Plumbers' insurance

Specialist insurance for plumbers from £35 a month*.

  • Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds

  • Levels of cover to suit you

  • Pay by interest free direct debit

Plumbers’ insurance can protect you against the many potential risks you face as a tradesperson working in plumbing, heating and gas engineering.

As a plumber, you’ve probably made repairs for customers under their own insurance policies. But how much time have you spent thinking about your own cover? No matter how careful you are, there’s always a risk that something will go wrong.

From damaging a client’s property, to causing injury to a member of the public, or your tools being damaged or stolen, your finances face many threats.

At Markel Direct, we offer tailored plumbers’ insurance cover that gives you peace of mind you’re covered.

Do plumbers’ need insurance?

Even if you do everything you can to minimise risk, accidents can happen when you’re least expecting them. For example, if a pipe you install at a customer’s home doesn’t fit correctly and causes a leak, you could be held liable for any damage done to their property. You could also face significant legal fees and compensation costs if a customer trips over your toolbox and falls awkwardly, suffering serious injuries. Or imagine the cost of replacing tools and copper piping if your van was broken into.

These are just a few of the many potential risks facing your plumbing business. And as the business owner, if something goes wrong, it’s up to you to put it right. If you would struggle to cover costs like these out of your own pocket, you’ll may need specialist plumbers’ insurance.

Why plumbers need tradesman insurance?

What is plumbers’ insurance?

Business insurance for plumbers’ is designed to protect you against the unexpected. It is not a single, one-size-fits-all policy but can incorporate a range of different financial protections, including plumbers’ public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance. It can also feature protection for the equipment that you rely on to do your job.

At Markel Direct, we offer a broad range of cover options, so you can tailor your plumbers’ insurance package to suit the specific needs of your business.

What does plumbers’ insurance cover?

In order to mitigate the types of risk your plumbing business faces, our insurance for plumbers’ provides robust and comprehensive coverage.

If a customer, or any member of the public either gets injured or experiences their property being damaged as a result of your work, plumbers’ liability insurance has you covered. This should be a core part of your plumbers’ insurance.

And if you have people working for you, even if they do so on a part-time or temporary basis, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance. It will cover you if they get injured or sick due to their work.

There are your specialist tools to think about too. If your equipment was damaged, stolen or lost, would you be able to foot the bill to replace or repair it? If this would put your finances under pressure, it’s important to make sure you have tools insurance included in your policy.

You might benefit from taking out other types of insurance for plumbers’. This could include anything from professional indemnity insurance to goods in transit cover to tradesmen insurance. The right package of protection will help to safeguard your business’ finances and will provide you with welcome reassurance. 

What insurance do plumbers’ need?

While it’s not a legal requirement for plumbers’ to have insurance in the UK - other than employers’ liability insurance if you have employees - it’s important to consider obtaining the appropriate level of cover to act as a safety net if things go wrong. Protecting your finances in this way will help to ensure the longevity of your business.

How much does plumbers’ insurance cost?

The price of plumbers’ insurance will vary depending on factors such as the size of your business, the types of cover you want and the level of cover you’re looking for. Our policies start from £35 a month*, with no hidden fees or unexpected costs - our pricing is fully transparent. 

With more than 25 years of experience in providing cover to small businesses like yours, you can have total confidence in our plumber insurance. If you don’t believe us, see for yourself by checking out our impressive customer ratings on Feefo.com. 

And that’s not all, when you arrange cover with Markel, you get access to free legal services for your plumbing business, including: 

  • 24-hour legal advice helpline manned by qualified solicitors
  • Access legal templates and resources with the Markel Business Hub
  • Receive discounted IR35 contract reviews with your policy
  • Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

We can provide insurance quotes for plumbers’ in 90 seconds, so what are you waiting for? To discover more, simply get a quote today.

 

* Price based on a plumber requiring £1 million of public liability cover.

Customer reviews

4.8/5

Rated 4.8 stars from 351 customer reviews at Google

Feefo platinum trusted 2026 badge award

Cover starting from £31 a month

What insurance do plumbers need?

