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Tradesmen insurance

Keep your business and reputation safe as houses with tradesmen insurance. It's the tool you need when a job doesn't go to plan.

Quote online in less than 2 minutes

Public liability insurance
from £7.36 a month for £1,000,000 cover

for physical damage and injuries caused by your business

Tools & equipment
£7.00 a month
£5,000 for repairing and replacing your tools when they’re damaged, lost or stolen
Employers’ liability
£9.32 a month
£10,000,000 legally required cover for employers
Based on an annual income of up to £50,000. All prices include IPT at 12%. Quote online for turnovers up to £250,000, or call and talk to an expert.
Cover that gets the job done

Big jobs or small ones, you're a helping hand. You build things, fix faults, fit systems or clean and sort your client's home or garden.

But as handy as you are, accidents happen. A customer could trip over your toolbox and injure themself. One of your employees might fall off a ladder and need physiotherapy. Or an expensive set of tools could be stolen from your locked van.

There’s a whole list of things that can go wrong when you’re using your tricks of the trade. So it makes sense to be prepared. Find yourself in a fix and tradesmen insurance can help. Job done.

Who needs tradesmen insurance?

Insurance is the perfect fit for all kinds of tradesmen. Whether you’re self-employed, run a limited company, or you’re a contractor working for someone else.

For self-employed tradesmen, tradesmen insurance will give you peace of mind that your valuable equipment is covered if it’s lost, stolen, or damaged. And you’ll be protected against expensive legal battles if a member of the public gets hurt or their property is damaged on-site, and it’s your fault.

If you run a limited company and employ others, you’ll also need the protection that employers’ liability insurance provides. Plus, it’s required by law.

For contractors, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re covered under the insurance of whoever’s hired you. But that’s not always the case.

Their employers’ liability insurance might cover you, but you should certainly have your own tools & equipment insurance. And your own public liability, just in case. If you’re unsure, double-check what insurance your employer has and what it covers.

What trades do you cover?

We cover a wide variety of different trades. More than we could list here. Here’s just some of the trades we can cover:

  • Alarm & security engineers
  • Carpenters
  • Carpet cleaners & fitters
  • Cleaners
  • Curtain & blind installers
  • Electricians
  • Furniture installers & restorers
  • Gardeners
  • Landscapers
  • Locksmiths
  • Painters & decorators
  • Plasterers
  • Tilers
  • Upholsterers
  • And many more...

If you don’t see your trade on the list, that doesn’t mean we don’t cover it. The best way to find out if we do is to get a quote.

What types of insurance do tradesmen need?

The types of tradesmen insurance you’ll need will depend on the nature of your business and what kind of trade you do.

In general, though, there are several kinds of tradesmen insurance you should consider:

  • Tradesman public liability insurance is the obvious place to start. Working on-site is dangerous. Whether it’s a building site or a client’s house, accidents can happen. Public liability insurance covers you if you cause property damage or someone is injured because of your actions. It pays for a lawyer to defend you and for any compensation you might owe.
  • Tools & equipment insurance is something that almost any tradesmen would benefit from having. It pays to repair or replace your kit if it’s lost, stolen, or damaged. It’ll even cover equipment that you hire for a job.
  • Tradesman employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have any employees. Even if they’re subcontractors. It covers you if an employee is injured or gets ill because of their work by paying for any legal fees and compensation you might owe.

How much does tool insurance cost?

Tools & equipment insurance is important for any tradesman that relies on their kit to get the job done. It’s difficult to put a general price tag on it, though.

The cost of it depends on a few different factors:

  • The types of tools and equipment you use
  • How many bits of equipment you have
  • Whether you ever hire kit for a job
  • How much excess you’re willing to pay

The most important thing when it comes to tools & equipment insurance is to base it on the cost of replacing all your kit. Otherwise, if a disaster happens, you won’t have enough cover to replace everything. Which means you’ll be out of pocket.

The best way to find out how much your insurance will cost is to tot up the current value of all your kit and get a quick quote.

Are subcontractors covered by tradesmen insurance?

Subcontractors can be the perfect solution when you need a backup or extra workforce. But the type of insurance you need depends on the type of subcontractor you hire.

A labour-only subcontractor means you dictate their hours. You supervise them, they use your tools and materials, and you probably pay them a salary.

A labour-only subcontractor works almost as an employee. If you have a workforce already, they should be covered by your existing employers' liability and public liability insurance.

However, it's worth letting your insurance company or broker know you've hired extra staff. If you're usually a one-man band, you'll need to get employers' liability (EL). It's a legal requirement if you employ anyone – even if they're temporary.

Or, you might employ a bona fide subcontractor. They'll invoice you for their time, bring their own tools, work their own hours. You'll need to check they have their own public liability insurance and, if they have their own staff, that they're insured too. You don't need EL for these subcontractors.

A bona fide subcontractor will need to sign a contract with you, holding them accountable for their work and deadlines. Legal expenses cover can help if you have a dispute with these contractors.

Why should I buy my tradesmen insurance from PolicyBee?

We're business insurance specialists who know that time is money and isn't always on your side.

Because we're digital, you can get a quote in minutes and your insurance in just a few clicks. And your documents are delivered straight to your inbox.

You can also call us. Our experts are real people in a real office, ready and waiting to help. We don't have a call centre or a phone menu either. We like to keep things simple.

And as a bonus, we give you free stuff too, including:

  • an "I'm insured" badge for your website
  • a cash bonus each time someone you've recommended us to buys a policy
  • our advice hub - full of helpful information for your business.

Check out our customer feedback if you want another opinion.

Advice, News & Know-how
What our customers say...
★★★★★
Very quite and simple

Good price would defo reuse on renewal and recommend to others
Cleaning Services
28 September 2024
★★★★★
Great to find a company that does not over charge for great service.
Thank you for a great experience and a fair price definitely recommend.
Heating Engineering
4 September 2024
★★★★★
So simple and easy … thoroughly recommended 10/10
Landscape gardening
3 September 2024

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0345 222 5399
Catherine Roberts
Account Executive
Sarah Adams
Sales Team Leader
Yasin Akdemir
Schemes Team Leader
Zoe Langford
Senior Account Executive