Construction Insurance
Compare contractors all risk, employers & public liability insurance
What construction insurance do you need?
Construction sites pose numerous risks and hazards that can lead to accidents, property damage, and liability issues. Identifying these risks and arranging the correct construction insurance is vital to safeguarding your business. By understanding the potential risks, construction companies can take proactive measures to ensure a safe working environment and put in place the correct insurance policies.
Liability insurance
Employers liability and public liability insurance are an important consideration in the construction industry. Claims arising from bodily injury and property damage can be very expensive. Prudent businesses are increasingly purchasing an 'Excess of Loss' policy to provide increased limits for public liability and employers liability and motor insurance to protect against increased awards in the UK courts.
Contractors all risk
Builders all risk insurance, or contractors all risk insurance can is a package policy that mitigates liability risks on building sites and provide cover for damage or loss of the building works in progress on a construction site. Construction insurance cover is typically purchased by builders to protect against liability claims and property damage to the structure being built. With many different parties involved in construction projects, it's important that everyone knows who is responsible for insuring what.
Contract works
The terms can be interchangeable within the building trade, however contract works insurance is the specific cover provider under a contractors all risk insurance policy which will reinstate or repair the building works resulting from any damage or destruction. If you are constructing a new build or extending an existing building and the new structure is destroyed or damaged before it is finished, the cover is there to provide financial protection against that loss or damage.
The importance of business insurance for construction
Construction projects need business insurance - Construction sites are prone to accidents and injuries. Construction insurance plays an important role in the construction industry for all the parties concerned. Construction projects typically involve significant investment and therefore risk. Construction insurance is therefore necessary to help protect against financial losses arising from property damage and legal liabilities.
Multiple interested parties in business insurance - Construction contracts often require insurance coverage to protect all parties involved with an interest in the project. It’s common practice to have the main contractor and employer take out the policy on a joint names basis. Then they may also name the financier of the construction project on the policy as an additional insured, or first loss payee because they have an insurable interest.
Assists with winning tenders - Construction firms with comprehensive insurance cover promotes professionalism and risk awareness. Having appropriate construction insurance demonstrates compliance with contractual obligations and instils confidence in clients. It also allows you to provide the necessary comfort to your clients that you have sufficient protection in place should something go wrong.
Common types of construction insurance policies
Construction insurance is typically a combination of covers designed to meet the needs of companies that undertake building work and traditional trades, such as a builder, electrician, carpenter, contractor, or plumber. If an unexpected accident occurs on site the cost of a liability claim, or property damage can have a significant impact to your business. We’ve put together the below guide for companies to help navigate the jargon and better understand what construction insurance you need to protect your interests and meet your legal and contractual obligations.
Looking for construction insurance? Talk to one of our account brokers or complete our digital onboarding process
Compare construction insurance and save up to 25% on your annual premiumConstruction business insurance explained
Public liability
Otherwise known as general liability, public liability insurance can offer builders protection from compensation claims arising from injury or property damage of persons other than your employees. For example, a bonafide contractor falls within a trench that has been dug and causes a serious injury and claims for damages. The cover will protect the company against legal costs incurred in defending the allegation and pay damages from any award or settlement.
Employers' liability
Construction insurance is a legal requirement from most companies, employers' liability insurance can help offer builders financial protection from compensation claims arising from arising from bodily injury or illness of your employees. For example, an employee falls while climbing a ladder and is causes a serious back injury. The cover will protect the company against legal costs incurred in defending the allegation and pay damages from any award or settlement.
Contract works
Can help offer financial protection against the work in progress on a construction site in the event damage. Contract works insurance will reinstate or repair the building works resulting from any damage. For example, there is a fire at the construction site and works you have completed have been destroyed. The cover will reinstate or repair the building works resulting from any type of damage.
Plant & equipment
Can help protect builders against damage to own plant and equipment whilst in your custody or hired-in plant under your control or hired out under a defined agreement. For example, damage to your equipment, such as an excavator occurs during a construction project. The cover will protects against damage to own plant and equipment whilst in your custody or control or hired out under a defined agreement.
Professional indemnity
Where your building firm provides design, technical, specification or project management services it is recommend you purchase professional indemnity insurance. It's worth noting that you can still be held accountable if you sub-contact the work. Therefore, as the main contractor, you should consider arranging professional indemnity insurance, whilst also ensuring that your professional subcontractor maintains the same amount of cover.
JCT insurance
The cover protects against claims should there be damage to a neighbouring property due to collapse, subsidence, heave, vibration, weakening or removal of support, or lowering of groundwater, which is not the result of negligence. JCT insurance will typically be arranged under a separate policy for a specified project.
Construction risk management and insurance
Bodily injury risks
Construction contractors are exposed to increased risks relating to personal injury. The largest cause of accidents and ill health on a construction site typically arise from: (1) falls from height; (2) collapse of excavation; (3) collapse of structures; (4) exposure to asbestos or building dust; and (5) electric socks.
Property damage risks
Construction projects typically involve extensive use of plant, machinery, tools, and materials, increasing the likelihood of property damage onsite and offsite. Some common property risks include fire, explosions, structural collapse, water damage, vandalism and theft.
