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Public liability insurance, along with other types of business insurance, can be essential if you’re a self-employed plasterer or run a small business. We take a look at what you might need.
As a self-employed plasterer or small business owner, insurance can help protect you against financial loss if things go wrong on a job.
Plasterers’ insurance can include various types of cover, such as public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance, as part of a business insurance package.
Employers’ liability insurance could cover you if one of your employees becomes ill or is injured as a result of working for you. If you employ one or more people or are a limited company with multiple directors, it's a legal requirement to have cover. If you're not a limited company, it's not a legal requirement to have employers' liability insurance if the employees are immediate family members, though if a policy is in place it would still cover immediate family members working for you.
Any profession where you’re going into people’s houses and making changes exposes you to risk. The houses you work in may be full of valuable or precious items. If something goes wrong you could be held accountable.
Public liability insurance is designed to financially protect you against injury or damages claims. For example, if a collapsing wall injures a customer, or one of your team damages a client’s property, that client might claim thousands in compensation.
Public liability cover isn’t a legal requirement, but it could protect you from hefty legal bills and compensation costs.
How much you pay for your plasterers insurance can depend on many things, such as:
The level of cover you choose | The size of your excess | The size of your business, and the type of buildings you work on |
When you start a plasterers insurance quote, it’ll help if you have the following information to hand:
the value of your tools and other work gear
what level of cover you’re after
details of your last insurance claim
Explore articles on protecting your business, employees and day-to-day operations
You can face a fine of £2,500 for every day that you’re not properly insured. And if you don’t hand over your insurance certificate when inspectors ask to see it, you could be fined a further £1,000.
Your insurance should cover you for at least £5 million, and needs to come from an authorised insurance provider.
If you're a self-employed plasterer, there are a range of options worth considering that are designed to protect your income or business:
Imagine you’re plastering an extension, and halfway through the job an accidental fire destroys the house.
A contract works insurance policy can insure the new walls, as well as any materials and fittings. Contract works insurance can also cover you in the event of a flood, storm or an act of vandalism. Without it, you might find you’ve done weeks of work for which you won’t get paid.
Your plastering tools are essential for your work. Business tools insurance can cover them against loss or damage. And if you use your van to transport your tools, it’s worth making sure your commercial van insurance has an add-on that covers your tools against accidental damage or theft. If you have a business premises, commercial property insurance can help protect it, and you can also get insurance for your business contents. Home office insurance may be necessary if your business’s admin is run from home. Business interruption insurance could help compensate you for loss of profits if, for some unforeseen reason, your business is unable to operate. However, interruptions to your business because of coronavirus probably won’t be covered.
The good news is that getting a plasterers insurance quote couldn't be easier. All you need to do is tell us a bit about yourself and your business. Then we’ll sift through the available policies to find the best deals for you.
Exactly what your plasterers insurance will and won’t cover will depend on the policy you go for. But typically, your insurance provider is likely to refuse to pay out for:
deliberate acts resulting in injury or illness
injuries that occur while you’re travelling
employees who are working off-shore
But it’s worth remembering that policies differ hugely, so it’s important to read carefully the terms and conditions of yours.
1 Based on the % of respondents reporting Compare the Market is their preferred brand in the last 12 months vs. other leading PCWs. Source: Savanta BrandVue Financial Services, National Representative Survey of 12,257 respondents (June 2026)
What our expert says...
“As with most construction jobs, plastering can be a risky business. But with comprehensive insurance in place, you won’t need to worry about unexpected eventualities.”