Contractor insurance


Contractor Insurance 
 

As a contractor, sole trader or self-employed business owner, you’ll enjoy the flexibility and independence working for yourself brings and you’ll be focused on delivering exceptional service for your customers.

However, being a contractor can be a risky business; working at height on-site with power tools can lead to accidents and mishaps when you least expect them. Contractor insurance must be a top priority to protect customers, employees and others around you. Finding time to compare quotes can be a challenge which is why we make arranging your business insurance simple and hassle-free.

We understand the risks associated with working on-site or at other people’s premises, whether they are commercial or private clients. As a business insurance broker, we can help you tailor your contractor insurance to your business needs. We pride ourselves on exceptional service standards and will support you for the duration of your policy.

If your work as a joiner or carpenter then contractors insurance can protect against the cost of mistakes and accidents in the joinery trade.
Without the right carpet cleaning insurance in place you could be exposed to compensation claims against you if something goes wrong.
Cleaners insurance can cover a variety of risks and is just one way to demonstrate your professionalism when working in a clients premises.
Whether working in residential or commercial settings electrical contractors insurance is an essential safety net working in this trade.
Designing, installing or maintaining your clients outside spaces can come with risks that can be covered with the right gardeners insurance.
As a handyman you'll undertake a host of jobs, with so many skills under your belt you need protection for the range of tasks performed.
Working in high risk environments means you need comprehensive heating engineer insurance to protect against the unexpected.
Locksmiths have a duty to ensure that each lock is safe and secure as well as being properly insured to carry out security installations.
Mechanics help their clients keep their vehicle in good condition and safe behind the wheel, insurance can protect against potential claims.
Every painter and decorating business is different and you should consider the insurance you need to protect against the risks you face.
Even experienced pest control technicians encounter unexpected, even dangerous challenges while on the job, so you should consider insurance.
Plumbing contractors provide much needed services for residential and commercial customers alike and therefore require insurance protection.
Without the right property maintenance insurance, you could be personally liable to rectify any damage if something unexpected happens.
As a car valet, clients trust you with one of their most valuable possessions, meaning you need protection in case something goes wrong.
Window cleaner insurance can cover you and your staff if you damage someone's property, it can also protect your tools and legal liabilities.
Complete our short form to start your business insurance quote. We'll then call you at a time that's convenient for you to discuss your requirements and provide an insurance quote
Our advisors are just a phone call away. On average, we answer calls within 90 seconds.  Lines open Monday to Friday 9:00am–5:00pm
Depending on your needs, we can usually arrange contractor cover as a single package or design a bespoke risk management solution to ensure your business activities are protected.
Designed for small businesses and contractors that have straightforward insurance needs. In most cases you can compare quotes and buy your policy on our website.
Whether it's project specific contract works insurance or a bespoke suite of risk management products. We can provide recommendations and arrange the cover your require.
As a contractor, the risks your face daily are numerous and varied. That’s why it’s important to ensure you have the right insurance in place to protect your construction business. Just some of the key covers to consider when working in the construction industry are detailed below.
Public Liability Insurance

  • Contractor public liability insurance covers your duty to clients and members of the public for accidental injury or damage to their property. For example, contractor public liability would cover you if you accidentally knocked over a customer’s vase and it smashed on the floor while working at their property.

Employers' Liability Insurance

  • If you have staff, then you have a legal obligation to protect them against injuries whilst they are at work. That's why employers' liability insurance can be added to your contractor insurance to protect you should you have to pay compensation for an injury to an employee caused by your business activities.

Personal Accident Insurance

  • If you’re working alone, you should consider personal accident cover as part of your contractor insurance. In the event that you injured yourself at work, this cover can provide you with a weekly benefit to tide you over while you are unable to work.

Property Cover

  • We can even arrange protection for an office or buildings that you use in conjunction with your business, alongside any business contents, computers and stock that you keep there.

Tools, plant & Equipment Insurance

  • We can arrange tool insurance to protect your tools, equipment, and plant, tailored to the level that you need. This can include temporary buildings, hired plant, as well as your own goods and equipment. With varying amounts of cover available, you really can choose the cover that suits you best, without paying for cover you don’t need.

Business Interruption Insurance

  • Business interruption cover can also be incorporated to protect your turnover should you suffer damage at your premises that would affect your ability to trade.

Contract Works Insurance

  • Contract works (also referred to as Contractors All Risks) is designed to offer financial protection against the work in progress on site if its affected by an unexpected incident, such as flooding, fire, theft or vandalism.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

  • Professional indemnity - if you’re providing advice, for instance design or technical services then this insurance is designed to protect you should your client suffer financial losses as a result of the work you do for them. 

