Help & resources
Get guidance on things such as HR, Marketing and Legal.
Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds
24hr legal advice helpline included
No hidden fees or cancellations
Our specialist insurance covers a wide range of risks facing refrigeration engineering contractors undertaking design and consultancy work.
Working as a refrigeration engineer doesn’t always go to plan and making a mistake in a piece of work or accidentally causing injury to a third party could see a claim brought against you. Our refrigeration engineer insurance can be tailored online in a matter of minutes to give you the peace of mind that if the unexpected happens, you’ll be covered.
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 refrigeration engineer insurance?
Refrigeration engineer insurance is designed to protect refrigeration engineering contractors against legal action in the event something goes wrong whilst you carry out work for a client.Cover starting at
£7 a month*
Based on a refrigeration engineer requiring £100,000 legal expenses cover
Why do refrigeration engineers need insurance?
Given the complex nature of any refrigeration engineering project, care needs be taken to ensure work is carried out as safely and responsibly as possible, whilst still delivering your work on time and to budget.
Regardless of how many years’ experience you may have, mistakes happen and without refrigeration engineer insurance, you would have to pay the cost of defending a claim (as well as any compensation that may be due to your client) out of your own finances. You may find a recruitment agent or end client requires you to hold insurance (such as professional indemnity, public liability and employers’ liability) before you can start work for them.
What does insurance for refrigeration engineers cover?
Whether you specialise in design, processes or efficiency improvements, professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance from Markel gives you peace of mind that you are protected against all kinds of scenarios, including:
Design errors: You produce a design for a bespoke piece of refrigeration machinery for a client. However, there is an error in the design which results in the machinery being unfit for purpose. The client takes legal action against you to recover the cost of putting your mistake right.
Negligent advice: Your client requires you to make recommendations on efficiency savings as part of a refrigeration engineering project. Your recommendations don’t take every factor into account, and result in your client incurring higher costs than they were paying. They take legal action against you for the increased costs they incur.
Slips, trips and falls: An employee of your client trips over your laptop cable and breaks their wrist when they fall. They make a personal injury claim against you, seeking compensation.
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.
How to buy insurance for refrigeration engineers
You can get an online quote in 90 seconds – our fast and easy quote system collects a few details about your refrigeration engineering business activities and offers you covers that may be of interest. You can choose to buy all or just some of the covers quoted, so you will only ever pay for the refrigeration engineer insurance you need. Alternatively, call us on 0800 640 6600 and speak to an insurance expert, who can help with any questions.
Tailor your insurance with these covers
-
Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance for engineers covers the cost of defending your business against allegations of professional negligence (such as giving your client incorrect or wrongful advice) and, if unsuccessful, the cost of damages awarded against you. Examples of claims include:
- You are contracted to provide a number of ideas and designs for a client. You use incorrect measurements in your designs, which results in significant delays to your client's project. Your client takes legal action against you to recover their losses.
PI insurance is usually a mandatory requirement for contract refrigeration engineers requested by either the recruitment agency or directly by the client. We offer cover for a wide range of limits ranging from £100k to £5m.
-
Public and product liability insurance
Public and product liability insurance covers the cost of defending your business (including damages awarded against you if unsuccessful) if someone is injured, or their property damaged, which arises from you going about your business or supplying products. If you visit client premises or sites as part of your business’ activities, it’s likely you’ll need this insurance cover. Like professional indemnity insurance, it’s usually a pre-requisite for recruitment agencies and/or clients. Limits range from £1m to £5m.
-
Employer’s liability insurance
Employer’s liability insurance is a legal requirement if your business has employees. It covers your business against claims for injury or illness suffered by employees arising from their employment. If your business has employees, including other mechanical or refrigeration engineers, you need this cover. Cover for £10m.
-
Legal expenses insurance
Commercial legal expenses insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided for the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.
