Designers insurance
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Based on 39,130 reviews
Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
Why do you need designers insurance?
Typography, artistic flair, online interfaces – whichever your strength as a designer, unexpected setbacks can be a big shock to your bank account. Insurance helps you prepare your business for the worst case scenario. We cover graphic designers, product designers, web designers, fashion designers and more. You’ll need to select your specialism when you get a quote, but here we'll steer you in the right direction.
- Protection against expensive claims due to mistakes, injuries and accidental damage
- Cover what matters to you, from your equipment to your employees to your brand reputation
- Stress less about the potential for difficult disputes with clients
What does designers insurance cover?
There’s no one-size-fits all when it comes to design. You know the ins and outs of your business, so we help you customise your insurance policy to suit your setup. Whether you freelance solo or manage a team – from must-haves to optional extras, you can piece together the cover you need.
Professional indemnity insurance
In case you get something wrong in your work or fail to deliver the expected results.
Public liability insurance
In case your business damages someone else’s property or causes an injury.
Employers’ liability insurance
In case something happens to an employee while they’re working for you.
Business and office equipment insurance
In case your business and office equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Legal expenses insurance
In case you’re faced with legal costs as the owner of your design business.
Personal accident insurance
In case you or anyone you've covered has an accident.
Professional indemnity insurance
In case you get something wrong in your work or fail to deliver the expected results.
What’s typically covered by professional indemnity insurance for designers?
Legal and/or medical expenses relating to claims against your business for:
- giving a client incorrect advice or making poor recommendations
- making a mistake in your work
- any other professional negligence that results in your client suffering financial loss
For example:
- you’ve designed some promotional leaflets for a client who’s looking to boost their sales, but you send the wrong file to the printer – it gives an old phone number, so the leaflets can’t be used, and the promotion has to be cancelled – this results in non-refundable costs for your client
- a client has briefed you to create some designs for their website in preparation for a seasonal sale but you miss the deadline, delaying the launch and causing them to lose money
Read more about professional indemnity insurance
Public liability insurance
In case your business damages someone else’s property or causes an injury.
What’s typically covered by public liability insurance for designers?
Claims against your business for:
- damage you cause to someone else’s property while you’re carrying out your design work, or as a consequence of your work
- injury you cause to another person in the context of your work
- accidental damage or injury caused by your employees (remember, if you employ people, the law says you must have employers' liability insurance in place)
For example:
- a client is taking a look at some new designs at your studio – they trip over a cable and bang their head on a table, which leads to a concussion
- you’re meeting a potential client at their office – you leave your bag on the floor, and one of their employees falls over it
Read more about public liability insurance
Employers’ liability insurance
In case something happens to an employee while they’re working for you.
What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?
Claims against your business for:
- your employee falling ill as a result of the work they do for you
- your employee suffering an injury as a result of the work they do for you
**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**
For example:
- your assistant electrocutes themselves as they’re trying to fix their broken computer monitor, and you realise that your monitors hadn’t been PAT tested, meaning the working environment was unsafe
- your trainee is working hard to get some designs ready for a deadline, but the long hours spent sitting at a desk over a notebook are taking a toll on their back – it turns out that the desk chair you’ve provided is not fit for purpose
Business and office equipment insurance
In case your business and office equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged.
What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?
- the operational equipment you use in the running of your design business, while stored at your premises or out and about
- theft of your equipment
- flood, fire, or accidental damage to your equipment
For example:
- you’re working on your notebook in a cafe when you realise someone has stolen your bag containing your laptop, tablet, stylus, phone and camera
- a flood at your design studio causes water damage to your HD monitors and hard drive, so they need replacing
Read more about business and office equipment insurance
Legal expenses insurance
In case you’re faced with legal costs as the owner of your design business.
What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?
- the cost of fixing tax and compliance problems
- the cost of dealing with disputes with your employees
- legal claims and associated expenses that arise from property damage, nuisance, or trespass
- phone support – offering quick and reliable access to tax advice, 24/7 confidential legal advice, and crisis PR guidance
For example:
- your design company’s tax affairs are being looked into by HMRC, and you need an accountant to help you navigate their questions and requests
- you’ve delivered a piece of work as agreed by contract and the client is two months late in paying you, so you want to engage a lawyer to recover the money you’re owed
Read more about legal expenses insurance
Personal accident insurance
In case you or anyone you've covered has an accident.
