Contractor insurance

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Professional indemnity insurance for contractors UK
Professional indemnity insurance for contractors UK
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Pay monthly
The problem

Contractors face many risks

Accusations of making a professional mistake

A mistake can lead to loss of earnings, extra costs to put things right or damaged reputation. If a client believes your work is the cause, they may take legal action against you.

Blame for causing a financial loss

A legal action against you could end up in a financial compensation. Without adequate insurance protection, everything you own could be on the line.

Contract disputes

Unmet or poorly defined expectations are a common cause of contract disputes, often resulting in extra unpaid work or an unpaid invoice.

Damage to your business equipment

If you rely on your business equipment to deliver your work, you may wish to consider insurance protection to help with the cost of replacement or repair.

Insurance for consultants UK

You need business insurance for contractors that effectively protects you from accusations of wrongdoing

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Self-employed insurance done fast, clear and upfront.

Contractors professional indemnity insurance
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More flexible

Make changes instantly, easily and for free.

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No extra fees

We give you one price, no APR or hidden extras.

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Go retroactive

Include retroactive cover to insure previous work.

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Holiday mode

Pay less when not working by hibernating your PI cover.

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Be confident knowing your cover is backed by trusted UK insurers.

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UK support

Get help when you need it from our Bristol based team.

Covers to consider

How much does contractor insurance cost?

Choosing the right insurance for you depends on the size and nature of your business. Key insurance covers contractors should consider include:

Self employed professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity

from £7.41 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £8.63 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Self employed public liability insurance.
Public liability

from +£4.76 per month

Protects your business against claims of causing an accidental injury or property damage to either your clients or a third party.

Up to £2,000,000 cover including products liability

No excess

Expert legal team

A+ specialist insurers

Covers claims against your client caused by your business

Business equipment insurance.
Electronic business equipment

from +£9.24 per month

Pays for repair or replacement if your portable electronic equipment (and accessories) get damaged or lost.

Equipment up to £10,000 cover (£3,500 per item)

Accessories are included (£500 per item)

Hired equipment is covered

Worldwide - your devices are covered anywhere you are

Personal accident insurance.
Business owner protect

from +£10.07 per month

Reimburses your taxable business expenses while you’re recovering from a serious illness or injury.

Up to £2,000 a month

Up to 6 months following the first 30 days of illness

Any tax deductible expenses included

Receive a lump sump payout if you suffer an accident leaving you with partial or total disablement:

£5,000 lump sum

Fast customer service

Quick payout

Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
What people say
2 March
Extremely impressed

Extremely impressed with the professional and supportive service I received.

Kellie Williams
on Google
16 February
Very efficient

After shopping around for business liability cover, I found suited, I had a few questions and Jana from suited was very efficient...

Chezza
on Trustpilot
14 February
Great!

The website is easy to use and the process is intuitive, clear and easy to follow.

Matt M
on Trustpilot
11 February

I was recommended Suited, because I’d been stalling. Simple to use website, offered clear, concise information and selection...

Mokolada
on Trustpilot
12 December

Really fantastic service by the suited insure team! Always found the insurance side to be a bit confusing but the team took me...

Michael Ryan
on Google
15 September

A simple and flexible service for what I required. Great communication from start to finish.

Matthew Allen
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1 August

I was looking for business insurance this easy to use and very well explained web site made the process simple and painless. Had a quote...

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on Trustpilot
Legal Expenses
Included as standard

With every policy subscription we also include Business Legal Protect. This means from the moment you sign up you gain immediate access to extra support services.

Commercial legal expenses insurance.
Business legal protect

Cover of £100,000 commercial legal expenses included with your policy subscription.

Protects you and your business against a range of issues not typically covered by professional indemnity or public liability.

IR35 & HMRC investigations

Legal matters concerning your business

Negative PR (£25,000 cover)

Criminal prosecution

Compliance & regulation issues

Unpaid invoices (over £200)

Also includes free telephone advice & help from qualified professionals.

Tax and commercial legal advice

Counselling for you and your staff

Access to a legal template library

Identity theft assistance

Included
In detail

Professional indemnity insurance for contractors

If your clients pay you to use your skills and expertise to solve a problem for them, you are likely to need professional indemnity insurance.

It will provide legal defence paid for by the insurers if you find yourself facing a client accusing you of a costly mistake. And if it comes to it and you’re asked to pay compensation, contractor professional indemnity insurance will cover it.

Contractors usually worry about the latter but it is in fact the legal costs and the related stress that take the biggest toll. The going back and forth between the parties takes time and with that a fair bit of money. There may never be compensation to pay but there always is a hefty legal bill at the end of every legal dispute. Make sure your contractor professional indemnity insurance provides good legal defence cover.

Why do contractors need professional indemnity insurance?

This cover is often required by a client contract and as a result bought to tick a box without understanding its true benefits. It’s therefore unsurprising that many search for “cheap professional indemnity insurance for contractors” as opposed to contractor indemnity insurance that will actually make a difference if things at work don’t go as planned.

