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Public liability insurance is a type of business insurance. It covers the cost when members of the public ("third parties") are injured, or their property is damaged, because of your business activities. Public liability insurance is also called third party liability insurance.
Any business can take out public liability insurance, including freelancers, sole traders and the self-employed.
Unlike employers' liability insurance, public liability insurance is not legally required. However, it can protect your business from unexpected and expensive costs.
Some companies and organisations will only award contracts to businesses that have public liability insurance.
Anyone who interacts with the general public can benefit from public liability insurance. This includes sole traders, self-employed individuals, freelancers, to limited companies and small to medium-sized businesses.
Whether you're a hairdresser, music teacher, builder, market trader, or a cafe owner, if you come into contact with other people, it's worthwhile considering public liability insurance.
Compensation claims: For injuries to a third party or damage to their property, whether that occurs on your property, theirs, or anywhere else
Legal expenses: If a claim is made against you, you’ll be covered for the cost of any legal proceedings
Cost of repairs: The cost of repairing property damage – for example, if you’re a plumber and your work damages a client’s home
Medical fees: If the NHS chooses to make a claim against you, you’re covered for hospital treatment or an ambulance callout
Accidental damage: If you damage a client's property, you may be liable which your insurance will cover. You will need employers' liability insurance to cover any employees.
Injury: If someone gets injured, or worse, on your business premises you may be held accountable. You'll be covered if a claim is made and compensation is due
Yourself: Public liability only protects third parties – so it can’t help if there’s an accident and you’re injured (you'd need income protection insurance)
Your property: Similarly, if your property is damaged (you'd need commercial buildings insurance and commercial contents insurance)
Your employees: If you have one or more employees, you’re legally required to get employers’ liability cover to protect them
Professional mistakes: If financial loss is caused through a mistake in professional advice, design or certification without any physical damage (you'd need professional indemnity insurance)
Intentional harm or damage: If you or any of your employees in your business causes any intentional damage, it will not be covered
Profession | Average annual price |
|---|---|
Builder | £168.24[2] |
Roofer | £305.10[3] |
Painter/Decorator | £87.54[4] |
Electrician | £88.30 [5] |
Plasterer | £78.61 [6] |
Caterer | £135.66[7] |
The table shows the average prices paid by our customers for the most common types of business insurance.
However, the cost of your public liability will depend on a few factors including:
Your claims history: If you have made claims in the past, your premiums could increase
The size and value of your business: Your premiums are likely to increase depending on the size of your business
Your business: Your premiums are heavily based on the nature of your business itself, and the risks associated with it
Excess: The higher the amount of excess you choose, the lower your premiums are likely to be
According to our latest data, 10% of customers paid this when taking out an annual public liability insurance policy.
The cost of fixing insurable problems yourself is usually significantly more expensive than taking out insurance.
Determine your needed cover based on your business's risks. Coverage usually starts at £1 million.
In the event of an incident, notify your insurer of any claims, providing necessary documentation like photos or witness statements.
Your insurer will assess coverage and either negotiate a settlement or defend your business in court.
The amount of public liability insurance you need depends on several factors, including:
The size and nature of your business
Level of public contact
Potential risk of accidents
Client requirements
Generally, most small businesses will need a policy with a minimum cover of £1 million, with options to increase to £2 million or £5 million depending on their risk profile.
When buying public liability insurance, it's key to know about the 'excess'—this is what you pay out of your pocket before the insurance starts paying the rest of your claim. When you get insurance quotes, you can decide how much your excess will be.
Typically, if you agree to pay more for the excess, your overall insurance cost could be lower. Be careful to choose an excess amount that you're comfortable with; you'll need to pay it if you ever make a claim.
Also, remember that public liability insurance only covers you if you have to pay someone because you're legally responsible for an accident or damage. The insurance pays only if you're found to be legally at fault.
Yes, you can get public liability insurance even if you're not a registered business. Anyone can get public liability insurance, including individuals, freelancers, and those who are self-employed.
This type of insurance is also known as third party liability insurance.
No, you don't legally need public liability insurance to sell at craft fairs, but it's highly recommended. It can protect you from claims made by the public, e.g. if a member of the public is injured or damages their belongings while they're at your stall.
While not legally required, a limited company should consider having public liability insurance, especially if they interact with the public or clients, as it protects them against potential compensation claims if someone is injured or their property is damaged due to the company's activities.
Public liability insurance should be a priority for any business that interacts with the public. Accidents can happen, and if they result in injury or more severe consequences to a third party, the compensation claims could be financially devastating. A robust public liability insurance policy is essential to protect against such risks associated with third party legal claims
Sara Newell Director of Insurance
Public liability insurance can cover all types of businesses, including sole traders, tradesmen and the self-employed.