-
Tool insurance
Also known as ‘tools and equipment insurance’, this form of cover protects against any damage or loss of your tools. It ensures you’re not left out of pocket should any of your own tools be stolen and require replacement, or if any of your equipment is damaged due to flooding, fire or theft.
-
Directors and officers insurance
Directors and officers insurance covers the costs of defending you as a director or officer of your company against allegations of wrongful acts and any damages subsequently awarded against you. Cover is also provided in respect of the legal costs and expenses of defending actions for disqualification as a director, investigations and extradition proceedings. Limits range from £100,000 to £5m.
-
Occupational personal accident insurance
Occupational personal accident insurance provides a weekly payment if you are unable to work due to temporary total disablement (subject to a 14 day deferment period).
It pays a lump sum in the event of:
- Loss of limbs
- Loss of sight
- Loss of speech
- Loss of hearing
- Permanent disablement
- Death
This cover could help you maintain an income if you are unable to work following an accident while working on an engineering contract, and would struggle to maintain a steady income while off work.
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 refrigeration engineer insurance cost?
When it comes to insurance, 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.
To get a clearer idea of how much you’ll pay, simply get a quote online.
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.
-
I need professional indemnity insurance to secure a contract - do you provide proof of cover?
Yes. If you purchase your policy with us, your documents are emailed to you instantly and include a dedicated 'Confirmation of Liability Insurance' document (detailing the cover you have with us) which you can present to agencies and clients as proof of cover.
-
Is my past work covered?
We cover past work if you have held professional indemnity insurance uninterrupted prior to arranging your policy with us.
If there was a period of time where you did not have professional indemnity insurance in force (for example, you have never arranged professional indemnity insurance before, you chose not to renew a previous policy or you cancelled a previous policy at the end of a contract) we are unable to cover past work.
If you require further clarification, don't hesitate to call us on 0800 640 6600.
-
What insurance do I need as a engineer?
This depends on the exact type of work you do and the projects you undertake. However it is advisable to start with both professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance, both of which are usually a mandatory requirement for contractors, and build your cover from there. To get a better idea of what would work for you, call one of our insurance experts on 0800 640 6600.
-
How much does engineer insurance cost?
This all depends on a number of factors. These range from the size of your business, the type of work you undertake, the size of the projects you take on, and the kind of tools you expect to use while working. The best thing to do is to get a quote online, or give us a call on 0800 640 6600.
-
What's the difference between professional indemnity and public liability?
Professional indemnity insurance covers against allegations of professional negligence - which means it would cover you if you were to make an error or mistake in a piece of work (such as a project or report) for a client.
Public liability insurance covers against allegations of injury or illness caused to third parties by your negligence. This includes many of the slips, trips and falls that are associated with personal injury claims. In addition, public liability insurance covers against damage to third party property - for example, if you were to damage a client-owned laptop or smartphone.
As they insure against different scenarios, it's important you consider arranging both types of cover to ensure you are properly protected.
-
What limit of cover should I choose?
Many clients and industry bodies with regulatory requirements will require you to have a minimum level of cover for you to undertake a contract, so it's worth checking this before you arrange cover. If you're unsure, give some thought to a worst-case scenario and the likely costs involved in putting your mistake right. We offer a range of limits on insurance, so you're sure to find the right cover for your business.
-
Why should I choose Markel Direct's Insurance
Markel Direct has over 25 years of experience insuring contractors, consultants and self-employed professionals. We insure over 200,000 micro businesses and are highly rated by our customers at Feefo.com.
We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s of London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023
To talk about your insurance requirements and better understand our cover, call us on 0800 640 6600 or get a quick quote online.
-
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
Can't find the answer you are looking for? - Contact our experts
Access specialist business services as part of your policy cover.
As a specialist insurer of accountants and bookkeepers, we provide a range of useful services for you to access, included as standard with certain covers.
What is included:
Relevant News and Insights
Existing customer?
Whether you need to renew a policy, or modify an existing policy, or simply have a question, contact us.