# Public Liability Insurance for Tradesmen A customer trips over your cables, a spilled solvent ruins a client's flooring, or a dropped tool cracks a window: any one of these can turn into a claim that threatens your business. Tradesman public liability insurance is built to protect against exactly this kind of risk, whatever trade you work in and whether you're a sole trader or a limited company. [Request a Quote](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/contact-us)[Call Our Team](tel:01228586231) ![Tradesman Insurance Brokers Carlisle, Cumbria](//rawinsurance.b-cdn.net/images/Hero%20Characters/hvac-contractor-insurance.png) ![Image](//rawinsurance.b-cdn.net/images/2021/05/27/tradesman.png) ## Why Tradesmen Need Public Liability Insurance Most tradesman work happens on someone else's property, often while it's still occupied by the customer, their family, or other contractors. That raises the chance of accidental damage to a client's home or business, or an accidental injury to someone on site. The Health and Safety Executive continues to record high numbers of injuries linked to trade and construction work each year, exactly the kind of risk this cover is designed to protect against. Rather than a generic policy bought online, RAW Insurance is a specialist [tradesman insurance broker](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance). We build your public liability cover around the trade you actually work in, whether that's [plumbing](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/plumbers-insurance), [electrical work](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/electricians-insurance), [building](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/builders-insurance), [painting and decorating](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/painters-and-decorators-insurance), or [HVAC](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/hvac-contractors-insurance), not a one-size-fits-all package written for a different industry. A well-built public liability policy for tradesmen can include protection for: - Accidental damage to a customer's property caused by your work - Claims for injury caused to a client or a member of the public - Legal expenses and compensation costs if a claim is made against your business - Cover that satisfies the contracts and site rules that increasingly expect public liability as standard - Confidence for clients and main contractors that you're properly covered before work starts - Cover that sits alongside your other policies, including tools, van and employers' liability insurance ### What do our customers say... "Excellent. Nothing is too much trouble." Richard Waugh - Geltside Electrical Services Ltd "Professional service with a personal touch." Martin Scott - T& S Air Conditioning ## Why RAW's Approach Works Here's what sets a specialist broker apart from a comparison site when you're arranging public liability insurance for a trade business. ### Specialist Trade Focus Our team has experience across the insurance industry, so you're dealing with people who understand trade and contracting work, not a call centre reading from a script. We build your public liability cover around your business activities, the sites you work on, and whether your customers are domestic, commercial, or both. ### Broker Advice, Not a Comparison Site We explain your options in plain English, so you understand exactly what you're covered for and why, and we're on hand to give professional advice before you commit. A member of our team talks through your business before recommending the right level of cover, rather than leaving you to pick a liability limit off a self-service website. ### Local Carlisle and Kendal Service Public liability, tools cover, van insurance and any other cover you need can be combined into a single insurance policy, arranged by a team based in Carlisle and Kendal. We work with tradesmen across Cumbria and the rest of the UK, so being local doesn't mean being limited to local jobs. ### End-to-End Support If you need to make a claim, you deal with a dedicated contact who guides you through the process, not a different person each time you call. Support continues at renewal and stays in place as your business grows or your insurance requirements change. ## How Getting Covered Works Arranging cover with RAW is straightforward: 1 ### Tell us about your business The trade you work in, the sites and clients you work with, your tools, vehicles and whether you employ anyone. 2 ### Get a tailored quote We match cover to your actual risks rather than offering a fixed package. 3 ### Get covered Once you're happy, we set up your policy, send over your policy documentation, and remain on hand if you need to make changes or a claim. ## How Much Does Public Liability Insurance Cost for Tradesmen? Public liability insurance cost for tradesmen can vary depending on your trade, the type of work you take on, whether you employ staff, the liability limit you choose, your claims history, and the level of cover you add alongside it. A [sole trader](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/self-employed) doing small domestic jobs has different needs to a contractor running a team on commercial sites. We talk through your risks before recommending cover, rather than quoting a generic price online. ## Tradesman Public Liability Insurance in Carlisle, Kendal and Across Cumbria RAW Insurance is based in Carlisle and Kendal, arranging public liability cover for [tradesmen and contractors](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance) across Cumbria and further afield. We work with clients fitting out new-builds in Kendal, refurbishing period properties in Carlisle, and taking on contracts across the rest of the UK. Being local means speaking to someone who knows the trade, not a call centre. ## Public Liability Insurance by Trade Public liability requirements can vary depending on the trade you work in and the type of jobs you take on. We build specialist cover for: ### [Builders Insurance](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/builders-insurance) including cover for tools, materials, and the everyday risks of working on site ### [Plumbers Insurance](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/plumbers-insurance) built around the risks of working inside occupied properties ### [Electricians Insurance](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/electricians-insurance) including professional indemnity for testing, certification and design work ### [HVAC Contractors Insurance](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/hvac-contractors-insurance) covering installation and maintenance work across domestic and commercial sites ### [Painters & Decorators Insurance](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/painters-and-decorators-insurance) built around the risks of working in occupied homes and businesses ### [Self Employed Tradesman Insurance](https://www.rawinsurance.co.uk/commercial/tradesman-insurance/self-employed) for sole traders who need cover built around exactly how they work ## Plumbers Insurance FAQs ### Do tradesmen need public liability insurance? Public liability insurance isn't a legal requirement for tradesmen in the UK, but most clients, main contractors and sites won't let you start work without it. It covers claims for third party injury or property damage linked to your work, such as accidentally damaging a customer's property. ### What does tradesman public liability insurance cover? Most policies cover claims for injury to a client or member of the public, and accidental damage to their property, caused by your work, along with the legal costs of defending or settling a claim. It's often combined with tools, van and personal accident cover in a single policy. ### How much public liability cover do I need as a tradesman? This depends on the type of work you do and what your clients or contracts require. Many contracts specify a minimum liability limit, commonly £1 million, £2 million or £5 million, so it's worth checking what your clients expect before choosing a level of cover. ### Is employers' liability insurance the same as public liability insurance? No. Public liability covers claims from customers and members of the public, while employers' liability covers claims from your own staff if they're injured or become ill because of their work. Employers' liability is legally required if you employ anyone. ### Can RAW Insurance help tradesmen working across Cumbria and beyond? We're based in Carlisle and Kendal and arrange public liability cover for tradesmen across Cumbria and the rest of the UK, so get in touch to talk through your business and where you work.