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Handyman Insurance Requirements - How to protect your business

Handyman insurance for tradesman

By Dean LamingPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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As a handyman, you are an important part of every household and businesses daily life or operations. You provide a service that is constantly in demand, but it comes with it's fair share of risks. Handyman insurance is relatively straightforward with most policies including public liability insurance, equipment insurance and professional indemnity insurance.

Public Liability Insurance

Handyman insurance incorporates the most common and most needed insurance policies under one plan, enabling you to pay one premium for complete cover. Public liability insurance is essential for any business person that deals with members of the public on a regular basis.

As a handyman you will be working in private homes and business properties, providing a range of handyman services. This type of cover protects you should a member of the public be injured due to your workmanship or if you cause damage to the property.

Even if you take every precaution to ensure that health and safety protocols are followed, accidents do happen. All you need is for your client to trip over a dust sheet you have down while painting and you can be faced with a claim for medical expenses and loss of income. If you drop some paint and it causes damage to the clients furniture or original hardwood floors, then again, you may be faced with a claim.

Without having public liability as part of your Handyman insurance policy, you could find yourself having to personally cover these claims, along with any legal costs if it goes to court. This type of insurance covers repairs and replacement costs, compensation, legal fees and medical bills.

Equipment Cover

As a handyman you rely on equipment and tools to carry out any projects at your clients properties. These items have probably cost you a good amount of money over the years. Handymen are usually jacks of all trades, and therefore you probably have a lot of equipment and tools that you rely on to completely projects in a professional and timely manner.

As a result, you are going to want to protect these items against damage and theft. If they are lost, stolen or damaged on site, replacement costs can be steep. You could even lose a client if you don't have the tools on hand right there and then to complete the job.

You can also cover any equipment and tools while they are being transported from one job to the next. Having equipment stolen out of the back of vehicles while at a clients property is not unheard of and could cost you greatly in the long run.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Professional indemnity insurance is another of the essential covers to have in place under your Handyman insurance. This protects you against faulty workmanship. Even if you take every care to complete each project to perfection, there can be times where things go wrong and the client feels that you didn't provide the service you charged for.

Professional indemnity claims can be very high and you are often facing legal costs, court costs and compensation for damages, if you are found to be at fault. Faulty workmanship claims take up your valuable time and you can loose a lot of money as a result.

Employers Liability Insurance

If you work by yourself and you are the only one that carries out work, you don't have full or part time employees and you never hire a temporary team member to assist you, then you will not need this cover. Employers Liability insurance is a legal requirement in the United Kingdom as soon as you hire one or more employees, these can be full or part time employees, sub contractors, seasonal workers and temporary workers.

The penalties for non-compliance is exceptionally high. This type of cover protects you should an employee be injured, die or fall ill due to work they carry out for you. This can be anything from a fall from a height, injuring their back to asbestos poisoning.

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About the Creator

Dean Laming

I'm managing director of Tradesman Saver. I'm here to explain the importance of insurance for tradesmam.

Tradesman Saver provides cost effective insurance solutions for self-employed tradesmen, professionals and small businesses.

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