Why painters and decorators need comprehensive tradesman insurance

A painter in a customer's home painting a wall.

For a self-employed painter and decorator insurance provides peace of mind that their business is covered when things don’t quite go as planned.

A customer who is unhappy with the finish, your apprentice falling from a ladder, or arguably the most common trades problem, having your tools and trade materials stolen – or even your van. All of these instances can cause you untold stress and can be costly to rectify if you’re not carrying the correct type and level of insurance.

Public liability insurance is the most common type of insurance that protects trades professionals, but there are many other types of cover that can protect your business, your employees, your clients, and members of the public.

Meeting the requirements of the project and the main contractor

Many self-employed tradespeople work on-site for general contractors, as well as undertaking their own projects. As a painter and decorator, winning a contract for a main contractor for new build housing estate could be extremely lucrative.

The contractor will typically have a list of required insurance policies that you must hold before they will allow you to set foot on-site. Some contractors may also require you to be accredited with the regulatory body for your profession.

Meeting lawful requirements

There are few insurance policies that you are required to hold by law. If you employ staff, you are legally bound to hold employers’ liability insurance to protect your employees. However, there may be legal requirements attached to the particular project you are working on which mean you must also carry insurances such as decorators public liability insurance and/or professional indemnity insurance. As such, you need to check your contract carefully to ensure you are adequately covered.

Mitigating on-site risks with liabilities cover

Prevention is always better than cure, but accidents happen no matter how neat and tidy you may work.

Accidental paint spills, turpentine spills, and wallpaper paste splashes can cause slip hazards and property damage. Your tools and trade materials can also be hazardous to your customers or to other members of the public. These risks are why public liability insurance is such an important form of cover.

For example, a member of the public or a client may make a claim against you for a variety of reasons, such as tripping over trades materials that you’ve left on the floor and injuring themselves. Or, paint is accidentally spilled onto a carpet or is spilled onto the floor then walked around the home your decorating.

Many self-employed decorators employ a junior member of staff, due to the nature of the work being too much for one person to handle on their own. As an employer you are legally required to carry Employers’ Liability insurance, with a minimum of £5 million of cover.

Allegations of negligent work and mistakes

Painting and decorating puts the finishing touches to a home or office and can breathe new life into a room. As the professional in your field, it is important for the finish to be as near to perfect as possible, as mistakes or sloppy work will be noticed straightaway by your clients.

Our painter and decorator insurance can cover you if as customer makes a claim of negligence in your work, so you can focus on making sure the finish is smooth as silk.

Product failure or failed installation of product/s

Product failure isn’t always due to the product itself being faulty, it can be due to the product being installed incorrectly. In the case of a painter and decorator, this could be poor hanging of wallpaper, especially expensive patterned paper that hasn’t been matched up well enough. Or it could include lack of, or poor quality corking, or brush hairs left in gloss paint in wooden features, all of which could result in the client having to pay extra costs to have the work corrected.

Trades professional indemnity insurance provides cover for your painting and decorating business to cover the costs of defending a negligence claim and associated compensation awards, and could potentially save you a lot of money and stress, as well as helping to preserve your reputation.

Cover for personal injury or illness sustained while on-site

Working in a manual profession can pose a risk of personal injury, some of which could be serious injuries. Lifting heavy materials, working with caustic liquids and glues, and working at height, to name but a few instances which can result in a strain injury, cuts and bruises, or more serious injuries which can cause you to be unable to work.

Occupational personal accident insurance provides cover for work-related injuries and illnesses sustained during the course of your job and can pay out a lump sum or an ongoing payment to cover loss of earnings.

Protection for your tools and trade materials

Van and tools theft is big business, and what’s worse is that it isn’t difficult to get away with! If a thief wants to break into your van they will do. No alarm or lock will deter them.

Having your tools stolen can be disruptive, not to mention how expensive it could be to replace those tools, especially if you’re not covered with tools insurance.

Contract works insurance will cover work you’ve already completed

Contract works insurance will cover the cost of having to re-do work that is part of a contract, including the cost of the tools, materials and the labour required for the work, should the existing work be destroyed by fire, flood, or theft.

Click here for a quick online quote for your painters and decorators insurance.

Or call 0333 242 9053 to speak to one of our team.

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