Public Liability Insurance for Tradesman and Self Employed

Public liability insurance can protect your business from legal fees and compensation if a third party is hurt or has their property damaged and your business is liable.

Insurance Solutions from Gallagher

Lloyds Bank Business Insurance Services are arranged and administered by Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited. When getting a quote online you will be taken to Gallagher’s online site with a new privacy and cookie policy.

Get a quote for Public Liability Insurance

Get a quote for Public Liability Insurance

Quotes from a panel of insurers

Get a quote

What is public liability insurance and what does it cover?

Public liability insurance can protect you from the cost of legal action if a member of the public is injured, or has property damaged and it’s the fault of your business. Public liability insurance could mitigate the costs if you are sued by a third party (this excludes your staff).

Public liability insurance can cover:

Compensation claims

Compensation claims

Cover can help pay any compensation claims made by a third party, like a customer or member of the public.

Business Equipment

Business Equipment

This can protect you against damage done by accident. This includes damage to the building and its fixtures and fittings.

Legal expenses

Legal expenses

If you must go to court, your legal fees could be covered to help keep your costs down.

Tools

Tools

If your business uses tools, you can add tool cover to your public liability insurance. This can protect you from the cost of replacing damaged or stolen equipment.

Medical Expenses

Medical Expenses

You may be covered for the costs of treatment and transport if a third party is hurt on your site, or due to your business.

Employers’ Liability

Employers’ Liability

It can cover the cost of compensation claims, if an employee suffers an injury or death as a result of negligence.

Keep in mind

Insurance covers are subject to the individual terms, conditions and exclusions of the insurer providing them. Always review the policy documentation supplied during the quote process to ensure you have the cover you need.

Talk to an Insurance Specialist

Talk to an Insurance Specialist

Call 0345 377 0002

Lines are open 9am-6pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays.

Request a call back

Do I need public liability insurance?

Having Public Liability Insurance is not required by law. But it can be useful to know you are covered if you need it. It is usually taken out by businesses that deal with the public.

This could include:

  • Builders
  • Plumbers
  • Small business owners
  • Hairdressers
  • Café or takeaway owners
  • Retailers

Most businesses will deal with the public at some stage. Having the right insurance to back you up could help save you a lot of stress and money if you are sued.

How much public liability insurance do I need?

The level of cover you need will vary between businesses. Most policies start at around £1 million. But you can buy cover for up to £10 million or more if needed. You should think about:

  • Your clients. Some clients will request you have a particular level of cover before working with you.
  • Your level of risk. How much public exposure does your work have? Does your work leave you open to accidents?
  • Travel. If you work in travel, you may be required to have a minimum of level of cover.

Examples of public liability claims

  • Property damage. If an electrician drills through a pipe damaging the client's property.
  • Injuries in your work area. This can be a customer, member of the public, client, or contractor, but not your employees.
  • Falling objects. If you drop something while working or if it falls without anyone touching it, injuring a customer, or damaging their property.
  • Accidents like an employee spilling a drink over a client’s computer.

How much does public liability insurance cost?

The cost of public liability insurance can depend on lots of factors.  How much your premium costs is usually based on the perceived likeliness of a claim and how much the claim may be.

There following factors may influence how much public liability insurance costs:

  • The size of your business
  • Your industry
  • Where you’re located
  • If you use any potentially dangerous equipment
  • The health and safety record of your business
  • Whether customers visit your business and usual footfall

Other Products

Retrieve a quote

Log on to your account to retrieve your quote.

Get in touch

Whether you’re an existing customer or looking for the right contact.

Call 0345 377 0002

Lines are open 9am-6pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays

Existing customer

Contact numbers for all your queries including details for making a claim.

Important Legal Information

Calls may be monitored or recorded in case we need to check we have carried out your instructions correctly and to help improve our quality of service.

The products and services outlined on this site may be offered by legal entities from across Lloyds Banking Group, including Lloyds Bank plc and Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc. Lloyds Bank plc and Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc are separate legal entities within the Lloyds Banking Group.

Lloyds Bank is a trading name of Lloyds Bank plc, Bank of Scotland plc and Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc. Lloyds Bank plc. Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales no.2065. Bank of Scotland plc. Registered Office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Registered in Scotland no. SC327000. Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc. Registered office 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales no. 10399850. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 119278, 169628 and 763256 respectively.

We adhere to The Standards of Lending Practice which are monitored and enforced by the LSB: www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk.

Eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Please note that due to FSCS and FOS eligibility criteria not all business customers will be covered.