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Contract works insurance

Join over 220,000 trade professionals with cover from £3.19 per month*

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Based on 39,755 reviews

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Claims paid in 24 hours

For 80% of settled claims

What's on this page

  • Why is insurance important?
  • What does it cover?
  • How much does it cost?
  • How do I choose insurance?
  • How do claims work?
  • FAQs
  • Helpful articles

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

Start your quote

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.

Vandalism

What does this cover?

  • damage and destruction caused by vandalism
  • the cost of reinstating the work you’ve done, up until the point of your claim

When would I need to make a claim?

  • for example, you’re building an extension for a client and someone breaks into your works site, vandalising the premises and causing substantial damage

What isn’t covered?

  • acts of terrorism

Flood

What does this cover?

  • damage and destruction caused by flooding
  • the cost of reinstating the work you’ve done, up until the point of your claim

When would I need to make a claim?

  • for example, the site you’re working on has been damaged by a flood overnight, destroying the kitchen you were installing

Fire

What does this cover?

  • damage and destruction caused by fire
  • the cost of reinstating the work you’ve done, up until the point of your claim

When would I need to make a claim?

  • for example, a fire in the neighbouring property to the one you’re renovating causes smoke damage, and you need to start the work from scratch

What isn’t covered?

  • acts of terrorism

Theft

What does this cover?

  • loss of materials as a result of them being stolen from the site
  • the cost of reinstating the work you’ve done, up until the point of your claim

When would I need to make a claim?

  • for example, someone breaks into your site and steals your trade tools, delaying the project completion date

What isn’t covered?

  • acts of terrorism

Storm

What does this cover?

  • damage and destruction caused by storm
  • the cost of reinstating the work you’ve done, up until the point of your claim

When would I need to make a claim?

  • for example, a storm destroys the loft conversion you’re working on, and you need to start the project from scratch

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 £3.19 per month

Get your quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.

Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes

Start your quote

10% of our customers paid up to £38.32 a year for a public liability insurance policy between 1st April 2023 - 30th June 2023. Equivalent to £3.19 per month based on a monthly cost when paying for the policy in one annual payment. Paying monthly is usually more expensive as you'll pay interest. Most customers pay more than this but some pay less.

Example contract works insurance quotes, real prices

axa insurance

£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

churchill insurance

£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:

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

  • Buy online in minutes

    Get your documents the same day

Start your quote

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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.

£39 million in claims paid out in 2022

Paying 80% of settled claims within 24 hours in 2022

The figure above is rounded across our range of products. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis.

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

  • Annie’s costs

    £100

    The excess amount stated in Annie’s policy terms

Chosen by 900,000 small businesses and landlords

We started out as a team of five back in 2005. We’ve grown since then with 900,000 customers across 1,500 trades now trusting us to provide their business insurance.

  • Compare and buy in minutes

    Documents arrive today

  • Rated 4.7/5

    Based on 39,755 reviews

  • Here to help

    Help from UK-based experts

  • 24/7 claims

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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

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