Public Liability Cover
Public liability insurance can help cover any legal costs and compensation if someone's property is damaged or gets injured due to your work
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1Accurate as of September 2023
Tradesman insurance refers to business insurance that provides specialised cover for the hazards and risks involved while working in your specific trade. It offers varying levels of cover for legal costs and compensation for accidents that happen to you or another employee as well as tools and equipment cover to ensure the equipment necessary for you to do your job is protected.
Tradesman insurance is not a term marketed only to men. Tradesman insurance is a common collective term but it can refer to all people working in trades including hairdressers, nail technicians, builders, electricians, or plumbers.
There are different types of insurance you can take out based on your business needs.
Public liability insurance can help cover any legal costs and compensation if someone's property is damaged or gets injured due to your work
By law, if you employ anyone you are required to get this insurance. It covers claims from any staff members who get injured or become seriously ill as a result of working for you
Covers legal fees and compensation payments if you are responsible for damages caused by negligent or incorrect advice or services (even if it was provided for free)
Your tools are a necessity for you to be able to do your job. Tools insurance will help you repair or replace them if they are damaged or stolen
With hundreds of different trades out there, it's hard to find the perfect insurance for your business. With a job that is filled with hazards and risks, in the long run, it always pays to have a safety net in place if things ever go wrong. An accidental cracked pipe, stolen or damaged tools, or a flood in your business premises can impact your business in more ways than you may know, especially if a claim is made against you.
Tradesman insurance can ensure that your business can keep running even when accidents or unfortunate events occur. As long as any claims that are made are not due to negligence, your insurance can absorb the costs, legal fees and provide compensation so you don't have to.
The cover you chose for your trade will depend on the type of insurance you purchase. Below is a list of only some of the things that you can get insurance cover for and a list of things you can't:
Legal expenses: Legal expense cover can help you pay for legal costs for things like employment disputes, property disputes, and tax investigations
Financial loss: Covers you for any compensation you would have to pay to a third party that wasn’t caused by damage to or loss of physical property
Accidental death: An accidental death policy offers a lump sum should you or an employee die as a result of an unforeseen incident
Tools and equipment: You may rely on your tools to even have a working business, you can protect them from theft and damage with tools insurance.
Business contents: A business contents policy covers items you need for your work, such as office furniture or computers and phone systems, if they’re damaged or stolen
Professional indemnity: Covers legal fees as well as other costs and expenses incurred in the defence of any claim made against you.
Personal accident: Personal accident cover offers a lump sum payment if you or an employee are no longer able to work as a result of an accident
Business vehicle cover: You can take out specific cover for any vehicles you use for business purposes, a standard car insurance policy won't provide cover the same way.
Intentional harm or damage: Most insurance policies are unlikely to cover any damage or harm caused to someone intentionally – either by yourself or an employee
Negligence: You will not be covered if a claim, injury or accident occurs due to your negligence. This includes public liability cover as well as other insurance types, such as tools cover
Drugs or alcohol: Insurance won't cover you if you or your employees were under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the insurable event occurred
Breach of contract: In many trades, you will have a signed contract before beginning work. If you are in breach of that contract, your insurance policy cannot cover you
Improper use of business vehicles: Your insurer will not cover damage or loss of your vehicle if it's not being used for the correct business purposes or a named driver is not driving the vehicle.
Damage to property being worked on: Some public liability insurance policies won't cover damage caused to a person's property or belongings while you are working on them. For that reason, you should read the terms of your policy carefully when you apply
Wear and tear: Your tools and equipment won't be covered for any factory faults or damage from general wear and tear
"Regardless of what trade you're in, or how careful and good you are at your job, unfortunately accidents happen and if you aren't insured for those to occur, your entire business can be affected by it. Compare business insurance with MoneySupermarket where you can get multiple policy options in one place, and protect your business with our best deals and the right coverage tailored to you.
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Comparing business insurance quotes with MoneySuperMarket is the easiest way to find an affordable deal on cover. Here's how it works:
Let us know about your business and what it does, and we'll find deals tailored to your requirements
You'll be able to compare your offers by cost, level of protection and any extras that are available
Once you've found the right deal for you, just click through to the provider to finalise your purchase
When you’re looking for the best insurance for your business, the cheapest option isn't always the best and can end up being more expensive for you in the future. While most policies will include some form of public liability, you need to be sure that a level of public indemnity is also included. This ensures that you are protected against claims made by your clients as well as the public.
Every policy is different, so you need to ensure the policy you pick offers sufficient cover for your needs, especially when it comes to cover for goods, tools and equipment.
Check that your policy includes everything you need for your business, so when things do go wrong, you can be covered for any situation that may occur and it won't affect your business.
Yes. Tradesman insurance is important for a cleaner as it includes working with expensive equipment or dangerous chemicals that have the potential to impact you and/or other people.
Yes. If you're a self-employed tradesperson you'll still need a form of business insurance in place to cover you should anything go wrong at one of your jobs. A business insurance policy for tradespeople is bespoke to you and can include a range of cover types, depending on your specific needs.
You will need to take out a business vehicle cover for your vehicle. A standard car insurance policy will not provide the same cover. Be sure to include any employees that will drive that vehicle as named drivers and ensure that you are using the vehicle in line with the way your policy states is covered.
Tradesman insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK. However, if you have any employees working for you, it is a legal requirement in the UK to have employer liability insurance.
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