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How Much Does Public Liability Insurance Cost?

Rhino Trade Insurance Monday, 21 March 2022

Having Public Liability Insurance as a tradesperson in the UK is absolutely vital. Not only is it a major commodity for any trade business, it really puts the icing on the cake of presenting yourself as a fully professional tradie. 

Depending on the level of cover you need, Public Liability Insurance is there in case you have an off day on-site. It provides a backstop in case you accidentally injure a member of the public or damage a customer's property whilst doing your work. Should something of this nature happen, your Public Liability Insurance will kick into gear and provide any compensation or protection needed for the incoming claim. 

Is Public Liability Insurance a Legal Requirement?

Unlike its sister insurance, Employers' Liability Insurance, Public Liability Insurance is not a legal requirement. However, we scratch our heads on a daily basis wondering how this is the case. As a trusted tradesman or woman, you ought to have Public Liability Insurance for your business. It just makes total sense financially to have it. 

Without cover, you are putting yourself at entire risk if anything goes wrong. You could go out of business, you could be held liable, and you can even lose contracts without this type of insurance. 

What trades need liability insurance?

If your line of work comes into contact with anyone in the public domain (which, as a tradesman, is highly likely), then Public Liability is needed. 

Here is a list that shows which trades generally need to take out Public Liability Insurance:

We at Rhino Trade Insurance have spent many hours developing the perfect trade insurance for each trade. Whatever you are looking for, we can provide the right level of cover needed. 

What does Public Liability insurance cover?

Trade businesses come in various shapes and sizes, which ultimately affect how much cover your business will need. Before giving you a quote, we will consider numerous factors (don't worry, it's all to do with your work; we don't need to know your life story like other insurers). 

To get an idea of the factors that make up a Public Liability Insurance quote, you will want to consider the size of contracts you hold, how much you come into contact with members of the public, the type of work you undertake and where. 

Below you can find what you can expect us to ask you about when taking out a policy:

  • Does your business come into direct contact with customers/ public members?
  • Could the work you do cause injury or damage to a customer's property
  • Do you need to have a certain level of cover in your customer contracts?
  • Are you a part of any trade association or professional body that requires a certain level of Public Liability Insurance?

Calculating the cost of Public Liability Insurance.

As we have shown above, several factors can go into calculating the cost of your Public Liability Insurance. We need to understand how likely a claim is from the work you do and how much would that claim potentially cost - this helps us determine the right level of cover. 

When you give us a call, we will help you at every step to get the best level of cover for your business at the most cost-effective price. However, it would be grand if you could assess your business needs and have any idea of the level of insurance you need. To give you an idea, if you have a higher turnover or use dangerous equipment, your cover may be higher. 

Here you can find a list of info that will help us better understand the level of cover needed:

  • Business size
  • Business location
  • Your trade industry
  • The nature of your work
  • Business turnover
  • Health and Safety history
  • A handful of other factors

You might also need a certain level of cover depending on the clients you work for. For example, if you have contracts with local councils, they may expect you to have a certain level of cover - potentially £2 million-plus. Great news for you, Rhino Trade Insurance offers levels of cover from £1 million up to £5 million if needed. What's more, our cover starts at just £6.07 a month. 

Why choose Rhino Trade Insurance?

We are an expert, trade-only insurance company based here in the UK. We have insured thousands of tradies around the UK and have over 20yrs experience in this game. You can find out what our customers think of us by seeing our thousands of 5-star reviews here

If you are interested in Public Liability Insurance for your trade, give us a call today on 0116 243 7904 or get a quick and simple quote online now. 


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