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Tradesman insurance

We guarantee to beat your new insurance quote or renewal premium from any other insurer.

New policies only. Cover on an equivalent basis to ours. Excludes policies with home emergency cover added. Qualifying criteria apply. Terms & Conditions.

  • 0% APR on your monthly Direct Debit payments in the first year.

    Over 18s, subject to eligibility.

  • Download your policy documents instantly to show proof of your cover to clients.
  • Unlimited policy changes - no admin fees to make amends.
Concerned about tool theft? Tools Essentials helps you replace your most important stolen tools, after a few checks.
Up to £1,500 upfront, after claim checks. Tools and Business Equipment insurance required. Limits apply. To claim, you will need a crime reference number and proof of ownership (if applicable you may also need proof of damage). Mon to Fri, 8am-6pm, except Bank Holidays.

The tools you need to safeguard your livelihood

With over 500,000 policies nationwide, we know what support you need from your insurance provider.

Some of the perks of being a Direct Line for Business customer include:

  • Your own dedicated claims handler

    If you need to make a claim, you'll have a dedicated person dealing with your case from start to finish.

  • Unlimited access to an online legal documents service with Legal Essentials

    The legal helpline and document services are provided by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Limited. For niche legal advice and some jurisdictions, the 24/7 helpline will refer you to specialist advisers, available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, excl. bank holidays.

  • Unlimited policy changes

    Hired new staff or bought new machinery? We don't charge you admin fees if you need to amend your policy.

The right cover for the job

From plumbers to electricians, carpenters to gardeners, we insure a wide-variety of tradespeople with very different insurance needs. That's why we let you choose what goes into your policy. So whether you work alone or run an established firm with employees, you can get insurance that's just right for your business.

You can include any of the cover types below in your tradesman insurance policy. These covers are subject to policy conditions and limits.

We know that when you're in the trades, your tools are vital and if the worst happens, they can be very expensive to replace, putting a pause on your business.

With Tools Essentials, we help you replace your essential tools, so that you can get back to work.

How does Tools Essentials work?

If your tools are stolen or damaged, contact us as soon as you can. After a few checks, we transfer up to £1,500 to you, to help you replace your essential tools.

What are the benefits?

  • By transferring the money to you, you have the flexibility of replacing your tools like for like, so that you can go back to building your empire.
  • We transfer the money to you, even if your tools are stolen or damaged while working abroad (within the EU).
  • If you've had more than £1,500 of tools and equipment stolen or damaged, we'll process the rest of your claim and when approved, send you the remaining balance of your claim.

How do I get Tools Essentials?

Buy Tools and Equipment Cover, with or without adding Overnight Tools Cover.

Conditions

  • Upfront payment of up to £1,500 is transferred to your account, after the claim has been validated.
  • Proof of purchase or ownership needed.
  • Crime Reference number or proof of damage needed.
  • Claim limits apply.
  • To report damaged or stolen tools, our lines are open between 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

Read more about Tools Essentials

Public liability insurance covers you if you cause injury to a member of the public or accidentally damage someone's property. An example of this could include a customer slipping on a wet floor in your shop or office and hurting themselves, or causing damage while carrying out building works on a client's house.

This insurance also covers you if a customer or member of the public becomes ill or suffers an injury because of a product you have supplied. For example, if the heel snaps off a shoe someone has bought from you, causing them to fall over, or if a cupcake you sell at an event makes someone sick.

If the people in question pursued legal action against you, public and product liability insurance would cover the costs you are liable to pay. We can offer cover from £1 million to £10 million.

Read more about Public liability

Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have employees. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, which you can read more about here.

We cover you for £10 million, as standard. This covers the legal and compensation costs you are required to pay if an employee gets injured or becomes ill because of the work they do for you.

If you take out public liability or employers' liability insurance with us, you'll automatically get cover for temporary employees, if you use them.

The maximum number of days we cover temporary employees for will vary depending on the number of manual workers in your business.

  • 1 - 5 manual workers - 60 days
  • 6 - 10 manual workers - 100 days
  • 11 - 15 manual workers - 150 days

Please note that the maximum number of days reflects the total number of days worked by all of your temporary employees. So, if you have seven manual workers in your business, we will provide cover for 100 days worked by all temporary employees in total.

We know how important tools and equipment are for tradespeople. So, when it comes to tools insurance, we've nailed it.

And now, you'll get a fast-upfront payment of up to £1,500 (after a few checks) to help you replace your essential tools or business equipment if they're stolen or damaged, with Tools Essentials.

Tools and Business Equipment cover

With this you're covered if they're damaged or stolen from:

  • your vehicle during the day if the vehicle is securely locked
  • a locked building, like your garage or home, anytime of day or night.

Policy limits and excesses apply.

With the Overnight Tools optional add-on (for an extra premium)

You're covered for theft of tools when they're locked in your vehicle overnight that's parked on your drive, the street or if you're working away.

Available on new policies only. Tools removed when the vehicle is not being used for business purposes for more than five consecutive days. Cover excludes electrical items such as laptops, cameras, mobile phones, removable satellite navigation systems, and handheld survey equipment. Cover limits and variable claim excesses apply.

And you get Tools Essentials with both

To help you replace your essential tools or equipment quickly, if they're stolen or damaged, so you can get back to work. You contact us as soon as you can between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holiday) and after a few checks, we transfer up to £1,500 to you.

