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Builders' insurance is specialised business insurance for those who work in the construction industry.
You can buy different types of builders business insurance:
Employers liability insurance - covers costs if employees are harmed
Public liability insurance - covers costs if members of the public are harmed
Tool insurance - covers costs if tools are lost, damaged or stolen
🚩 Employers liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have staff
🚩Clients may insist you have public liability insurance
Whether you own a construction business or are a self-employed builder, insurance can financially protect you if something goes wrong at work.
Without insurance you could end up paying some very high costs if your employee is injured while working, your van is broken into, or you are sued by a member of the public.
If you are a UK business and you have any non-family members working for you then by law you must have employers' liability insurance.
Without it, you can be fined up to £2,500 for every day you're not insured[3].
Employers liability insurance covers the compensation costs if a worker becomes ill or injured because of their work for you. This includes ex-employees.
For example, if a worker was exposed to toxics which created health issues years later they could sue their old employer for failing to put adequate health and safety measures in place.
Many people are wary about hiring workmen who do not have comprehensive insurance policies in place, and many organisations have policies prohibiting them from hiring uninsured construction companies.
Government contracts, for example, will usually insist you have a public liability insurance policy of at least £5-£10 million.
If anyone becomes ill or injured because of your work you could be responsible for the associated costs, including expensive compensation claims. This is far from an unlikely scenario: an average 47,000 construction workers are injured each year.[4]
Employers' liability insurance covers harm caused to employees, contractors, volunteers and anyone else doing any work for you. It's also a legal requirement.
If anyone becomes ill or injured because of your work you could be responsible for the associated costs, including expensive compensation claims. Construction is risky work, and things can unexpectedly go very wrong: 3 members of the public were killed because of construction work in the 2023/4 financial year[5].
Public liability insurance covers harm to members of the public. It is not a legal requirement, but many clients will insist you have it.
From scaffolding scratching someone's car to paint tipping all over a client's carpet, there are 101 ways the tools of the trade could end up causing expensive property damage that owners may expect you to pay for.
Public liability insurance will pay the costs of accidental damage to other people's property, whether that's a client, supplier or member of the public.
You can also take out professional indemnity insurance to protect you financially if you make a professional mistake or give bad advice that results in a financial loss for your client.
Business contents insurance can help you recover the cost of losing company equipment to fire, flood, theft and other disasters. Tool cover can offer similar protection for tools.
The risk of some types of equipment losses is growing. London saw tool theft from vans increase by 60% between 2020 and 2023.
A job in construction increases the chance of you suffering from some types of work-related illness and injuries. For example, it almost doubles your odds of getting a musculoskeletal disorder.[4]
Income protection insurance or key person insurance can replace your salary if you have to take time off work for ill health, so you don't have to worry about paying your bills or maintaining the lifestyle of your family.
You can be taken to court if a client or a member or the public believe they have been physically or financially harmed because of your company's business activities, including if their property is damaged.
Builders could be found liable for everything from making a mistake when calculating measurements to someone tripping over your toolbox .
Public liability and professional indemnity insurances can cover the legal fees and compensation payouts in such cases.
That's how much was paid out in 2024. Without business insurance, those customers would have faced paying that bill themselves.
Comparing quotes from different insurers allows you to find the best deal out there.
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No. Most standard public liability insurance policies won't cover you for performing faulty work. Similarly, most professional indemnity insurance policies won't cover you for defective workmanship either.
These insurance policies are designed to protect you where issues are caused by genuine mistakes and not irresponsible practices. Professional indemnity insurance, for example, will usually cover measurement miscalculations in your blueprints.
Yes, if they are labour-only subcontractors you will need employers' liability insurance. It is a legal requirement that you take out this insurance to cover any accidents or illnesses that happen to your staff at work.
A subcontractor is labour-only if your business supervises their work and provides them with the tools and materials they use for the job.
If you only work with bona fide subcontractors you probably do not need to insure them, and they are likely to have their own contractor liability insurance in place.
Bona fide subcontractors work independently from you and provide all their own tools, material and equipment.
The cost of insurance for builders' will depend on a number of different factors. These usually include:
The type of insurance
The level of cover and any optional extras you add to your policy
The number of employees you have
Your insurance claims history
Your legal history
Your annual turnover
Your excess
For a better look at how much a policy will cost to insure your business, why not compare quotes with us? It's quick, easy, and accurate.
Yes, you need to insure any vans or vehicles you use for your business. Standard van insurance policies do not cover business use.
Business van insurance will ensure that your van is properly protected both on and off the road while you're using it, and some policies can even protect tools and equipment that you store in your van.
If you own several vans you can also take out fleet van insurance which will provider cover for multiple vehicles under one policy.
Public liability insurance protects you if your work harms members of the public.