  • Plumbers' public liability insurance

    Public liability insurance for plumbers’ helps protect you if a member of the public suffers property damage or is injured because of the actions of your business. We offer cover limits ranging from £1 million to £5 million.

    Example of a claim:

    You fix a tap for a customer, but after you leave, they report a major leak caused by your work. They seek compensation to repair the damage to their home.

  • Employers' liability insurance

    If you have employees, the law demands that you have at least £5 million worth of employers’ liability insurance in place. For every day that you lack this cover, you could be fined as much as £2,500. This also protects you if an employee takes legal action against you over an injury or illness they have suffered because of the work they do for you. We offer up to £10 million in employers’ liability cover.

    Example of a claim:

    One of your workers becomes sick after coming into contact with dirty water. They take legal action to secure compensation for their suffering.

  • Tools insurance

    Tools insurance for plumbers’ is designed to cover the cost of replacing or repairing equipment that is stolen, lost or damaged. Our cover limits range from £1,000 to £5,000.

    Example of a claim:

    There is a fire in the garage where you store your work tools, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. You face the cost of having to replace the items affected by the blaze.

  • Occupational personal accident insurance

    Occupational personal accident insurance supports your income if you’re prevented from doing your job because of an injury you suffer at work, or while travelling to or from work. It provides you with either weekly payments or one lump sum, depending on the nature of your injuries.

    Example of a claim:

    While fixing a leak at a customer’s home, you slip on a patch of wet floor and badly hurt your back. You are unable to work for several months so will have no income.

  • 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.

  • Hired plant insurance

    If you hire in plant machinery and equipment from a leasing company, for example central heating equipment, hired in plant insurance will cover you if the machinery is damaged or stolen. Cover limits range 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

    If you offer professional services for a fee, such as plumbing system advice or designs, you should consider taking out professional indemnity insurance. This protects you if you are accused of making a mistake in the course of providing these services.

Need some help?

0800 640 6600

Mon - Fri 08:30 - 17:30

Local rate and mobile friendly

Frequently asked questions

Contact us

Cover starting from £31 a month

Frequently asked questions

  • Do plumbers' need professional indemnity insurance?

    Professional indemnity insurance covers professional services, so if you are paid to give plumbing advice or design plumbing systems, for example, it’s advisable to add this cover to your plumber insurance policy. For more information, please see the ‘What insurance do plumbers’ need?’ section above.

  • Do I need plumbers’ insurance by law?

    Most types of plumbers’ insurance are not required by law. However, if you have employees, you are legally required to have at least £5 million of employers’ liability cover in place.
     
    While other types of insurance are not mandated by law, certain prospective customers may insist that you have public liability insurance in place before they will take you on for a plumbing job.

  • When should I get plumbers’ insurance?

    It is advisable to take out plumbers’ insurance as soon as you set up your business. Ideally, you should have appropriate cover in place before you take on your first plumbing project.

  • I need to arrange plumbers’ insurance to start work – do you provide proof of cover?

    Yes, we will provide you with a dedicated ‘Confirmation of Liability Insurance’ document that details the cover you have with us. We will email this to you when you purchase your policy. This document can be presented to clients as proof of insurance.

  • What limit of cover should I choose?

    Industry bodies and certain businesses will have specific regulatory requirements when it comes to minimum levels of cover. It may be worth looking into this before you arrange insurance with us.
     
    If you offer plumbing services to individual consumers and smaller companies, your customers may not specify how much cover you need. To determine how much insurance to take out, consider the worst-case scenarios that could affect your business. Then calculate how much it would cost to resolve these issues.
     
    We provide a range of cover limits, meaning we can give you the flexibility you need when choosing plumbers’ insurance.

  • How do I make a claim?

    We make sure that our claims process is as painless and hassle-free as possible. Take a look at our claims page to discover more about our award-winning claims service.

  • How are Markel regulated?

    Markel Direct is regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority. Want to know more? Visit the Financial Services Register.

Access free legal services for your plumbing 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 Business Hub

 Receive discounted IR35 contract reviews with your policy

 Expert management of public relations crises with The Counsel House

Cover starting from £31 a month

Related articles