Builders insurance

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Builder in a hard hat and high viz vest stood on a construction site.

Why do you need builders insurance?

Builders insurance protects you against the cost of accidents and mistakes at work. While you can’t stop them from happening, you can make sure you’re covered. Whether it’s just you or you have others working with you, it’s protection for your business and your customers.

  • protection from big claims like accidental injury or damage
  • help to keep going when an unexpected event gets in the way
  • it covers what you need from legal costs, to tools, to personal accidents


What does builders insurance cover?

You understand your business best – that’s why we put you in control. Whether you want to cover yourself for accidents on site, legal disputes with clients or the tools you need to run your business, you pick what goes into your policy. 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.


How much does builders 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 £4.74 per month

Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes

Example builders insurance quotes, real prices


How it works

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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

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0333 043 8527

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Contact us on our website whenever suits you

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Call our insurance experts during office hours (calls are charged at a local rate)

FAQs

Find answers to common insurance questions


How do builders insurance 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 team any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.

£51 million in claims paid out in 2023

As part of our 18 years of insurance experience, here’s how we’ve helped builders like you

Having builders insurance through Simply Business has saved builders thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.

Andy saved more than £4,335

Andy (not his real name) was working on a loft conversion for a customer when his ladder fell onto someone else’s car. It damaged the bonnet, roof and windscreen. Luckily Andy’s insurance covered the cost of the repairs.

Chosen by nearly 1 million small businesses and landlords

Builders 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 builders business insurance. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.

In some situations you may need more than public liability to cover certain kinds of property damage. Learn about hired-in plant cover and contract works cover.

Make sure you cover the total cost of replacing all your tools or you’ll only get a proportion of your claim paid out if something happens to them. Learn about tools cover.

Depending on what you use to do your work, you may need other covers.

You may need more than tools insurance – for example, business equipment insurance if you have a work laptop, plant insurance if you use machinery.

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.

Insurance companies calculate the price of your policy based on a range of factors. The quotes you get to compare will be based on your unique business. The following factors could affect the prices you’re quoted:

  • your claims history
  • how long you’ve been in business in this particular trade
  • if you work in dangerous environments
  • if you work with dangerous materials
  • the value of your tools, equipment or materials
  • the number of covers you want to include in your policy

If you have people working for you, employers’ liability insurance is required by law. While you may not be legally required to have other types of insurance, there are some covers builders may want to consider.

Being covered may be especially important if you want the added mark of trust you get from membership of a trade body or professional accreditation. Some trade bodies may require you to have a certain level of public liability or professional indemnity cover, for example.

You can set up your insurance before you begin trading. At this point you don’t need trade licences, but as soon as you begin trading, you’ll need to have any required licences in place.

Under the terms of your builders insurance policy, you’ll need to comply with all relevant rules and regulations for your insurance – and any claims you make – to be valid. Check which licences apply to your unique business using the government’s licence finder.

Whether you set up as a sole trader or a limited company, you’ll also need to register with HMRC (and Companies House if you form a limited company).

No, your builders insurance won’t cover you for poor workmanship. Depending on your policy, your builders insurance could cover you for things like:

  • third-party claims made against you for accidental injury or damage
  • theft or loss of your tools
  • claims made against you by an employee who has been accidentally injured or fallen ill as a result of working for you

We cover a range of builders and building types, from new builds to alterations on existing builds. We also cover a wide range of locations from domestic to commercial. If you’re completing a self-build or class yourself as a property developer, then please call our contact centre who can help you to find the best policy for your needs.


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