Claims and policy limits apply. Crime reference or proof of damage and proof of ownership needed.

What we cover

We cover power tools such as drills, hammers, screwdrivers, chisels, spanners, saws, pliers, trowels and blow torches. And equipment like ladders, steps, cleaning supplies, lawnmowers, paint trays, brushes, workbenches, and spirit levels.

Read more about Tools and Business Equipment, Overnight Tools and Tools Essentials.

If you're concerned about your tools getting stolen overnight, you can upgrade your tools and business equipment cover, by adding overnight tools cover for an additional premium.

Our 24-hour tools insurance covers your tools at home or in the van, wherever you are in the EU, as long as you are a UK resident.

In order to obtain overnight cover, when you get a quote online, you will need to answer 'Yes' to the following question: 'Our standard cover excludes theft from a vehicle overnight. Would you like to add cover for overnight theft of your tools and business equipment from a vehicle?'

Cover conditions: your vehicle must be secured at all points of entry and any alarms or immobilisers must be set. Tools must be hidden from view and removed when the vehicle is not being used for business purposes for more than five consecutive days. Cover excludes electrical items such as laptops, cameras, mobile phones, removable satellite navigation systems, handheld survey equipment etc.

Cover limit: there is a limit of £10,000 per claim and a single article limit of £1,500.

Excess: you will be liable for 10 per cent of each and every claim, with a minimum contribution by you of £100 up to a maximum contribution by you of £500.

Read more about 24 hour tools cover

We can also cover your stock and materials, such as pipes, bricks, and paints. We can cover items that are being temporarily stored between jobs, items in transit and items on-site (until they are installed).

If these items are stolen or damaged, we'll pay the cost of replacing the items so you can continue running your business.

Cover limits:

  • Up to 5 workers - £10,000
  • Up to 10 workers - £20,000
  • Up to 15 workers - £25,000

Excess per claim - £100

Own plant covers larger items of machinery owned by the business, such as cement mixers, diggers, mini-diggers, dumpers, excavators, generators, trailers and temporary site huts and caravans. This does not include regular items in your toolkit, like a hammer.

We can cover this machinery for theft and damage. We do not cover machinery that has been damaged due to wear and tear.

Cover limits:

  • Up to 5 workers - £75,000
  • Up to 10 workers - £100,000
  • Up to 15 workers - £100,000

There is a single article limit of £50,000.

Excess per claim - £250

Hired in plant refers to machinery that you have hired from a third party, either for a short period of time or on permanent hire. The types of machinery we cover include cement mixers, diggers, mini-diggers, dumpers, excavators, generators, trailers and temporary site huts and caravans.

If something happens to the machinery while it is on hire and being used by your business, we can cover the cost of replacing it.

Cover limits:

  • Up to 5 workers - £75,000
  • Up to 10 workers - £100,000
  • Up to 15 workers - £100,000

There is a single article limit of £50,000.

Excess per claim - £250

This covers work that is in progress. We can cover the costs required to repair or redo the work.

For example, if you're a builder working on a house and a fire destroys part of the house five months into a six-month contract, we can help you to complete the contract by:

  • covering the costs required to purchase the materials needed to finish the job
  • covering the costs required to rebuild the parts destroyed by fire
  • covering any labour costs to repair the damage

Cover limits:

Contract value (based on the maximum value for any one contract anywhere within the UK)

  • Up to 5 workers - £750,000
  • Up to 10 workers - £1,000,000
  • Up to 15 workers - £1,000,000

Turnover limit - £1,500,000

Excess per claim - £500

This covers the legal costs of providing specialist lawyers and taking action against many common legal problems, for instance disputes with suppliers or clients. Legal expenses cover can only be used if there is at least a 51% chance that the claim will succeed.

Personal accident cover provides payment if anyone in your business between the ages 16-75 is unable to work because they've been injured in an accident, whether in a business or personal capacity.

We'll pay a lump sum of £50,000 if there is an accidental death, accidental loss of limbs or sight, or if someone in your business becomes permanently disabled following an accident.

If someone in your business is unable to work due to a temporary injury, then after 7 days we'll pay their normal net weekly earnings up to £500 for up to 104 weeks.

You can choose Personal Accident as an add-on once you've completed your quote.

Professional indemnity is useful if your business offers a service or requires you to give advice to clients. If you make a professional error or give advice that is deemed negligent, you could be taken to court.

Professional indemnity insurance covers any legal and compensation costs you are required to pay. Clients will often ask to see proof of professional indemnity insurance before agreeing to work with a new contractor.

Policy documents

When you get a quote, we'll send you a personalised policy document that shows the cover you've chosen.

These can also be found when you log into My Account.

Here you can find examples of our latest tradesman insurance documents which show the main covers we offer, plus exclusions.

Ask our Virtual Assistant

Our virtual assistant is here to answer your questions. If it doesn't have the answer, we'll put you in touch with someone who can help.

Message us on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code using your smartphone to chat with us on WhatsApp.

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WhatsApp opening hours:

  • Monday to Friday 8am - 7pm
  • Saturday 9am - 5pm
  • Sunday 9am - 2pm

Call us

If you haven't found what you're looking for yet, then it might be time to call us.

Opening hours:

  • Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm
  • Saturday 9am - 3pm
  • Sunday Closed

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