Tradesmen Insurance - Which Trades are Covered?

As a tradesman you are probably aware that once you become self-employed your business is always a step away from even greater success or potential disaster. To help ensure that the latter does not happen a key step is to find a suitable tradesmen insurance policy so that you know that you are covered in the face of unexpected errors or identified risks occurring.

Tradesmen insurance is designed to protect you from situations that may occur through your work which could result in injury or other legal action; it provides protection against public and product liability.

Every trade has its own specific dangers, so whether you work in the building industry, as a carpet cleaner, chimney sweep, floor polisher or window cleaner, you need to carefully evaluate the potential risks and put in place a suitable insurance policy.

Some trades, such as builders, carry higher risks and therefore it is extremely important to ensure that the appropriate builders insurance cover is in place.

From the moment you employ someone, you are legally required to have employers liability insurance, which provides cover for your legal liability arising from claims made by employees for injuries or illnesses they may suffer as a result of working for you.

Regardless of your trade, your tradesmen insurance should cover your risk of public liability in the event of you being found legally liable to pay damages to members of the public for death, bodily injury or damage to their property as a result of your business activities.

Furthermore if you are taking out such as builders insurance, carpenters or plumbers insurance, or indeed insurance for any trade where you have associated tools, you should insure your tools and equipment against loss, damage or destruction on or off site. Tool insurance may be offered as part of the basic insurance policy or may be available as an optional extra cover.

As the number of people who sue for negligence continues to rise, you need to be sure that you are covered in all eventualities. Perhaps as a window cleaner you are up a ladder and drop a tool onto someone’s car or even head which results in a serious injury, you will be expected to reimburse the cost of the damages and without an appropriate window cleaner insurance policy, this could mean a lifetime of paying back the costs of the accident.

Whatever your trade, whether you work as a shopfitter, video installer, glazier, gardener or vacuum cleaner repair person, regardless of whether you have a premises, it is essential to assess your business risks and take out the appropriate tradesman insurance.

The good news is that the wide choice of quality small business and tradesman insurance policies means that you will be hard pushed to find a trade that isn’t covered by the insurance market. For many trades you can now get a quote and buy tradesman insurance online. This gives you the flexibility of finding and purchasing insurance at a time that suits you.

If your trade is more obscure or high risk or perhaps you undertake activity not generally associated with your trade, then you may need to enlist the help of an insurance broker to ensure you get the insurance cover that you need.

Importantly make sure you do take out tradesmen insurance. The insurance premium may seem high but consider that without the right insurance cover you could be jeopardising your business.

(Ref: FP537)

To talk to an expert in your area and get a quote.