Hired In Plant Insurance

Specialist hired in plant insurance from £13 a month*.

  • Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds

  • Levels of cover to suit you

  • Pay by interest free direct debit

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.

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. 

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.

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.
 
✔ Transparent pricing
We believe that our policies are great value for money, and thanks to our transparent pricing, you won’t face any unexpected charges.
 
✔ High ratings on Feefo.com
Don’t just take our word for the quality of our cover. Check out our impressive customer ratings on Feefo.com.
 
✔ Get a quote in under 2 minutes
Find out how much you can expect to pay for your hire in plant insurance in as little as 90 seconds. Simply fill in our online form and we’ll provide you with a quote.
 
✔ 24/7 legal helpline
Day or night, if you need legal information and guidance, you can contact our round-the-clock legal helpline run by experienced solicitors. 
 
✔ Tailored cover
We know that a one-size-fits all approach won’t cut it when it comes to tradesman insurance. That’s why we provide tailored cover to suit your specific needs.

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.

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Cover starting from £13 a month

What other types of insurance can protect my business?

  • Public liability insurance

    Public liability insurance protects you if a client or another member of the public suffers injury or property damage because of the actions of your business. Choose from cover limits of between £1 million and £5 million.

  • Employers’ liability insurance

    Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have people working for your company, even if they do so on a temporary or part-time basis. It protects you if an employee suffers an injury or illness due to the work they do for you. By law, you must have a minimum of £5 million worth of employers’ liability cover in place. At Markel, we offer protection of up to £10 million.

  • Tools insurance

    As well as large items of plant that you hire in, you might own smaller tools and pieces of equipment yourself that you wish to insure in case of loss or damage. We provide cover limits for this equipment ranging from £1,000 to £5,000.

  • Occupational personal accident insurance

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

  • Owned plant insurance

    If you own plant machinery that is damaged or stolen, owned plant insurance will cover the costs of repairing or replacing the equipment. Cover limits are available from £10,000 to £50,000.

  • Contract works insurance

    Designed for builders and other tradespeople, contract works insurance covers the work you do on a construction site. If your work is affected by a flood or fire, or by theft or malicious damage, contract works insurance can protect you financially.

  • Goods in transit insurance

    Popular among tradesman, goods in transit insurance covers goods against loss or damage while in transit from one place to another. This can be either goods transported in your own vehicle, or on your behalf by a third-party carrier.

  • Professional indemnity insurance

    Professional indemnity insurance protects you if you provide professional services to clients for a fee, for example you offer advice or designs. If a client accuses you of making a mistake in your service, this insurance covers your legal fees and compensation you may owe.

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Frequently asked questions

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Cover starting from £13 a month

Frequently asked questions

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • How do I make a claim?

    We pride ourselves on our simple claims process. Visit our claims page to read about our award-winning claims service.

  • How is Markel regulated?

    Markel is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. You can take a look at the Financial Services Register to discover more.

Access free legal services for your trades business when you arrange cover with Markel:

Insure with Markel and you'll get access to a wide range of services (included as standard with certain covers) designed to make your life easier.

Legal advice helpline 24 hour legal advice helpline 

When you insure with Markel, you'll benefit from 24/7 telephone access to a qualified solicitor at no additional cost. Expert legal advice can be costly when you're working for yourself and it's difficult to know who to turn to for a trustworthy answer. Whether it's a question on health and safety, employment law, legal structures for your business or how to handle a difficult client, an experienced team of solicitors are on hand day and night to help you with any business-related legal queries. Included as standard with all policies.

Markel Business Hub Markel Business Hub access

In addition to our 24 hour legal helpline, you'll have access to the Markel Business Hub - an award winning online resource of legal and business guides, templates and content written and created by our team of expert solicitors. Instantly download ready-made contracts, policies, procedures and guidance you can use for your business - without paying any expensive legal fees. Included as standard with all policies.

Markel fee dispute service Fee dispute service

As every contractor, consultant or self-employed professional knows, customers don't always pay on time and chasing fees/invoices costs time and money. Mindful of the impact this has on your business, we offer our policyholders access to a unique fee dispute helpline operated by one of the UK's leading law firms, who will provide specialist legal guidance and support on fee dispute issues. Included as standard with professional indemnity insurance.

IR35 contract review Discounted IR35 contract reviews

Falling within IR35 legislation - which determines whether an individual is avoiding tax by using a limited company to disguise employment - is a concern for many engineering contractors and consultants, with the fees and penalties due to HMRC eye-wateringly high. Our policyholders receive an exclusive discount on IR35 contract reviews from Markel Tax (a Markel company), who have over 20 years experience advising individuals and businesses on their tax status. As part of the service, Markel Tax will review your contract, along with your working practices, to determine whether or not you are operating outside of IR35, and you'll receive a written report with suggested contract amendments where appropriate. Policyholders can access this service by calling 0345 223 2727 or emailing contractreviews@markel.com, quoting 'MKLD' and your policy number.

Public relations crisis management service Public relations crisis management service

In today's 24 hour news culture, public relations disasters can occur at any time. Having to deal with the press whilst managing a difficult situation can be hugely stressful as well as being a potential minefield. When there is a risk to your business as a result of negative press attention, our specialist public relations crisis management firm, The Counsel House, will work with you to help manage allegations of fraud, injury caused to employees or the public, and official investigations into your company's affairs. Included as standard with professional indemnity insurance, directors and officers insurance, cyber and data risks insurance and legal representation and employment disputes insurance.

Cover starting from £13 a month