Public Liability Cover
An absolute priority for any contractor working on-site or at client premises. This covers legal fees and compensation costs if your business activities cause accidental injury to a third party or damage their property.
Example for contractors: While you are installing a commercial HVAC system, a pipe joint leaks and causes extensive water damage to the client’s IT server room.
Employers’ Liability Cover
If you use sub-contractors, assistants, or temporary laborers on your projects, this is a legal mandate in the UK. Operating without it can result in a statutory fine of £2,500 for every single day you remain uninsured. Solo operators working strictly alone can skip this cover.
Example for contractors: A labor-only sub-contractor falls from a platform while assisting you on a cabling project and breaks their leg.
Tools and Materials Cover
Your business cannot operate without its specialised kit. This protects your personal hand tools, power tools, and unsecured site materials against theft, loss, or accidental damage.
Example for contractors: A locked site storage chest is forced open overnight, and your entire kit of diagnostic testing meters and specialist drills is stolen.
Hired-In Plant Cover
When you rent specialised machinery to scale up a project, the hire company holds you contractually liable for it. This independent policy covers the massive cost of repairs or replacements if equipment you lease is damaged or stolen, protecting your working capital.
Example for contractors: A leased cherry picker or mini-excavator is vandalised on-site over a weekend, leaving you legally responsible for the replacement costs.
Owned Plant Cover
Your heavy-duty machinery represents a significant long-term investment. This cover steps in to fund a direct replacement if the machinery, mixers, or larger plant equipment that belong to your company are stolen from a secure yard or damaged on a live project.
Example for contractors: A high-value micro-digger owned directly by your firm is hotwired and stolen from a secure compound.
Contract Works Cover
Protects the physical work you are currently building or installing before it is officially handed over. If fire, flood, or a storm destroys your progress halfway through a contract, this funds the materials and labor required to restore it.
Example for contractors: An accidental electrical fire breaks out during a full property refurbishment, destroying your newly installed wiring and distribution boards.
Professional Indemnity Cover
Crucial if your contracts involve providing technical specifications, project management guidance, or custom designs. This covers you if a client claims your professional advice was faulty and caused them a financial loss.
Example for contractors: An error in your electrical layout drawings causes a project delay, leaving you liable for the client's missed completion penalties.
