Business insurance for tilers

A range of policies can protect your tiling business. You'll typically require public liability insurance and, if you employ anyone, employers' liability cover as a starting point.

However, depending on the size and type of tiling business you run, you may need or want to consider other types of cover. For example, you could look at:

• Commercial van insurance – you’ll need to be insured for business use if you’re using your van to travel to job sites and carry tools and materials

• Tools and equipment insurance – could cover the cost of replacing your tools if they’re stolen or damaged, allowing you to get back to work

• Business buildings insurance – to protect the bricks and mortar of any commercial property you own from damage caused by fire, storms and flooding

• Business contents insurance – to cover your workshop contents, including tools, equipment or stock, from theft and damage caused by fire, storms or flooding

• Home office insurance – if you run your tiling business from home, you’ll need to make sure you’re not invalidating your home insurance

• Business interruption insurance – this can help you recover lost profits if you’re unable to operate for an unexpected reason

• Professional indemnity insurance – this can protect your business if someone claims against you for giving poor professional advice

• Contract works insurance – offers financial protection for ongoing projects, so if there is damage before you’re finished, you can recover the money you’ve already put in.

Public liability insurance can protect your business if a member of the public or a customer sues you for injury - or for damage to their property caused by negligence.

Say, for example, you have tiled a bathroom floor and a customer slips on a loose tile, injuring themselves. The result could be an injury lawsuit, as well as a damages claim against you for lost earnings.

Without public liability cover, you’d need to find the money for legal fees and possibly compensation, which could be very expensive.

Do I need public liability cover as a tiler?

You’re not legally required to have public liability insurance, but it could give you peace of mind in terms of the financial protection it can provide for you and your business.  

Some customers may expect you to have public liability insurance before starting a job. You should be able to offset the cost when filing your tax return.

Employers’ liability insurance can 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. But if a policy is in place, it would still cover immediate family members working for you.

What happens if I don't have employers' liability insurance?

You can be fined £2,500 for every day you’re not properly insured. You’ll need at least £5 million worth of cover from an insurance provider that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Many providers offer cover up to £10 million as standard.  

You can also be fined £1,000 if you don’t display your certificate of employers’ liability insurance or fail to show it to an inspector if they ask.   

When you start a tilers insurance quote with us, we’ll ask you a few questions about you and your business, then use it to tailor quotes to suit you. It’s a good idea to have some basic information about your business ready to note down, including:

• How long your business has been trading and your turnover

• How many employees you have

• The value of your tools, business premises, etc

• The level of cover you need and any additional cover you want

• How long it’s been since you’ve made a claim.

Whether you’re a one-person operation or a big contracting firm, we have insurance providers that could offer you cover. If you'd like to speak to someone about your business needs, you can call 0333 016 5956 or request a callback.