Builders insurance

Specialist insurance for builders from £10 a month*

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Whether you’re repairing properties or creating extensions, you have to deal with risks as a builder. And in your line of work, accidents can be expensive - especially if they result in compensation claims.

From personal injuries to the damage or theft of equipment, your finances face a variety of threats. This means it’s essential that you have suitable insurance in place.

At Markel Direct, we believe we offer superb value, tailored business insurance to self-employed builders. Whatever your needs, we will craft a policy to suit you.

What is builders’ insurance?

Builders’ insurance is there to protect your finances if something goes wrong during the course of your work. It is an umbrella term that can incorporate a range of different types of cover. This can include everything from builders’ public liability insurance, to employers’ liability protection, to cover for your tools.

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Do I need builders’ insurance?  

No matter how careful you are, accidents can happen. And if they do, the consequences for your finances may be severe. For example, you might face major legal and compensation costs if one of your workers falls from height and suffers a serious injury. Or perhaps a customer will sue you for causing damage to their property. If you would struggle to cover these expenses yourself, you’ll need builders’ liability insurance.

Also, customers may sometimes require you to have public liability insurance in place before they will hire you for a job. And if you have people working for you, even if they do so on a temporary or part-time basis, you’re legally required to have employers’ liability cover. You could be fined up to £2,500 for every day that you lack this insurance.

There’s also the possibility that equipment you rely on to do your job is stolen, lost or damaged. Would you be able to afford to replace or repair your tools out of your own pocket? If not, you should make sure you have suitable cover in place.

You might find that you need various other types of insurance too. This could range from legal expenses cover to cyber protection.

Builders’ insurance doesn’t have to cost much, but having it in place will provide your business with much greater financial security. It will also give you greater peace of mind.

Why choose Markel Direct for builders’ insurance?

There are many reasons to choose Markel Direct as your builders’ insurance provider. Here are just a few.
 
✔ Quick quotes
Find out how much you can expect to pay for your policy in under two minutes. Getting a quote from us takes as little as 90 seconds.
 
✔ Transparent pricing
We pride ourselves on offering superb value for money, and when you buy insurance from us, you can rest assured you won’t be hit by hidden fees.
 
✔ Legal advice whenever you need it
Day or night, if you need legal guidance, you can rely on us. We offer a 24/7 legal advice helpline run by experienced solicitors.
 
✔ Decades of experience
We’ve been providing insurance to tradespeople for more than 25 years, so we know exactly what our customers need.
 
✔ Excellent customer reviews
Don’t just take our word for it. Check out our impressive customer ratings on Feefo.com.

How much does builders’ insurance cost?

Builder insurance prices vary depending on factors such as the level of cover you need and the types of risks you encounter at work. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ insurance policy that suits all builders. You’ll need to choose the specific types of cover that best fit your business’ requirements.

Policies start from £10 a month*. Why not get a quote today?

* Price based on a builder requiring £1 million public liability insurance cover.

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Cover starting from £10 a month

Choose a builders insurance policy to suit you

  • Hired in plant insurance

    Hired in plant insurance cover the costs of repairing or replacing plant machinery, like concrete mixers, forklifts and cherry pickers, that you've hired from a third party, if they are damaged or stolen. Cover limits are available from £10,000 to £50,000.

  • Public liability insurance

    Public liability insurance for builders protects you against claims made by members of the public, including customers, who have suffered injury or property damage because of the actions of your business. We offer this type of construction liability insurance with cover limits of between £1 million and £5 million.
     
    Example of a claim:
     
    The scaffolding you’re using for a job collapses and injures a member of the public who is passing by. They seek compensation for their suffering.

  • Employers’ liability insurance

    Employers’ liability insurance protects your building company if an employee sues you because of an injury or illness they’ve experienced due to their work. If you employ people, you’re required by law to have at least £5 million of this type of financial protection in place. Our policies provide cover of up to £10 million.
     
    Example of a claim:
     
    One of your workers trips on loose bricks on a building site and suffers injuries including a shattered kneecap. They take legal action against you in a bid to secure compensation for their suffering and lost earnings. 

  • Tools insurance

    Tools insurance pays for the replacement or repair of tools that are stolen, damaged or lost. We offer this type of protection with cover limits ranging from £1,000 to £5,000.
     
    Example of a claim:
     
    There is a fire in the building where you store equipment that you rely on for your work. You face the cost of replacing the affected items.

  • Occupational personal accident insurance

    Occupational personal accident insurance supports your income if you can’t do your job because of an injury you suffer at work, or on your way to or from your job. It provides you with weekly payments or a lump sum, depending on the type of injury you suffer.

  • Owned plant insurance

    If plant machinery you own is damaged or stolen, owned plant insurance can cover the costs of repairing or replacing it. This can include machinery such as cement mixers, generators or trailers. Cover limits are available from £10,000 to £50,000.

  • Contract works insurance

    Contract works insurance covers the work you are doing on a construction site. If your work is disturbed by a flood, fire, theft or malicious damage, contract works insurance can cover the costs of repairing or redoing the work.

  • Goods in transit insurance

    Goods in transit insurance covers you financially against the loss or damage of goods while in transit. This covers both goods transported in your own vehicle and through a third-party carrier on your behalf.

  • Professional indemnity insurance

    Professional indemnity insurance is there to protect your business if a client sues you for a mistake you made in the professional services you provided to them. You may benefit from this type of builders’ indemnity insurance if you offer designs or advice to customers for a fee.

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Frequently asked questions

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Cover starting from £10 a month

Frequently asked questions

  • Is business insurance a legal requirement for builders?

    Most types of builders’ insurance are not legally required. However, if you have people working for you, the law demands that you take out employers’ liability cover.

  • I need to arrange builders’ insurance to start work. Do you provide proof of cover?

    Yes. We send you a dedicated 'Confirmation of Liability Insurance' document when you purchase your policy. This details the cover you have with us. If you work on contracts with other businesses, you can present this document to clients as proof that you are insured.

  • What limit of cover should I choose?

    Industry bodies and commercial clients will have different regulatory requirements. This can dictate the minimum levels of cover you need to sign a contract with them. It may be worth checking this before you arrange cover with us.

    If you work for individuals or smaller businesses and your clients don’t specify the cover you need, think about worst-case scenarios. If things should go wrong, how much might it cost your business? This will help you to determine how much cover you need.

  • Do I need extra insurance if I’m working on a big job?

    If you’re working on a large-scale project, you might want to consider taking out contract works insurance. This covers you for work in progress on a construction site. If something goes wrong, for example there is a fire, flood, theft or act of vandalism, this type of protection covers any loss or damage.

  • How do I make a claim?

    Making a claim with us is as painless and hassle-free as possible. Simply visit our claims page to find out how to make a claim and read about our award-winning claims service.

  • How is Markel regulated?

    Markel is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. If you would like further information, you can take a look at the Financial Services Register.

Access free legal services for your building business when you arrange cover with Markel, including:

24 hour legal helpline 24/7 access to a legal advice helpline manned by qualified solicitors

Legal hub access Access legal templates and resources with the Markel Law Hub

 Receive discounted IR35 contract reviews with your policy

 Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

Cover starting from £10 a month

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