It is true that scenarios when a contractor is accused of wrongdoing are rare but those who have experienced it can attest to the immense relief of having independent contractor insurance in place. Without it, all the legal costs and subsequent compensation would have been theirs to pay.

Do I need professional indemnity insurance as a contractor?

Often contractors believe that just because they work under a senior management within a client’s company, they are not at risk. This is no doubt what a junior KPMG auditor thought when participating in the audit of UK outsourcer Carillion. And yet some months later he found himself facing a threat from being banned as an accountant for life and a fine of £50,000.

We don’t know whether this junior auditor was a contractor but the moral of the story is that an accusation of wrongdoing can happen to you at any point in your career. And as an independent contractor you are a lot more exposed.

Public liability insurance for contractors

If during the course of your work you deal with clients, their property or third parties, you may wish to consider public liability insurance as a way of protecting yourself against accusations of causing an injury or property damage.

Public liability cover will deal with the defence of such a claim as well as pay any compensation if it becomes due. The more your work is exposed to third parties, the more likely you are to face a claim of this nature. Public liability claims are a lot more common than those covered by professional indemnity.

When do contractors need public liability insurance?

Public liability claim scenarios vary a great deal and often depend on the type of profession.

For example:

  • A tradesman might be accused of causing a slip and fall accident if the tools they left on the floor are the cause.
  • A builder dropping a brick on the neighbours’ conservatory will be asked to pay for the damage to the property.
  • A food stall operator contracted to provide refreshments for an event may be accused of food poisoning resulting from contaminated food.
  • A property consultant can face claims of damage to or theft from a property if something happens on their watch..
  • A contractor using own equipment or machinery may be accused of causing an accident by poor equipment maintenance.
  • Causing an accidental injury to a member of the public can happen to anyone anytime.

It is important to consider your own work settings when deciding whether contractor public liability insurance is for you. Your profession and claim history will be determining cost factors but remember that even a small policy limit is better than not having it at all.

What other insurance do I need as a contractor?

Contractor insurance consists of several elements, depending on the nature of your profession and the extent of your work.

All contractors face some liability risks when working independently and there are several insurance products to help with legal defence and costs of compensation if as a contractor you end up facing a legal claim.

Some contractors may also need to consider protecting their business equipment against physical loss and damage and the same applies to their health. If an illness or injury can stop you from earning then adding a health insurance product to your backup plan might be essential.

And sometimes there are contractual obligations. Even when you feel there is no need to protect your liabilities, you may find that the client contract you have signed stipulates certain insurance requirements.

Tools and business equipment insurance

As an independent contractor you are likely to be relying on your own business equipment to deliver work. The cost of repair or replacement may not be something you could afford easily. The right insurance can help with any unforeseen repair or replacement costs.

Income protection insurance for contractors

When a critical illness strikes, your ability to earn comes to a halt. Income protection insurance is there to provide a financial lifeline for several months until you get well enough to get back to work.

Income protection insurance is usually based on your average monthly earnings and it will pay about 80% of your monthly income if you become critically ill. Coverage varies from provider to provider and it’s very important that your read the conditions.

Also remember that if the cost of covering your monthly earrings seems too high, you can always opt for a lower limit. Perhaps just enough to cover the absolute essentials - mortgage or rent, utilities, etc..

Personal accident insurance

This is particularly useful insurance to those in riskier areas of work such as construction.

A serious accident might mean that going back to the same profession is no longer an option. Personal accident cover provides a one off quick payment to bridge over the worst.

It is usually a very inexpensive cover, costing monthly less than a cup of coffee. The cost will depend on what you do and how much cover you need.

Life and relevant life insurance for contractors

If you are contracting, you are not receiving any employee benefits. Therefore protecting your loved ones against the worse is that much more critical.

As much as none of us want to think about the end, it’s often a load of your mind once you go through the process and secure a life insurance policy that is designed to provide for your family.

There are many ways of protecting against that kind life changing situation - key person insurance, relevant life insurance and others. The one that is most suitable to you will depend on your professional and personal circumstances. It often helps to take advice from a specialist life insurance provider.

In this section
FAQs

Common questions

What is contractor insurance?

Contractor insurance consists of several covers designed to protect the liabilities, life, health and physical assets of a contractor.

When do contractors need insurance?

The first motivation is usually a contract condition which stipulates the type of insurance that is required under the contract. Other times experienced contractors are aware of the risks of their profession and will seek specific insurances to protect themselves.

Do contractors need employers’ liability insurance?

If you work alone, you don’t need this cover. However, if you use volunteers, contractors or have friends and family helping out, check your obligations.

Where can I buy the best insurance for independent contractors?

You will have to shop around and keep your circumstances in mind, i.e. if you’re very specialised, you may need a provider who really understands your profession. But keeping an eye on costs, hidden charges and flexibility is also important.

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If your plans change

No problem, Suited uses a simple subscription model making it easy to walk away.

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14 day promise *

If you call to cancel within the first 2 weeks we’ll give you a full refund.

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Easy to cancel

No longer need us? Cancel anytime, no more to pay.

* 14 day promise is not available online, please speak to a member of staff. Not available if you have reported a claim.

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