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Commercial properties across the UK face a growing risk of underinsurance in 2026 as rebuild costs and compliance requirements continue to change. Rising rebuild costs, regulatory change and more complex rebuilding requirements can leave even well-managed portfolios underinsured if sums insured  are not kept up to date. “Commercial reinstatement is inherently more complicated than domestic rebuilding,” said Gautham Rajendar, Technical Lead for Commercial Properties at...

Materials inflation has eased. Labour costs remain elevated and that is where reinstatement values can shift most quickly. Recent government data  shows materials price growth easing, with the “All Work” materials index rose 3,3% in the year to December 2025. However, construction earnings data and insurer commentary continue to highlight labour shortages and sustained pay growth. Where skilled trades are constrained, repair and reinstatement costs can remain under pressure.

If you’ve ever seen “desktop” and “site” rebuild cost assessments and thought, “Right… but what’s the actual difference — and does it matter?” you’re not alone. It’s one of the questions we’re most often asked by people coming to us for the first time. And the honest answer is: both options can be the right one – it just depends on the building, the level of complexity, and what you need the valuation to stand up to. What do “desktop” and “site” actually mean? A desktop rebu