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From diggers to cranes, construction projects often call for some serious machinery. And if this equipment is stolen or damaged, it could slow you down or even bring work on site to a standstill.
If you’ve hired these tools, you might also be liable to the leasing company. Plant hire insurance cover is there to protect you against these risks, helping to safeguard your finances and give you added peace of mind.
At Markel, we offer superb value hired in plant cover that we can add to your business insurance package.
Hired in plant cover at a glance:
- Cover for accidental damage, theft or loss of hired machinery
- Protection for plant used on-site
- Up to £50,000 cover per claim available
- Meets most hire company insurance requirements
What is hired in plant insurance?
Hired in plant insurance provides financial protection against the loss or damage of large and expensive machinery that you have hired from another company. It covers everything from fire and flooding to theft and vandalism, insuring you against the compensation costs you are liable for under the terms of your hire agreement.
Hired in plant refers to constructional plant and equipment that you have temporarily rented under contract. This machinery can include anything from forklifts and cherry pickers to dumpers and concrete mixers, and it is often essential for construction work. However, because of the high price tags often attached to this equipment and the fact that it may not always be needed, tradespeople often hire rather than purchase it.
Our hired in plant protection is available with cover limits of between £10,000 and £50,0000 and you can purchase it as an add-on to a broader tradesman insurance policy that includes public liability insurance and various other types of cover.
Why choose Markel for hired in plant insurance?
There are lots of reasons to choose Markel as your hired in plant cover provider. Here are just some.
*The £5 a month premium referenced is based on a turnover under £25,000 a year and a £50,000 level of cyber insurance cover.
Hired in plant cover from
£13.00 per month*
*Price based on a tradesperson requiring £10,000 of hired plant insurance.
Do I need hired in plant insurance?
If you’re renting construction machinery, it is strongly advisable to get hired in plant insurance. In fact, you may find that companies refuse to lease equipment to you unless you can show proof of this cover. After all, plant can be extremely valuable, and regardless of how careful you are, the hazardous nature of construction sites means there is always a chance that something will go wrong. There are many threats to your machinery, such as accidental damage, severe weather and burglary.
Under the terms of your hire agreement, you may be liable to repair or replace any plant equipment in scenarios like these. This could place your finances under severe strain. You may even find that you’re unable to cover the costs.
Hired in plant insurance is there to protect you if the unexpected happens.
How it works
Choose the cover you require
Get a quote you need in minutes
Buy online or contact one of our advisors
What does hired in plant insurance cover?
When you purchase hired in plant cover from Markel, you’ll be covered for the costs involved with:
What is covered
What is not covered
How much does hired in plant insurance cost?
The cost of hired in plant insurance depends on a range of factors, including what sort of equipment you’re hiring, how long you will have it for and the hiring fees.
To find out exactly how much you can expect to pay, you can get a quote today.
*Price based on a tradesperson requiring £10,000 of hired plant 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.
Indicative quotes
Groundworkers
- Limited company
- 0 employees
- £70,000 turnover
- Bath
- (£741.27/yr)
- £74.13/mo
- Hired in plant £50,000
- Public & products liability £1m
- Employers' liability
- Cyber
Concrete contractor
- Limited company
- 2 employees
- £60,000 turnover
- Salisbury
- (£1,613.92/yr)
- £161.39/mo
- Hired in plant £25,000
- Public & products liability £1m
- Employers' liability £10m
- Cyber
Air conditioning installer
- Limited company
- 0 employees
- £55,000 turnover
- Oxford
- (£446.60/yr)
- £44.66/mo
- Hired in plant £10,000
- Public & products liability £1m
- Employers' liability
- Cyber
*Final price payable is subject to underwriting criteria and acceptance. AI images are used on this website to depict example customer types. Any resemblance to an actual person is purely coincidental.
Ready to build your quote?
Our simple quote process will help you to find the right business insurance for your individual needs.
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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Does hired in plant insurance cover equipment off-site?
Yes, as well as covering hired in plant at your contract site, our policies provide protection for equipment that is temporarily away from your contract site - as long as it falls under the following categories:
- It is stored in a securely locked premises, compound or garage
- It is stored within a securely locked vehicle (note that between the hours of 18.00 and 08.00, the vehicle must be securely locked and parked within a securely locked building or a guarded security park).
Further information on this is included in our hired in plant insurance policy document.
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What is short-term hired in plant insurance?
Short-term plant hire insurance is an alternative to annual policies. It can suit those who only hire equipment occasionally and who don’t want an annual policy to provide ongoing cover. With this type of temporary hired in plant insurance, you take protection out for the short period of time you need it for. It can suit individual consumers and small-scale builders, for example. At Markel Direct, we offer annual policies only and do not provide hired in plant insurance on a short-term basis.
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How do I make a claim?
With our award-winning claims service, making a claim is simple. For guidance on to make a claim, visit our claims page.
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How are Markel Direct regulated?
Markel Direct is a trading name of Markel International Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Find out more on the Financial Services Register.
We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s of London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023.
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