Commercial Vehicle Insurance

  • A van could be a crucial part of your business; whether it’s for deliveries, tools, or even just getting to and from your work sites on a daily basis. We understand the need for a quality cover that gives you peace of mind. Take a look at business van insurance page to find out more about van insurance for contractors.

Every contractor has their own area of expertise and must protect themselves against accidental injury to clients or employees, or damage to property that could leave the business financially exposed.

As a contractor, you will need to safeguard your livelihood against unforeseen events. You may be working alone, or in partnership, or employ a team to support you and your business. Whatever your needs, we can help you source the insurance that is right for your business.

Typically, your contractor insurance would include a minimum of public liability cover, and can be further tailored to suit your business needs with additional employers' liability insurance, commercial legal protection, tools cover and even personal accident cover. If you are just starting up, then you can build your policy over time to reflect the needs of your business.

Our insurance advisors have many years of experience arranging insurance for contractor businesses. Below are just some of the types of businesses we can find cover for. If you work in a niche trade or work across a number of specialisms - we can usually tailor a package suitable for your profession.

 
  • Builders Insurance
  • Electrician Insurance
  • Plumbers Insurance
  • Property Developers Insurance
  • Pest Control Insurance

  • Locksmith Insurance
  • Carpenters & Joiners Insurance
  • Civil Engineering Insurance
  • Plus many more
It may be your business requires specialist cover related to higher risk activity you may undertake, for example, we could access specialist covers which are designed to protect you working at unrestricted heights and depths. Our relationships with specialist contractor insurers means we can access insurance protection that you may struggle to find easily elsewhere.

The cost of your contractor insurance will depend on your business activities and the amount and type of covers you require to protect your business. Like any other insurance, generally the more cover you require the higher the premium.

The value you gain from having the right cover in place is a huge benefit to your business. A contractor insurance policy is a product that you have paid for that you may never get to use, but also a product that you hope that you will never need to call on.

By speaking with an insurance professional at Premierline, you’ll be able to discuss your insurance needs and get advice on the different insurance covers that can protect all aspects of you construction activity. They’ll be on hand to assist with any queries you have whilst keeping the terms and conditions of your policy easy to understand.

This is dependent on whether your subcontractors are labour only subcontractors, or bona fide subcontractors.

Labour only subcontractors work directly under your supervision and use equipment, tools and materials that you have provided, and may use their own portable hand tools. As they work directly under your supervision, they are, in the eyes of the law, treated as employees of your business, therefore employers liability insurance becomes a legal requirement.

Tool insurance can offer protection for your business equipment up to a value of your choice. Different insurers will offer varying levels of cover so you can tailor it to your needs.
All insurers will ask that you take reasonable steps to protect your property from theft or damage. Leaving expensive hand tools or power tools on site is risky, however if reasonable precautions have been taken to secure them, for example, locking the building that you are working in and controlling access through limited key holders, then these could potentially be covered.

Contractors all risk, sometimes referred to as contract works insurance, construction all risk insurance or builders risk insurance provides cover for risks on work that is underway on a building or construction site.

A contractors all risks policy, as the name suggests, typically covers the risks normally associated with a construction project.

Contractors all risk insurance is generally worth considering if you or your business undertakes construction contracts which span over time which means you are on-site for many weeks or months.
Business insurance experts at Premierline
  • Award winning service
    We're trusted by thousands of SMEs across the UK
  • Comprehensive protection
    We can help with all your commercial insurance needs
  • UK based  experts
    Located in Lancaster, our advisors are here to help
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“A very competitive price. Painless renewal on my public liability insurance. Would recommend Premierline for all business insurance needs.”
Contractor Business owner
Customer since October 2021
4.7/5 stars
341 customers have happily rated our service on Feefo over the past 12 months.
Feefo Awards: Platinum Trusted Service & 10 years of proven Trusted Service

For consistently winning a Trusted Service Award for customer excellence over the past 10 years.
Don't just take our word for it, read more of our customer testimonials and reviews.
We understand the risks associated with working as a contractor, whether working on new projects or with existing clients, an incident could put your livelihood at risk. Speaking to an insurance broker with expertise in contractor trades can help you navigate the type of insurance covers you need and evaluate the risks you face. Here at Premierline we pride ourselves on exceptional service standards and will support you for the duration of your policy.
Complete our short form to start your business insurance quote. We'll then call you at a time that's convenient for you to discuss your requirements and provide an insurance quote
Our advisors are just a phone call away. On average, we answer calls within 90 seconds.  Lines open Monday to Friday 9:00am–5:00pm