Public liability insurance
Join over a million customers (including 606,000 SMEs like you) – we offer public liability cover for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies from £5.76*
Get tailored quotes in 7 minutes
- get liability insurance quotes online in just 7 minutes
- compare quotes from up to 15 specialised business insurance providers
- get covered and all your documents the same day
- £57 million in claims paid out in 2025**
*10% of customers pay the equivalent of £5.76 a month
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Rated 4.6/5 based on 40k reviews
What is public liability insurance?
Public liability insurance protects your business if a client or member of the public is injured, becomes ill, or their property is damaged because of your work. It can pay legal fees and compensation up to your policy limit.
Why choose Simply Business?
We help business owners to choose the right cover by allowing them to compare quotes from leading insurers in one place.
- highly rated: 4.6/5 on Feefo based on 40k reviews
- claims paid in 24 hours for over 95% of settled claims**
- UK-based team of insurance experts available online and on the phone
**The figure above is rounded across our range of products. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insure.
Why do I need public liability insurance?
If you work around customers or the public, accidents can happen on your premises or off site. A claim could be costly. Public liability insurance helps cover those costs so you don’t have to.
- available as a standalone cover or part of business insurance
- make changes to your policy with no admin fee, so you can rest assured that your cover keeps up with the changing shape of your business*
*If you make a change to your insurance which affects the risk of the insurance you may still be charged an additional premium by your insurer. But we won’t charge an admin fee for making the change.
What does public liability insurance cover?
Public liability insurance typically covers you for accidents on your premises or off site. This could be a customer tripping over your toolbox or damaging someone’s dress during wedding day hairstyling.
It’s important to review a public liability insurance quote carefully and check if your insurer covers you for the risks you face. For example, some insurers won’t cover accidents caused by your products.
Keep in mind, accidents caused by your employees will only be covered if you have employers’ liability insurance in place too.
Injury
What it covers: accidental injury to a third party caused by your work, and legal fees and cover (up to the level stated on your policy wording).
Examples of a claim: you accidentally spill boiling water on your client’s hand, causing a bad burn and long-term injury.
Damage
What it covers: accidental damage to a third party’s property, as a direct result of your work, and legal fees and cover (up to the level stated on your policy wording).
Examples of a claim: you accidentally knock your client’s laptop onto a hard concrete floor, damaging it beyond repair.
Product liability
What it covers: accidental injury to a third party, caused by a product you’ve made or sold, and legal fees and cover (up to the level stated on your policy wording).
Examples of a claim: you accidentally give a customer food poisoning, as a result of food you’ve prepared and sold.
Not all insurers offer cover for product liability – check your policy wording carefully before you buy. See more business insurance covers.
Examples of what’s not included
- injury to staff without employers’ liability insurance in place
- professional mistakes, like negligent advice, causing financial loss
- damage to your own tools, stock, or premises
- deliberate or unlawful acts
- known defects or issues you did not disclose when buying cover
This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of business insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions
How much does public liability insurance cost?
There’s no standard price. Your premium depends on your trade, activities, claims history, location, and the cover limit you choose. Common cover limits are £1 million, £2 million, £5 million, and £10 million. Higher‑risk work, higher footfall, or higher limits usually cost more.
Find out how much you’ll pay by completing an insurance comparison from a range of trusted insurers.
Public liability insurance quotes from £5.76 per month
*The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £69.10 or less annually between 1st Oct 2025 – 31st March 2026. Equivalent to £5.76 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 84% of customers have a £1 million limit and 16% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.
Real public liability insurance quote examples
Cleaner (Manchester)
- cost: £7.21/month (£86.49/year)
- business profile: less than 1 year experience, sole trader, no employees, working as a local domestic cleaner only in residential properties.
- included cover: public liability (£1,000,000 limit)
Barber (Edinburgh)
- cost: £11.46/month (£100.08/year)
- business profile: 2–3 years’ experience, sole trader, no employees, working as a barber who rents a chair in a barber shop (but doesn’t own the shop).
- included cover: public liability (£1,000,000 limit) and £1,000 tools cover
How we work out example quotes: These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 09/03/2026). They’re based on a range of factors, like employees and location. Your own quote will be based on what you tell us about your business. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.
How it works
- Answer our questions and pick what goes into your policy – only pay for what you need.
- Get prices from a range of insurers – choose the best fit for you.
- Buy online or over the phone – documents arrive the same day.
Who needs public liability insurance?
You may want to consider public liability insurance if you deal with the public, visit clients, or work at customer sites. Common trades include:
Find your trade from 1,000+ options when you run a quote.
Helpful links
Talk to an expert
Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help.
Call our team: 0333 043 8527
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How do claims work?
If the unexpected happens, having public liability insurance can help save your company thousands of pounds.
£57 million in claims paid out in 2025
The figure above is rounded across our range of products. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 13/03/2026.
To make a claim, these are the key steps in the process:
- Contact the claims team: report what’s happened as soon as you can, either online or by phone.
- Fill in the gaps: a dedicated claims handler will work closely with you to understand the details of your claim.
- Claim is reviewed: your claim will be reviewed, and you can track its progress through an online claims portal.
- Decision: with all the details provided, your claim will be reviewed and a decision and any options will be given.
A UK-based claims helpline is available 24/7 from specialist claims partner, Sedgwick. These steps are an overview of the main stages of the claims process and do not reflect all the details of the claims process. Find out more about the claims process.
Chosen by over one million small business and landlord customers
With insurance for over 1,500 trades, and 9/10 customers rating us ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ on Feefo, you can get tailored quotes in 7 minutes. Compare quotes from leading insurers, buy, and manage your policy – all in one place.
FAQs about public liability insurance
This is a key cover for most SME businesses – our comprehensive FAQs answer some of the most popular questions about public liability insurance.
Many small businesses choose £1 million or £2 million. Some contracts, especially in the public sector, may require £5 million or £10 million.
It varies by trade, activities, claims history, location, and your chosen limit. You can get quotes online in minutes.
No. Employers’ liability may be required by law if you have staff, but public liability is optional.
Business insurance is usually an allowable expense for tax. Keep your policy documents and receipts for HMRC.
If an employee causes injury or damage then it can be covered by your public liability insurance, but only if you’ve listed employees on your policy. Employers’ liability cover will automatically be added if you declare employees when building your Simply Business policy.
Public liability covers claims from members of the public. Employers’ liability covers employee claims.
Simply Business customers get a certificate of insurance included as part of your documents when you buy a policy.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions
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