Homecheck Professional is offering homeowners up to £1m worth of cover against liability for clean-up costs from any contamination discovered on their land.
The insurance policy runs for up to 25 years for a one-off premium and can be bought directly online at homecheck.co.uk. It is underwritten by National Insurance and Guarantee Corporation, part of the Credit Suisse group.
The policy covers the costs of defending any legal action, tracing any identifiable polluter and clean-up bills.
Homeowners have recently become liable for the cost of cleaning up contamination discovered on their land if the original polluter cannot be traced.
Brendan Doyle, chief executive of Sitescope, which provides the Homecheck Professional service, said: “Given the ever increasing uncertainties surrounding risks of environmental search, this insurance allows homeowners to investigate the past and protect against the future.”