Artist insurance
Join over nearly a million customers (including artists) – we offer public liability cover from £4.95*
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- UK-based expert support, online and on the phone
- Get covered and all your documents the same day
- Compare tailored artist insurance from trusted brands
10% of customers pay the equivalent of £4.95 a month*
Compare quotes from leading brands
Rated 4.6/5
Based on 39.9K reviews
Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
Why do you need artists insurance?
Fine art, sculpting, painting, pottery, crafts, illustration – whichever your passion as a creator, you’ll want to protect your business against unwelcome setbacks. Concerned about spillages? Fire or theft? Mistakes and accidents? You can’t always stop these things from occurring, but with artist insurance, you can make sure you’re covered against the unexpected costs.
- reassurance that you’re protected against big claims due to injury or damage
- peace of mind in case something happens to a valuable piece of art you’re producing
- cover what you need from employees to business equipment to specialist tools and materials
What does artists insurance cover?
We know that no two artists work the same way, so we give you the freedom to decide what to include in your insurance policy. Maybe you want to look after the equipment you rely on, or maybe you want to reduce the financial risk of clients not paying. There are lots of options available.
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Public liability insurance for artists
In case someone gets injured or their property gets damaged as a result of your business.
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Employers’ liability insurance
In case your employee gets sick or injured while they’re working for you.
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Tools insurance
In case your tools are lost, stolen or damaged.
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Stock insurance
In case your artist materials or pieces of art are lost, damaged or stolen.
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Business and office equipment insurance
In case your business and office equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged.
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Legal expenses insurance
In case you’re faced with legal costs in the running of your business.
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Personal accident insurance
In case you or anyone you’ve covered has an accident
How much does artists insurance cost?
Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.
Prices start from £4.95 per month
Get tailored quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
Get tailored quotes in 7 minutes
The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £59.34 or less annually between 1st Feb – 30th April 2025. Equivalent to £4.95 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 82% of customers have a £1 million limit and 18% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.
Example artists insurance quotes, real prices
£8.48 /month
£64.79 /year
A self employed artist who sells pottery and sculptures locally
- 2-3 years’ experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in Plymouth
Public liability
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability
Not included
Tools
£2,000
£34.65 /month
£307.99 /year
A small art company that works on local commissions and projects for the community (UK only)
- 5+ years’ experience
- Limited company
- 1 employee
- Based in Leeds
Public liability
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
Tools
£4,000
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 25/10/2022). 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.
What kind of excess should I expect?
An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.
Insurance cover | Lowest excess | Highest excess |
|---|---|---|
Public liability | £100 | £2500 |
Employers’ liability | No excess | No excess |
Tools | £60 | £500 |
Stock | £100 | £500 |
Business and office equipment | £50 | £750 |
The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.
How it works
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
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Get your documents the same day
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How do I choose insurance?
Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.
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Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
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Will tools insurance cover all my equipment?
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Does artists insurance cover my work correctly?
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Do I need cover for other types of work?
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Which public liability cover limit should I choose?
Talk to an expert
Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm
Call our team
How do claims work?
Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.
£68 million in claims paid out in 2024
76% of claims were settled in 2024.
The figure above is rounded across our range of products. “Settled” covers paid, declined or withdrawn. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 26/02/2025.
Chosen by nearly one million small business and landlord customers
We started out as a team of five back in 2005. We’ve grown since then, with nearly a million customers across 1,500 trades now trusting us to provide their business insurance.
Artists insurance FAQ
Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about artists insurance. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
It’s always a good idea to start with an assessment of the risks your business might face.
In general, here are some important things to think about when selling handmade crafts:
If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability cover.
If you come into contact with members of the public in your work as an artist, public and product liability insurance is a key type of cover to consider. Not only does it cover you against mistakes and accidents in person, it also covers you against injuries or damage caused by the pieces that you sell.
If you use any specialist tools in your work as a maker, creator or artist, such as a sewing machine or easel, you might want to think about getting tool cover.
Other types of insurance to consider include:
When you’re selling crafts at a craft stall or craft fair, there’s a risk that you could injure someone or cause accidental damage to someone else’s belongings. So although it’s not compulsory, it could be a good idea to protect yourself and your business with public and product liability insurance.
What’s more, the “product” element of public and product liability means you’re protected if a customer suffers injury or damage due to an item you’ve sold to them.
Bear in mind, some organisers of craft events may insist that you have public liability insurance as a condition of entry.
And remember, if you have people working for you (even temporary staff just to help you run your stall), you’re required by law to have employers’ liability cover.
Yes. You may start offering additional services that require you to use different skills or carry out different tasks. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to give us a call on 0333 0146 683 to update your policy before you take on this new work. If you don’t have the correct type of cover in place for the work you do, you may be unable to claim on your policy if something goes wrong.
Each insurer looks at CCJs and IVAs differently – some apply stricter rules than others, but having a CCJ or IVA doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to buy insurance.
You can choose the payment type that suits your business and cash flow best. Some customers prefer to pay in one go, while others prefer to pay a regular monthly amount, like you do with lots of other bills. Simply Business offer three ways to pay for your policy:
- one-off credit or debit card payment
- BACS payment
- Direct Debit
If you choose to pay by Direct Debit, our credit provider, Premium Credit, pays Simply Business the full amount for your policy up front. You then repay Premium Credit in 10 monthly installments.
If you change your business legal structure from sole trader to limited company mid-way through your policy, give us a call straight away on 0333 0146 683. It’ll only take us a few minutes to cancel your existing policy and replace it with one that correctly covers your new legal structure. It’s worth bearing in mind that your insurer and premium amount may need to change.
This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.
If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.
There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.
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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