Contract works insurance
Join over 900k UK customers (including over 220,000 trade professionals) – we offer public liability cover from £4.74*
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Rated 4.8/5
Based on 39,800 reviews
Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
What is contract works insurance?
From building sites to ongoing client renovations, works under construction are vulnerable to accidents and damage. Contract works insurance is designed to cover the project you’re on, so if the work gets destroyed or you lose your materials, you and the client are financially protected. You can restore the work in progress to its pre-damage status, and safeguard against additional losses.
- build a tailored construction insurance policy, with options for PL, kit, and staff
- 24/7 UK-based claims support from an expert team
- cover for break-ins, flood, fire and storm, for peace of mind while you work
What does contract works insurance cover?
Alongside well-known covers like public liability insurance, plant, and employee protection, many construction insurance policies feature contract works cover as a popular option for trades companies and professionals. It’s designed to cover your regular building and construction site work, if disasters like storm, flood, or fire cause damage, or someone breaks in and steals or vandalises your materials and project.
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Vandalism
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Flood
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Fire
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Theft
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Storm
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 contract works 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 contract works insurance quotes, real prices
£20.56 /month
£182.76 /year
A self-employed builder working on residential properties in the local area
- 1-2 years’ experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in Sheffield
Public liability
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability
Not included
Contract works
£50,000
£160.75 /month
£1,428.90 /year
A small building firm that works on medium sized contracts, both residentially and commercially, with 1 office only worker
- 5+ years’ experience
- Limited company
- 3 employees
- Based in Nottingham
Public liability
£5,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
Contract works
£250,000
How we work out example quotes. These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 09/06/2021). 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 property. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.
Looking for something else?
Depending on your set-up, clients and business type, these expert covers might be helpful too:
- Business insurance
- Public liability insurance
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Employers liability insurance
- Business contents insurance
- Business equipment insurance
- Business interruption insurance
- Business legal protection insurance
- Limited company insurance
- Office premises insurance
- Personal liability insurance
- Product liability insurance
- Professional liability insurance
When you run a quote you can select from a range of covers.
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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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.
Example claim
Having contracts works insurance through Simply Business has saved construction and trade professionals thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Annie saved more than £11,200
While working on a client’s loft conversion, Annie’s (not her real name) works site was broken into, with evidence of forced entry and theft of multiple tools and appliances. The optional contract works insurance added to Annie’s business policy helped provide cover for the delay to the project, while she replaced her tools and organised repair works.
Insurance payout
£11,299.51
Covering the cost of theft
Insurance payout
Covering the cost of theft
Covering the cost of theft
Chosen by nearly 1 million small businesses and landlords
We started out as a team of five back in 2005. We’ve grown since then, with nearly 1 million customers across 1,500 trades now trusting us to provide their business insurance.
Contract works 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 contract works insurance.
You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
Contract works insurance only covers things related to a specific contract, such as the materials needed to complete a job. Contracts all-risk cover is designed to cover multiple elements of your business.
Contract works usually refers to work done by builders and other tradespeople and businesses. It’s common terminology for construction sites too, where projects tend to be long-running works in progress. Your contract works are the work and tasks you’ve agreed to complete for your client, as part of your contract with them.
This will depend on the contracts and agreements you have in place, both with your client and any third parties involved in the project you’re working on. Some contracts will require a minimum level of insurance to be in place before work commences, and contract(s) works insurance will often be factored into this, or highlighted as a requirement.
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.
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