Employers’ liability insurance protects you if your staff become ill or injured at work.
Professional indemnity insurance protects you if you are accused of negligence.
Tool insurance protects tools from loss, damage, or theft.
Business interruption insurance protects against disruption from events like fires.
Business contents insurance protects equipment, including in home offices.
(Per Year) | Cheapest | Average |
|---|---|---|
Bricklayers | £63.66[9] | £83.37[10] |
Builders | £96.21[11] | £168.24[12] |
The table shows the average prices paid by our customers for builders' insurance.
Average price means 51% of customers paid this amount or less. Cheapest price means 10% of customers paid this price or less.
According to our latest data, 10% of customers paid this when taking out an annual bricklayer insurance policy.
The cost of fixing insurable problems yourself is usually significantly more expensive than taking out insurance.
Financial loss: Compensation payouts to third parties that had their person or property harmed by your work activities
Business van insurance: Standard motor insurance policies won't usually cover vehicles that are used for work
Legal expenses insurance: For things like employment disputes, property disputes, and tax investigations
Accidental death: Offers a lump sum should you or an employee die as a result of an unforeseen incident
Tools and equipment: Cover to repair and replace business equipment that is damaged or stolen
Business contents: Covers items such as office furniture or computers and phone systems for if they’re damaged or stolen
Professional indemnity: Covers you if your business is responsible for any professional negligence
Personal accident insurance: Offers a lump sum payment if you or an employee are hurt and no longer able to work
Intentional harm or damage: Either by yourself or an employee
Poor workmanship: Most insurance policies won't cover you for events that are caused by incompetence, although professional indemnity will cover you for some types of negligence
Drugs or alcohol: If you or your employees were under the influence when the event you want to claim for occurred
Damage to property being worked on: Some policies won't cover damage to a person's property caused while you are working on it
Wear and tear: Insurance won't pay out for damage or breaking of tools or equipment that are the result of general wear and tear
Breach of contract: Some types of insurance will exclude cover for costs arising from you breaching a contract
Improper use of business vehicles: If you're using vehicles for work purposes without declaring that to your insurer, or if the person driving is not covered by the policy
Almost 9 in 10 of business insurance claims made by MoneySuperMarket customers were accepted last year.
All insurance has conditions and exceptions, so you should read your policy documents carefully to make sure you know what is and isn't covered.
When it comes to business insurance, the cheapest option may not be the best option for you. Sometimes it is worth paying a little more to get a better level of cover.
Working in construction has always carried a number of risks, even for the most skilled builder. But the sector is now being beset by a newer problem: cyber crime. 6% of construction companies were victims of a cyber fraud in 2023/4 financial year[15] almost double the rate for businesses as a whole.
To protect yourself and your clients, look at installing strong anti-virus protection, frequently backing up your data, and getting a good business insurance policy to protect you from the financial costs of cybercrime. The average cost of a cyber breach is £10,830 for medium and large businesses[15]. With our builders insurance starting from just £96.21[11] a year, your policy could save you a lot of money should the worst happen.
Jake Edmonds Insurance Expert
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No, at this time business insurance is not an eligible product for unlocking our SuperSaveClub rewards. It is also not included in our Price Promise.
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According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid this amount or less monthly for a bricklayers insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased in 2024.
Simply Business is one of the UK's leading providers of business insurance, serving 1 million customers across 1,500 trades.
Source: Gov.uk
Source: UK Government's Construction Statistics in Great Britain Report 2024
Source: UK Government's Construction Statistics in Great Britain Report 2024
Simply Business data 2024
YouGov Survey 1st October 2023 to 30th September 2024. Net recommended score derived from “Which of the following online service website would you recommend to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid?” Base: Current Customers of (MoneySuperMarket n=19272, CompareTheMarket n=17631, Go.Compare n=10457, Confused.com n= 8421, Uswitch n=681)
From 01.06.23 to 31.05.24 MoneySuperMarket customers received £1.59bn estimated savings based on (i) SuperSaveClub reward redemptions, and (ii) savings claims per product multiplied by the number of sales. Products included - Car, Home, Pet and Travel insurance, Broadband, Credit Cards, Loans and Mortgages.
According to Simply Business data, 10% of customers paid this amount or less for an annual bricklayers 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 bricklayers insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased in 2024.
According to Simply Business data, 10% 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 builders insurance policy with Simply Business. Figure based on annual quotes purchased in 2024.
Average claims value for MoneySuperMarket customers who claimed on their business insurance in the last 12 months. Data provided by SimplyBusiness.
88% of business insurance claims made by MoneySuperMarket customers were accepted in the 12 months before March 2025. Data from SimplyBusiness.
Source: Cyber security breaches survey 2024. Published 9th April 2024 by the UK government on www.gov.uk
