market altogether.
Home & Legacy and Midas were among those that stopped offering cover recently, leaving policyholders scrambling for alternatives.
Shortages in water reed, which is overwhelmingly imported from Turkey, Eastern Europe, China and South Africa, have compounded the problem. Rising construction material costs and a spike in flood claims following Storm Henk in January 2024 added further pressure.
Yet some in the specialist market believe the headline premium figures obscure a more fundamental concern. Matthew Betts of County Insurance Services has pointed out that a thatched cottage bought for £500,000 can carry a rebuild cost of £1 million, with fire claims routinely reaching into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
For standard homes, the equivalent figure sits at £30,000 to £40,000.
With roughly 80% of Britain's estimated 60,000 thatched properties also listed buildings, the gap between what is insured and what it would actually cost to rebuild continues to grow.
Savills research shows these homes are heavily concentrated in the south-west of England, with Devon alone home to as many as a quarter of the national total.
The trend stands in stark contrast to the broader UK contents insurance market. Amy Rootham, home insurance expert at Compare the Market, said average premiums across most of the country have eased from their 2024 peak, helped by cooling inflation, falling labour costs and increased competition among insurers.
Thatched properties, however, are unlikely to benefit. Rootham said the fire risk associated with thatch, combined with the higher rebuild values driven by the need for specialist materials and tradespeople, would keep pricing elevated even as mainstream cover becomes cheaper.
She advised homeowners to install fire safety measures, keep roofs and chimneys well maintained, and fit smoke detectors.
