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As a carpenter or joiner, you know that your role requires time, effort and expert skill. From hanging doors and installing shelving, to building furniture and making timber frames, it’s likely you’re used to carrying out a number of challenging tasks.
So it makes sense to ensure your business is suitably protected should the worst happen, and that’s where carpenters’ insurance comes in.
At Markel Direct, we provide carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance for businesses of all sizes. You can trust us to help you find exactly the right cover to protect you and your finances.
Cover at a glance:
- Financially protect your business from legal claims
- Flexible policies that combine essential insurance covers
- Includes tools protection and public liability insurance
What is carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance?
Carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance is designed to financially protect your business should something go wrong. From tools insurance for your carpentry and joinery equipment, through to public liability insurance to protect against accidental injury or property damage claims, we offer a wide range of different policies to ensure your business is fully protected.
We can tailor our products to ensure they suit you and your business, giving you peace of mind that you’re covered, regardless of what might happen in the future.
Aside from carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance, there are plenty of other forms of tradesman insurance designed to protect you and your livelihood when things don’t go according to plan. Take a look at the range we offer below, and don’t worry if you can’t find what you’re after, just give us a call on 0800 640 6600.
Cover starting from
£8 a month*
* Price based on a carpenter requiring £1 million public liability insurance cover.
Do I need carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance?
Accidents happen, even if you take every safety precaution. You may think you’re being extra careful by keeping your tools safe and locking your work van. But things can still go wrong. So it’s important to ensure that your business is suitably covered so that you can avoid picking up the costs of any claims made against you.
For example, if you are installing shelving units in the utility room of a customer’s home but you accidentally scuff the work surface, you may have a claim made against you.. Legal fees and compensation costs can mount up, so to avoid financial fallout, it’s a good idea to have carpentry business insurance in place. This will mean you don’t need to worry about picking up the cost, and delivers real peace of mind.
Joiners’ and carpenters’ insurance can also protect you against any claims made by your employees. For instance, if an employee sustains an injury, such as a deep cut on their hand while using a cutting tool, they may pursue a personal injury claim. Having employers’ liability insurance in place means you won’t have to pay any compensation out of your own pocket. In fact, you are legally obligated to have this insurance in place with at least £5 million of cover.
Carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance can also provide cover for your tools and materials, as well as protection for your premises.
Why choose Markel for carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance?
At Markel, we appreciate just how important your business is to you. That’s why we offer insurance policies specifically designed to protect you and your finances in times of trouble. Check out why you should choose Markel for your carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance.
Example policy documents
If you have an existing policy with us, please sign in to view your policy documents.
Below you will find examples of the documents provided.
What insurance do carpenters and joiners need?
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Public liability insurance for carpenters
Public liability insurance for carpenters and joiners provides financial protection against claims made by members of the general public. Sometimes referred to as general liability insurance for carpenters and joiners, this type of insurance ranges from £1 million to £5 million and covers you against claims from individuals who may have experienced property damage or sustained an injury as a result of your business.
Example of a claim:
A shelf you have installed falls down and injures your client. They pursue legal action to make a claim against you for compensation. Public liability insurance for joiners and carpenters can cover you in this situation.
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Professional indemnity for carpenters
Professional indemnity insurance is designed to protect you if you offer professional services. For example, it may benefit your carpenters business if you offer designs or advice to customers for a fee. It protects you if a client sues you for a mistake made in the services you have provided, or if you gave bad advice that leads to damage.
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Employers’ liability insurance
Employers’ liability insurance for carpenters is a must if you have people working on behalf of your business. In fact, you are required by law to have this type of protection in place with a minimum of £5 million worth of cover. For every day that you trade and don’t have it in place, you can be fined up to £2,500 by the Government. Employers’ liability insurance protects you against claims made by your employees for injuries they sustain while they’re carrying out their job or illnesses they develop due to their work.
Example of a claim:
An employee is building a piece of furniture and severely injures their hand with a hammer. They take legal action against you as their employer, submitting a personal injury claim for their injuries and loss of earnings while they are unable to work.
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Tools insurance
Tools insurance provides cover for the cost of replacing your tools in the event they are stolen, damaged or misplaced. With limits ranging from £1,000 to £5,000 per person, you don’t need to worry about picking up the cost of replacing your most important equipment so that you can continue with your work.
Example of a claim:
Your work van is broken into and some of your equipment is stolen, leaving you with the expense of having to replace these tools.
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Legal expenses insurance
Legal expenses insurance can help to cover the cost of defending or pursuing legal actions against other parties such as suppliers, clients or employees. This could be for contract disputes, tax enquiries (including IR35), attending jury service, debt recovery, personal injury, as well as any award you are required to pay following an employment dispute with an employee. There is a limit of £100,000.
Example of a claim:
A supplier has failed to deliver building materials you’ve paid for and is ignoring your requests for a refund. You face the costs associated with recovering the debt owed to you.
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Occupational personal accident insurance
Occupational personal accident insurance protects you financially if you are no longer able to work due to an injury you have experienced while carrying out your job. It also covers you for injuries sustained while travelling to or from work. This insurance provides either weekly payments or one lump sum, depending on the injury you have sustained.
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Owned plant insurance
If plant machinery you own is damaged or stolen, owned plant insurance can cover the costs of repairing or replacing it. Cover limits are available from £10,000 to £50,000.
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Hired in plant insurance
Hired in plant insurance cover the costs of repairing or replacing plant machinery that you've hired from a third party, if they are damaged or stolen. Cover limits are available from £10,000 to £50,000.
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Contract works insurance
Contract works insurance covers the work you and your employees are completing on a construction site. If your work is affected by a flood or fire, or by theft or malicious damage, contract works insurance can cover the costs of repairing or redoing the work.
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Goods in transit insurance
Goods in transit insurance covers you financially against the loss or damage of goods while in transit from one location to another. This can be either goods transported in your own vehicle, or on your behalf by a third-party carrier.
How it works
Choose the cover you require
Get a quote you need in minutes
Buy online or contact one of our advisors
How much does carpenters’ insurance cost?
Carpenters' and joiners' insurance from Markel Direct starts from £8 a month*. Your carpentry insurance cost will depend on a variety of factors, including the size of your business, the type of work you carry out, and if you have any employees. Your premium may also depend on the type of equipment you use.
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Frequently asked questions
These frequently asked questions are designed to help you and include questions relating to policy cover, pricing and ‘technical’ terms.
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When should I get carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance?
You should consider purchasing a suitable insurance policy as soon as possible. Ideally, you should have cover in place before you start any work for a client. This will ensure that your business is fully protected from the outset.
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Do I need carpenters’ and joiners’ insurance if I’m self-employed?
Even if you are a self-employed joiner or carpenter, it’s important that you’re suitably insured. Things can go wrong when you least expect it, even when you think you’re in control. So it pays to purchase an appropriate policy that fully protects you and your business. At Markel, we provide insurance policies for joiners and carpenters who work alone. This means you can relax in the knowledge you’re covered should the worst happen.
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How is Markel regulated?
Markel is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Find out more on the Financial Services Register.
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