Joiners and carpenters insurance

Whether you’re a carpenter or joiner working on-site, or a cabinet-maker creating a bespoke piece for a client in your workshop, having business insurance is vital. Making sure you have the right cover in place can help protect you and your enterprise.

You’re likely to need public liability insurance as a carpenter or joiner, especially if you’re going out to work in customers’ homes or businesses. And, if you employ anyone, you’re legally required to have employers’ liability insurance.

There are other types of protection you might want to consider, including cover for your tools and equipment. It depends on the size and nature of your carpentry business and the risks you face in your working life.

Mishaps happen in every profession. And if you work as a carpenter or joiner, those mishaps can be consequential.

Imagine, for example, that you’re installing cabinets in a customer’s home, when you (or your apprentice) accidentally drill through a water pipe. A claim may be brought against your carpentry business to cover the damage, which could be extensive.

Or, say an employee of your business falls off a ladder and breaks a leg: you could be held responsible. What’s more, if you haven’t taken out the proper cover for your staff, you’ve broken the law and could face a serious fine.

As a carpenter or joiner, you probably also need an array of expensive tools and equipment to do your job. What would you do if those tools were stolen from your job site? Would you be able to afford to replace them all?

Having the right carpenter's insurance in place could help protect you from all these risks and more.

Here’s a breakdown of the different types of insurance cover that could be useful, or necessary, for you as a carpenter or joiner.

Public liability insurance

Carpenter public liability insurance can cover you against compensation claims and legal bills if a customer, supplier or member of the public is injured or suffers damage to their property, as a result of your work.

It can cover everything from a small incident to a fatal injury due to an accidental, unexpected event.

If a damages claim is made against you, public liability insurance for carpenters and joiners could cover any legal costs, medical expenses and compensation.

It’s up to you to decide the level of cover you need, but most providers offer between £1 million and £10 million.

Terms and conditions vary by insurance provider, so make sure you have the right kind of insurance and level of cover you need.

Employers’ liability cover

Employers’ liability cover is designed to protect you and your business from claims if a member of your staff gets injured, sick or worse as a result of working for you.

If you employ one or more people, it’s a legal requirement to have cover. Unless you run a limited company, it’s not a legal requirement to have employers’ liability insurance if all employees are immediate family members. If you were to get a policy, though, they would be covered.

Under the law, you’ll need to get cover for at least £5 million from an authorised insurance provider that is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You’ll also need to get cover in place straight away. You could be fined £2,500 every day you’re not properly insured.

Tools and equipment cover

Tools of the trade are an essential part of any carpentry or joinery business. Without them, you can’t work.  

You can usually opt for business tool insurance as an add-on to your carpenters and joiners policy. It can help cover your equipment and tools while you’re out on a job. That means you won’t have to worry about how you could afford to replace your gear if it’s stolen or damaged. 

Van insurance

If you use a van to drive your tools and equipment to work sites or customers’ houses, you’ll need to make sure you’re covered for commercial use. Business van insurance that covers ‘carriage of own goods’ could protect you while using your van for work, and for commuting and private use.

Comprehensive cover could protect you from the cost of repairs or replacing your van if it’s involved in an accident. And many policies let you add on extra cover to protect your tools while they’re in transit.

Commercial property insurance

If you own a workshop, or you operate your carpentry business from a commercial property, business buildings insurance can cover the bricks and mortar from risks like fire, storms and flooding.

If you’re renting a space, then it’s the responsibility of the landlord to sort out buildings cover.

Workshop contents insurance

Whether or not you own the building or workshop you’re based in, it’s up to you to protect what’s stored inside.

Business contents insurance can cover the cost of replacing tools, equipment, stock and materials if they’re stolen or damaged by fire, flooding or storms.

Home office insurance

If you’re just occasionally making appointments from your home office, you may not need extra cover. However, you may need to get specialist home office insurance or extra cover if you’re storing stock or material there, or you have clients visiting you at home.

Always tell your insurance provider about such uses as it may change the terms of your home insurance policy. Don’t be tempted to say nothing and hope they won’t find out. Giving false information could invalidate your cover.

Your provider can advise you on what’s covered, what changes can be made, and whether your premiums will change.

Business interruption insurance

Business interruption insurance is designed to help compensate you for loss of profits if your business is unable to operate for a period for some unexpected reason.

Professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity cover is there to protect you if, for example, you give bad advice to a customer, and it leads to a claim. As well as professional negligence, it can cover you for things like breach of confidentiality, loss of personal data or making defamatory statements.

It could cover the cost of legal fees to defend you or your employees, as well as any compensation owed.

Personal accident cover

This could pay out if you or one of your employees is injured and unable to work. And the injury doesn’t necessarily need to be sustained on the job to be covered.

Personal accident cover can help cover related business costs such as recruiting and training a replacement member of staff. It can also pay medical expenses and help cover any lost income. You may be able to add it on to a business insurance policy as an optional extra.

How much you pay for your business insurance can depend on a number of factors, including:

• The size of your business and where you operate

• The level of cover you choose

• How much you pay for your excess.

As a guide, the majority of our customers are quoted less than £80 a year^[2] for public liability insurance.

If you’re working as a self-employed carpenter or joiner, you’ll need to work out what risks apply to you and your business, and arrange your own cover.

And because being self-employed comes with its own set of challenges, you may want to look at additional cover to protect your income and those who depend on it. For example, you may want to consider taking out one or more of the following types of insurance:

• Income protection insurance – could provide a replacement income if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury

• Critical illness insurance – pays out a tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious condition specified on the policy

• Business life insurance – designed to help your business carry on if something happens to you or key people in your business.

Public liability insurance is not mandatory under UK law. However, without it, the consequences of a claim could be devastating for you and your business.

And as well as protecting you from major financial losses, there are other good reasons to take out public liability cover:

• Customers expect you to be insured. Many won’t use your services without it. Local authorities usually ask for a minimum cover level of £5 million before you can tender for work. So without public liability insurance, you may find it difficult to keep your business running.

• Difficult to get subcontractor work. Contractors normally insist you have public liability insurance before hiring you. Without it, you could lose lucrative work.

When you compare carpenters and joiners insurance quotes with us, it’ll help to have a few details to hand, including:

• Your business details and how many people you employ

• The value of your workshop and tools

• How much cover you want.