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When you’re working with ladders and paint for a living, despite your best efforts accidents can happen.
You might fall and suffer an injury, or you could cause damage to a client’s property. Painter and decorator insurance is a worthwhile consideration to obtain, to ensure you have the correct level of cover in case a claim arises.
At Markel, we offer painter and decorator insurance tailored to meet the needs of your business. You can rely on us for affordable cover and excellent customer service.
Cover at a glance:
- Public liability cover up to £5m
- Protection for accidental damage and injury claims
- Suitable for sole traders and subcontractors
What is painter and decorator insurance?
Painter and decorator insurance is there to protect your business from various risks. It can include different types of cover, such as public liability protection, portable equipment insurance, and employers’ liability cover. By making sure you have the right package of protections in place, you can help to safeguard your finances if things go wrong.
Cover starting from
£9 a month*
*Price based on a painter and decorator requiring £1 million public liability insurance cover.
Do I need painter and decorator insurance?
No matter how cautious you are, there’s always a risk that you’ll encounter problems when you’re providing painting and decorating services. What if a customer trips over your tools and suffers a serious injury? Would you be able to cover the legal fees and compensation payment if they decided to sue? Or perhaps you spill paint on a client’s flooring and have to cover the cost of repairing the damage.
In cases like these, it pays to have decorators’ public liability insurance in place so that you’re not left out of pocket. Some clients might also ask to see proof of this type of cover before they will agree to use your services.
If you have employees, one type of painters insurance that you’ll certainly need is employers’ liability cover. This is a legal requirement if you have workers, even if they are part-time or temporary.
Then there are your tools to think about. If your equipment is stolen, lost or damaged and you don’t have suitable insurance in place, you could face a large bill to repair or replace the items.
Why choose Markel for painters’ and decorators’ insurance?
When you choose Markel for painter and decorator insurance, you can rest assured you’re in safe hands. Here are just some of the reasons to take out a policy with us.
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 type of business insurance does a painter and decorator need?
So what insurance does a painter need, exactly? It all depends on your business, how big it is, and what kind of jobs you take on - among other things. Along with public liability insurance, here are a few more options to consider.-
Employers’ liability insurance
Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have employees, even if they are part-time or temporary. You must have a minimum of £5 million worth of cover in place. This type of insurance protects you from claims made by employees if they become ill or are injured due to the work they do for you. We provide employers’ liability cover of up to £10 million.
Example of a claim:
A worker falls from a ladder while decorating a ceiling and suffers a broken leg. They seek compensation for their suffering and for lost earnings.
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Tools insurance
As a painter and decorator, your tools are essential to your work. Tools insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing your tools if they are stolen, lost or damaged. We offer cover limits of £1,000 to £5,000.
Example of a claim:
There is a fire at the premises where you keep your equipment, causing serious damage to a number of the tools you rely on. This leaves you facing significant costs to replace the affected items.
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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 is designed to support your income if you are unable to work because of an injury you suffer at work or while travelling to or from work. It provides weekly payments or a lump sum, depending on the nature of the injury.
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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.
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Hired plant insurance
Hired in plant insurance will cover you if plant machinery you have hired is damaged or stolen, while in your possession. Cover limits range from £10,000 to £50,000.
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Contract works insurance
Contract works insurance covers the work you do on a construction site. If your work is affected by a flood, fire, theft or malicious damage, contract works insurance can protect you financially.
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Goods in transit insurance
Goods in transit insurance covers goods against loss or damage while in transit. This can be either goods transported in your own vehicle, or on your behalf by a third-party carrier.
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Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance protects you if you make a mistake when giving a customer a professional service for a fee. You may benefit from this type of cover if you provide designs or advice.
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Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance is a very important type of financial protection for painters and decorators. It protects you against claims made by members of the public who are injured or suffer property damage as a result of the actions of your business. At Markel Direct, we offer this type of insurance with cover limits ranging from £1 million to £5 million. Example of a claim: You accidentally spill paint on a customer’s designer sofa. They seek compensation from you to cover the cost of replacing the damaged furniture.
How it works
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How much is painters’ insurance?
At Markel Direct, we offer painter and decorator insurance from £9 a month for £1 million worth of public liability cover*. When it comes to business insurance for painters and decorators, the cost varies from business to business depending on;
- The size of your business - your turnover and whether you have any employees
- The level of cover you choose
- The types of projects you work on and the equipment you use.
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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What insurance does a self-employed painter need?
It’s highly important to take out suitable insurance as a self-employed painter and decorator. Unlike employees, you can’t rely on anyone else to arrange cover for you. If you want to protect your finances, you will have to purchase the relevant cover yourself.
From public liability insurance through to tools insurance, it’s worthwhile ensuring you have the appropriate level of cover in place.
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Am I legally required to get painter and decorator insurance?
Most types of painter and decorator insurance are not a legal requirement. However, if you have people working for your business, you are obliged by law to take out employers’ liability cover.
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When should I get painter and decorator insurance?
To ensure you’re covered from the outset, you might consider taking out painter and decorator insurance before you start your first job for a client. This will ensure you are financially protected throughout the job, and if problems arise at the beginning. Some clients may also require you to give proof of insurance before they allow you to get to work from them.
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How is Markel regulated?
Markel is regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority. You can visit the Financial Services Register to find out more.
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