Security company insurance
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Why is security company insurance important?
Small security companies. Freelance professionals. Bouncers and guard patrols. Risk comes with the territory, but might not always be obvious. Would you have the funds ready to cover an employment claim, for example, or a damaged work laptop? Our policies start with public liability insurance for third party accidents and injuries, and build from there.
- security company insurance, 24/7 UK-based claims support
- equipment, accident, and employee cover – you choose what you need
- rated 4.8/5 based on 39K+ public liability customer reviews
What does security business insurance cover?
Typically, we’ll start with public liability insurance, built to cover security industry professionals against accidents and injuries, usually to clients and other third parties. You can also build in cover for your essential equipment, plus any employees you have, legal expenses, and personal accidents which may stop you doing active work.
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Public liability insurance (security industry)
In case your security business causes property damage, or an injury.
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Employers’ liability insurance
In case anyone gets ill or injured while working for your security business.
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Business and office equipment insurance
In case something happens to equipment like your phone or two-way radio.
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Legal expenses insurance
In case you have to pay legal costs connected with your security business.
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Personal accident insurance
In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at work or elsewhere.
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 security industry 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 quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes
The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £56.82 or less annually between 1st Jan – 31st May 2024. Equivalent to £4.74 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 76% of customers have a £1 million limit and 24% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.
Example security insurance quotes, real prices
£40.70 /month
£361.79 /year
A self-employed bouncer who works for retailers during the day
- 2-3 years’ experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in Bradford
Public liability
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability
Not included
Contents & business equipment
Not included
£557.79 /month
£4958.17 /year
A small security company who use guard dogs to patrol
- 5+ years’ experience
- Limited company
- 4 employees
- Based in AB16 7LL
Public liability
£5,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
Contents & business equipment
£10,000
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 16/04/2021). 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
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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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Does security 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
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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.
£51 million in claims paid out in 2023
83% of claims were settled in 2023.
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 24/04/2024.
Security 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 insurance for security companies in the UK. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
Most insurers will start with public liability insurance for security industry companies – it can protect you from a claim if someone is injured or their property gets damaged because of your work. Lots of freelancers and firms also choose to add business equipment cover for the essential kit they rely on, from two-way radios and alarms to a phone or laptop.
You’ll usually need employers’ liability insurance if you employ anyone – for example a temp you hire during the busy Christmas season or a contract security guard to share the load with. It’s almost always a legal non-negotiable, so don’t brief anyone without it, or you could face fines of up to £2,500 a day for each employee.
This depends on your business, and which insurer is providing your cover. Prices start from £6.35 a month for our security business customers – we work this out by taking the highest price from the bottom 10 per cent of all our customers paying in monthly instalments (based on data from 1 July – 31 December 2020). Most customers pay more than this but some pay less.
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 instalments.
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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