Public liability insurance when you are self-employed
Self-employed people often buy public liability cover because they work directly with the public or on client sites. The important bit is describing the whole job, not choosing a label that only covers the safest part.
Plain-English guide · Check the policy wording
A straightforward answer
A broad description such as “property maintenance” can hide very different work. Painting a bedroom, clearing a gutter and fitting a tap do not create the same risks. A quote is more useful when the insurer knows the mix.
What the policy needs to reflect
The practical test is simple enough: could the policy provider recognise the job from the description you supplied? If not, the description may be too vague.
The schedule, endorsements and main wording work together. Reading only the certificate can leave out the conditions and exclusions that affect a claim.
Look beyond the value of the invoice and consider: a client says you scratched or broke something; someone walks into your temporary work area; and materials left overnight cause damage. None of these situations has an automatic insurance answer. They are useful prompts for checking the scope of the quotation.
Write down the facts rather than estimating them in a rush: your normal work and the occasional jobs you still accept; annual turnover and the number of people working; and any work outside the uk or at unusual sites. Where the position varies between jobs, explain the usual work and the exception.
Use the policy summary as an introduction, then turn to the schedule and endorsements for the details that affect the work. Query any uncertain point while other quotations are still open to you.
How the problem can arise
Run through these situations against the jobs you accept:
- A client says you scratched or broke something
- Someone walks into your temporary work area
- Materials left overnight cause damage
The policy response depends on the full circumstances. A short list on a webpage cannot replace the wording.
Think about a recent job where “someone walks into your temporary work area” might have arisen. The customer, premises and method of work are often more informative than the occupation name alone.
The point about “materials left overnight cause damage” may follow a different policy route. Check it rather than assuming that every loss connected with the business belongs under public liability.
Read the proposed wording against those real examples. Query a gap before accepting the cover.
Details to gather for the quote
Write down the answers to these points before opening the form:
- Your normal work and the occasional jobs you still accept
- Annual turnover and the number of people working
- Any work outside the UK or at unusual sites
Set aside a few minutes for “your normal work and the occasional jobs you still accept”, “annual turnover and the number of people working” and “any work outside the uk or at unusual sites”. Accurate answers now make it easier to check the schedule and business description when the documents arrive.
If the form offers only broad categories, choose the closest honest description and use any available notes box to explain the difference.
Two reminders from this page are “check height and depth limits” and “look for exclusions around heat and waterproofing”; keep them beside the documents when you check the quotation. If the policy takes a different approach to “your normal work and the occasional jobs you still accept”, ask about it before the cover is needed and retain any written reply.
Read the finished form once more before sending it. A missing activity is easier to correct at this stage.
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Answer the questions carefully and check the policy documents before you buy.
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Wording to read before buying
- Check height and depth limits
- Look for exclusions around heat and waterproofing
- Tell the insurer when your work changes
Read the schedule and endorsements beside the main wording. Important restrictions are often shown there.
Finish with the paperwork
Look back over the jobs completed during the past twelve months. Include the occasional work, not just the service that brings in most of the turnover.
Contracts sometimes ask for more than a limit. Read the whole insurance clause and query anything you do not understand.
Keep a simple note of later changes: a new service, different premises, extra staff or a larger contract. Ask whether the policy record needs updating rather than assuming the change can wait.
A last check should cover: tell the insurer when your work changes; check how this affects the jobs you accept and ask for clarification if the policy takes a different approach.
Check the source
The ABI liability insurance guide explains liability cover. Use GOV.UK employers’ liability information for employers’ liability and the FCA Register to check regulated firms.