It is valuable for any business that works with the public, in public spaces, or in other people’s properties.
Cleaners insurance can offer protection if, for example, your cleaning staff unintentionally damage property in a client's office.
Builders insurance: It's beneficial to have coverage in case scaffolding collapses and damages property, such as a vehicle
Plumbers insurance: Picture a situation where someone slips and gets injured just before you manage to put up a 'wet floor' sign
Electricians insurance: Despite adhering to safety regulations to prevent electrical hazards, unforeseen accidents can still occur
Roofers insurance: A roofer might accidentally drop tools or materials from a height, potentially causing injury to someone below or damaging property
Shop and retail insurance: A customer could slip on a wet floor or trip over an obstacle within the retail space, leading to injury
Pub insurance: Spillages or broken glass could result in a patron's injury, for which the establishment could be held liable
Hairdressers insurance: A client could suffer a reaction to a hair treatment or slip in the salon, prompting a claim against the business
Photographer insurance: During a photoshoot, equipment might fall and injure someone or damage property
Catering insurance: Suppose you're catering a wedding and a guest alleges they got food poisoning from the food you provided
Window cleaners insurance: Consider the scenario where a bucket of water falls from a height onto a busy street, ruining a pedestrian's clothing and phone
Carpenters insurance: Imagine a client tripping over an unsecured cable during a visit to your workshop!
The best way to check you've got the best cover is to compare policies online with MoneySuperMarket and our partner Simply Business. We search the market to find you the best prices and only work with trusted UK leading business insurance providers.
You can compare individual policies or choose to bundle public liability cover with other types of business insurance, including professional indemnity or employers' liability insurance.
We make it easy to compare quotes online. To get started, tell us key information about your business, such as the size of your organisation and what industry you're in. We'll then use this data to search the market and find the right quote for your business.
Once we've found your quotes, you can check each policy online in minutes without having to search for hours to find the best deal. You can purchase your policy and access your documents in just a few clicks.
Employers’ liability insurance is legally required if you have anybody working for you. It covers the costs if they become ill or injured because of their job.
Product liability insurance covers costs if a person or their property is harmed by a product you supplied them, even if you didn’t manufacture it.
Professional indemnity insurance covers you against claims arising from you providing negligent services or advice.
Business interruption insurance provides income supplementation if your business operations are disrupted by insurable events like fires.
Tool insurance covers costs if your tools are stolen, damaged, or lost.
Commercial contents insurance covers costs if equipment is stolen, damaged or lost. Commercial buildings insurance is for damage to physical structures.
Provide info about your business and employees for tailored deals.
Ensure it meets your business needs and read policy documents.
Click through to your chosen provider to finalise your purchase.
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
Yes, your insurer can provide you with a public liability insurance certificate.
Policies typically last 12 months, after which you’ll have the option to renew it.
The cost will vary depending on event type, number of attendees, duration, location, coverage level, and special considerations. Small events may cost a few hundred pounds, larger ones substantially more.
If you’re getting married, public liability insurance can protect you from claims made against you and your partner regarding any guest injuries or venue damages. Many wedding insurance policies include it.
While it is not legally required, some wedding venues will insist you have it.
Product liability insurance covers costs if there are issues with products you have supplied, sold, or manufactured.
Public liability insurance covers costs if members of the public are injured, or their property is damaged, because of your work.
Product liability insurance is often included within public liability insurance policies.
Personal liability insurance is for incidents that happen in a non-work context. It cover your costs if members of the public ("third parties") claim you or your family are responsible for injuring them or damaging their property.
Public liability insurance is also for third party claims, but ones that happen because of your work.
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You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.
MoneySuperMarket are partnered with Simply Business to offer you business insurance policies. Simply Business are one the the UK's largest business insurance brokers, authorised and regulated by Financial Conduct Authority. They specialise in protection policies for small and new businesses and work with an extensive panel of providers to help small business owners find tailored policies for good value.
Accurate as of Dec 2024
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual builders insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual roofers insurance excluding the application of heat policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual painter and decorator insurance policy. Figure based on policies purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual electricians' insurance policy. Figure based on policies purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual plasterers insurance policy. Figure based on policies purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 51% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual catering insurance policy excluding mobile vans. Figure based on policies purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid £4.62 or less monthly for public liability insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased between 1st February- 30th April 2025.
Average claims value for MoneySuperMarket customers who claimed on their business insurance in the last 12 months. Data provided by SimplyBusiness.