What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?
- claims due to injury or death (outside of work as well as at work) for any person you’ve chosen to name in your policy
- lost income, medical costs, and hospitalisation benefit
For example:
- you’re attending a design conference and you fall down the stairs and break your wrist
- your employee sprains their ankle at an event over the weekend, leaving them unable to drive to your design studio for a month
Read more about personal accident insurance
How much does designers 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 £5.23 per month
Get your quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes
How we work out example prices We take 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.
Example designer insurance quotes, real prices
£13.43 /month
£114.34 /year
A self employed graphic designer who works on contracts from small businesses
- 3-4 years' experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in High Wycombe
Public liability insurance
Not included
Employers’ liability insurance
Not included
Professional indemnity
£50,000
£56.61 /month
£503.16 /year
A small design company that offers services such as website design and marketing material nationwide
- 5+ years' experience
- Limited company
- 2 employees
- Based in Oxford
Public liability insurance
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability insurance
£10,000,000
Professional indemnity
£500,000
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 23/09/2020). 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 |
| 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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We handle claims, so you can get on with business
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.
Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
Does designers' insurance cover my work correctly?
Do I need cover for other types of work?
Which public liability cover limit should I choose?
Which type of workers do I need insurance for?
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.
Does designers' insurance cover my work correctly?
Make sure you're picking the right cover to protect you properly. It's important to know that if you have another trade or job, you'll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider Photography insurance or Web marketing?
Do I need cover for other types of work?
If you provide these services alongside building work, make sure you’re covered:
Other types of insurance
Which public liability cover limit should I choose?
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.
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 - 05.00pm, 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. The figure below is rounded across our range of products. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis.
£30 million in claims paid out in 2019
Paying 80% of settled claims within 24 hours in 2019
Example claim
Having design insurance insurance through Simply Business has saved designers thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Anna saved more than £1,700
While at a restaurant, Anna (not her real name) noticed that she’d lost her business laptop. The CCTV footage didn’t reveal any clues. She logged the incident with the police and was able to buy a replacement laptop with the help of her insurance.
Insurance payout
£1,749.00
Covering the cost of the accidental loss
Anna’s costs
£100
The excess amount stated in Anna’s policy terms
Chosen by 800,000 small businesses
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Designers’ 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 designers.
The most important thing to note is that any graphic designer who employs people must have employers’ liability cover – it’s the law.
Beyond that, it’s up to you.
Are you worried about clients questioning the quality of your deliverables? Ever uncertain about the licencing rules for fonts and photos? And what if you accidentally injured somebody or damaged third-party property?
There are various insurance options that could bring you peace of mind.
The answer to this depends on two things: firstly, the way you run your business, and secondly, what matters to you personally.
Do you have people working for you? You’re legally required to have employers’ liability cover.
Do you come into contact with clients or members of the public over the course of your work? Public liability insurance is worth thinking about too.
Do you make recommendations as part of your fashion design work – and are you keen to protect yourself against claims to do with negligence or bad advice? You may see professional indemnity insurance as essential.
Do you rely on equipment such as a phone or laptop? You might also want to get business and office equipment insurance.
Want to go above and beyond in protecting yourself and others against financial harm due to injury and illness? That’s what personal accident insurance is for.
Finally, are you interested in an extra layer against protection against disputes with clients, court costs and compensation payouts? You can take out legal protection insurance.
Still feeling unsure? You might find it helpful to read our guide on assessing the risks in your business.
Yes. It’s important to make sure you have the right type and level of insurance for the different types of work you do. For example, if you’re a plumber, you may also do building work on certain jobs – you’ll need additional cover for this, but you can have it all on the one policy. When you start your quote, you’ll have the option to add another trade or profession to your policy. If you need to add a third trade, give us a call on 0333 0146 683 and one of our insurance experts will help you set up your policy in minutes.
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 take professional advice. Read our full disclaimer
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