At a glance
Multi-van insurance allows you to cover multiple vans under one policy with one renewal date.
You can find multi-van cover for private and commercial use.
You may be able to cover different types of vehicles – for example cars and vans – on the same policy.
You can often tailor the cover level, excess and add-ons for each van on the policy.
What is multi-van insurance?
Multi-van insurance – sometimes known as fleet cover – lets you insure several vehicles under one policy with a single renewal date, instead of taking out individual policies for each van.
The number of vehicles you can cover under one policy can vary between insurance providers.
You can’t currently compare multi-van policies with Compare the Market.
What level of cover can I get with multi-van insurance?
The levels of cover you can choose from are the same as with individual van insurance:
Third-party only – the legal minimum level of cover. This can pay out if you injure someone or damage their vehicle.
Third-party, fire and theft – offers the same cover as third-party, plus cover if your van is damaged or destroyed by fire.
Comprehensive – the highest level of cover. Includes third-party, fire and theft, plus cover for your own van in an accident.
Who needs multi-van insurance?
Although multi-van insurance can be useful for businesses with a fleet of vehicles, it could also be handy for private use too.
For example, if you have different vans for sports and leisure activities like camping, fishing and surfing. Anyone can take out multi-van insurance, as long as it’s for more than one van.
How many vans can I insure on a multi-van policy?
The minimum and maximum number of vans you can insure under one policy varies between insurance providers but can range from two or three vans up to hundreds.
Will a multi-van insurance policy be cheaper?
Buying a multi-van policy could work out cheaper than insuring each vehicle on a separate policy because you’re effectively buying in bulk.
But the cost of your premium also depends on the types of vans you want to cover and the insurance groups each one is in.
Smaller, lighter vans will typically fall into the lower groups and tend to be cheaper to insure.
Heavier, more powerful and expensive vans are typically in the higher groups and can cost more to insure.
Insurance providers also look at who’s going to be driving the vans on a multi-van policy when calculating your premium. For instance, adding a younger driver could bump up your costs because they’re considered to be higher risk.
It’s not only about money though: having just one insurance provider to deal with and one renewal date to remember can make your admin easier to manage.
What type of cover do I need?
Your insurance will need to cover how you use your van. There are four classes of use:
Social – if you have vans that are purely used for leisure activities, like camping or carrying surfing gear, insuring them for social use could help bring the premium cost down.
Social and commuting – some providers offer social and commuting options if you use your vans for travelling to work as well as for leisure.
Own goods – for vans used for carrying your own tools and equipment.
Haulage – for vans used to carry someone else’s goods, for example: courier deliveries or furniture removals.
Some multi-van policies allow you to cover a mixture of vans for both commercial and leisure use.
What type of vans can be included on a multi-van policy?
Most insurance providers let you cover a variety of vans under one policy. For example:
Single and double cab vans
Light vans
Top tip
If you change your vehicles from time to time, don’t forget to update your policy details, or your cover could be invalidated.
Can cars be included under the same policy?
If you’re opting for multi-van insurance, you may be able to add cars to the same policy, for example, your company cars.
Can anyone drive on a multi-van insurance policy?
Some multi-van policies can be arranged on an any driver basis, which means any driver can drive any vehicle from your fleet of vans.
‘Any driver’ cover can give you more flexibility and smoother administration because you won’t need to add or remove people from the list, but it tends to be more expensive.
That’s because an insurance provider has less information about who’ll be driving, which is a riskier proposition from their perspective.
Just be aware that ‘any driver’ policies may have age-limit restrictions. Some insurance providers won’t cover drivers under 21 or under 25, and the same can apply for other ages – such as drivers over 70, for example.
Drivers may also have to have a clean licence.
You may need to give the insurer provider the names of the prospective drivers, but you might be able to find a policy where that isn’t necessary.
What should I consider when buying multi-van insurance?
The drivers
Insuring young, inexperienced drivers, or drivers with convictions, could push up your premium.
The type of vans
Van insurance groups range from 1-50. Groups 1-20 apply to vans registered before 2016, and groups 21-50 apply to newer vans. Typically vans in the lower groups (for their age group) should cost less to insure. If you have different types of vans in your fleet, compare individual policies for more costly and powerful vehicles to see if it’s cheaper than adding them to a multi-van policy.
Excess and extras
Some policies let you choose different cover levels, voluntary excesses and add-ons for each vehicle. So, for example, you might want breakdown cover for all of your fleet, and added European cover for vans that regularly head abroad.
Compare van insurance
Comparing policies from a wide range of providers is a great way to find a competitive premium.
It’s always a good idea to weigh up your options and compare individual policies with multi-policies to see which ones offer better value for money.
Although we don’t compare multi-policies, we can help you find a range of individual van insurance quotes for both personal and commercial use.
Compare today and see what options are available to help you find the right van insurance for your needs.
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With more than eight years’ experience in writing and sub-editing content, Karen started her career in fashion before making the move to insurance. She now specialises in producing clear, engaging content that helps people make better financial decisions.
Karen’s areas of expertise include insurance products, such as car insurance, travel insurance and life insurance, as well as utilities such as energy comparison.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
Amy helps make sure you get the best value when choosing insurance. Thanks to more than four years’ experience at Compare the Market, she understands what people look for, working closely with insurance providers to offer you deals and services that are fair, easy to understand and right for your needs.
Our content is written by a Compare the Market expert, backed by data and enhanced by technology. Find out how we ensure accuracy and quality in our Editorial Guidelines.