How much does construction insurance cost?
The premium that builders pay for contractors insurance will dependent upon a variety of different factors. For example, size of the firm, working at height, depth, or with heat will all increases your exposure to claims, therefore your construction insurance cost will increase. A significant factor for insurers in calculating your construction insurance premium, will be the percentage of your turnover paid to bonafide subcontractors. The higher the percentage means a greater responsibility onsite and higher exposure to public liability insurance claims.
For example - A basic tradesman insurance policy for a builder can start at £298 annually or £24.83 monthly for a small business that has one working director, one employee, and pays < 25% of turnover to subcontractors.
It's worth noting that certain business activities carry increased risk, such as: asbestos removal, demolition, hot roofing, pilling, scaffolding, tunneling, and underpinning. If the contract is in hazardous or high-risk locations this can impact the terms and premium insurers are willing to offer.
Additional construction insurance polices
Working in the construction industry can be a challenging and dangerous environment. This has implications your construction company and a range of parties you owe a duty of care. As a specialist construction insurance broker, we can identify the most appropriate cover (i.e. professional indemnity insurance) to meet your needs.
Excess Liability
Excess layer insurance will typically be arranged to provide additional cover for public liability, and potentially employers liability.
Get builders all risk insurance tailored to your needs. Talk to one of our construction insurance brokers
Quotes from the wholesale market can start at £468 annually or £39 a monthConstruction insurance companies
We work with the leading construction insurance companies who can accommodate a wide range of projects and insurance lines. At Get Indemnity we are a specialist construction insurance broker who can navigate the market to identify the most competitive terms at the most affordable cost to your business. Speak with one of our account executives by requesting a call back or call on 0345 625 0711.
Specialist construction business insurance
Insurance for construction companies is complex and without the guidance of a specialist construction insurance broker you may find your business uninsured when you need to rely on your policy coverage. Additionally, on a handful of insurers provide their products directly, therefore you aren't accessing some very competitive products and insurance companies.
Compare construction insurance quotes from the market with a specialist broker
Complete our digital onboarding process or arrange a call back to discuss your needsFrequently asked questions
Who should purchase construction insurance?
Anyone working on site should ensure they have sufficient construction insurance in place. Which covers you decide to purchase will depend on a number of factors including your responsibilities, contractual requirements, size and risk appetite.
- Bricklayer
- Builder
- Carpenter
- Carpet and flooring contractor
- Demolition
- Dry liner
- Electrician
- Flooring contractor
- Glazer
- Groundworker
- Heating and ventilation contractor
- Kitchen and bathroom fitter
- Landscape gardener
- Painters and decorator
- Plasterer
- Plumber
- Project manager
- Tiler
Do we need design and construct professional indemnity insurance?
The requirement to purchase professional indemnity insurance will be based on your responsibilities and contractual obligations. A design and build contract, describes a situation where the main contractor is appointed to design and construct the works. As opposed to a traditional construction contract, where the client appoints consultants to undertake the design and then a contractor to build the works. For example, as the main contractor that employs an architect you can be held vicariously liable for the work undertaken if there is an error with the design.
Construction professional indemnity claim examples include:
- Mistakes in the preperation of the designs
- Improper or negligent advice
- Breach of building regulations
- Selection of indequate materials
Construction professionals that usually purchase professional indemnity comprise of:
- Architects
- Building and industrial designers
- Building inspectors
- Construction management
- Design and build contractors
- Engineers
- Environmental consultants
- Geotechnical engineers
- Interior designers
- Surveyors
- Structural engineers
- Town planners
- Project managers
What insurance should I get if my work involves multiple construction trades?
You should notify us if you undertake more than one trade, such as general construction and carpentry. We will be required to split your turnover by the percentage of time you would undertake for each business activity. That way, we’ll be able to provide you with construction coverage specifically designed to meet your needs.
What if we need a 'certificate of insurance'?
If you are required to provide evidence of your business insurance, ask us to provide you with a certificate of insurance. You should not provide a copy of your policy schedule and wording to your clients as this is a contractual agreement between yourself and the insurer and may prejudice claims under your policy if you assist an allegation made against your business. Note we can also respond to specific construction project or tender requests to detail how your coverage operates.
How much construction insurance do we need?
The amount of cover you require will depend upon your contractual obligations and appetite for risk. Liability claims that involving disability or death can be very expensive. Not to mention that awards made by the courts have increased to ensure compensation payments keep up with inflation and cost of living. Therefore, you may find that your level of construction insurance is not adequate. If you would like to discuss further, please give us a call.
Related articles and guides
The old methods of boosting stock levels and ordering further in advance than normal still have a place. Albeit, they come at the cost of absorbing capital and storage space, which may require additional external finance to pay for stocks, restore liquidity, or rent warehouses
There were 565,000 non-fatal injuries to workers reported in 2021/22, with slips and trips accounting for nearly one third of all incidents.
Serious accidents and fatalities at work can trigger interventions from enforcing authorities with significant legal implications for firms and senior managers.
60% of the fall from height fatalities and 30% of major injuries occurred within the construction industry. This equates to 35 fatalities and 938 major injuries, due to falling from height in the construction industry in 2019/20.