Covering everything from tools to construction plant – hired in or owned
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Hired in plant insurance covers machinery you hire from plant hire companies, such as a JCB or digger, if it’s stolen or damaged while you’re responsible for it under the hire agreement. Owned plant insurance does the same for machinery your business owns. If you rely on plant for your work, a single theft or accident can leave you paying for the repair or replacement and the hire charges on top.
Plant cover isn’t sold as a standalone policy. You add it to a Tradesman Saver policy, such as our builders insurance, alongside cover for your contract works. The main risks it protects against are:
Every policy also includes public liability insurance, so if your plant causes injury or property damage to a third party, you’re protected. Products liability, financial loss, legal expenses of up to £250,000 and accidental death cover come as standard too. You can also add other optional covers, such as contractors’ all risks, professional indemnity and wider tools and equipment insurance.
Please note that plant insurance is an optional cover that you add to your policy alongside cover for your contract works.
Plant insurance is a type of business insurance that covers the plant and machinery you use for work, from excavators and bulldozers to cranes and generators. It covers theft, accidental damage, and loss or damage caused by fire, flood, storms and other perils.
With Tradesman Saver, cover starts from the date you choose. You can insure up to £75,000 of owned plant and up to £50,000 of hired-in plant for any one item. If you need more than that, get in touch and we can arrange to increase it.
There are two main types of plant cover:
We offer both, so your policy can cover plant you own, plant you hire in for specific jobs, or a mix of the two.
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Trusted for over 40 years We’ve been providing insurance to businesses since 1984
Financial Strength All insurance policies provided by Standard & Poor’s A rated insurers
Our Tradesman Saver Insurance (Covea) has been independently rated 5 Stars by Defaqto – the highest possible rating, awarded to excellent products with a comprehensive range of features and benefits.
Complete our simple quote form with basic details about your business.
Compare quotes from our panel of insurers & chose any optional covers you may need.
Choose the quote that’s right for you, activate your policy and view your certificates online.
Your premium for plant insurance depends on:
Our liability insurance starts from less than £55 a year, and plant cover is added to that as an optional extra. You can get a quote online, or speak to our team if you’d like help working out the right level of cover.
* Total number of live policies as of 31/10/2025
We include plant insurance under our contract works optional cover. It includes:
- Contract works cover from £50,000 to £500,000
- All risks cover
- Construction plant, tools and equipment from £5,000 to £75,000
- Off-site storage
- Temporary buildings from £5,000 to £25,000
- Hired in plant up to £50,000 for any one item
- Hired in plant annual fees from £2,500 to £50,000
- Immobilised plant
- Plant cover includes JCBs and diggers
- Low-cost monthly instalments available
- Covered while in transit
- Continuing hire charges
Plant cover is designed for contractors who own or hire in machinery for their own work. Before you buy, check:
Your policy documents, including the IPID and policy wording, set out the full list of exclusions and limits.
Owned plant insurance covers plant and machinery that your business owns outright. Hired in plant insurance covers plant and machinery that you hire from another company and are responsible for under the hire agreement.
No. We offer plant cover as an add-on to a Tradesman Saver policy, alongside your contract works cover, rather than as a standalone policy. That way your public liability insurance, products liability and legal expenses cover sit on the same policy as your plant.
In some cases, yes. Short term plant hire insurance can be added to your policy if you only need hired-in plant cover for a particular job. Get in touch and we’ll check what we can arrange for the period you need.
Report it to the police and ask for a crime reference number. Then contact our claims team using our online claims form. We’ll liaise with insurers on your behalf and tell you what information you need to provide to get your claim moving.
Hired-in plant insurance covers hired-in plant against theft, but check your policy for any conditions that require minimum levels of security when the plant is on site. More expensive items of plant may need to be fitted with tracking devices, for instance.
Yes. If hired-in plant is damaged or stolen, you’ll usually have to keep paying the hire charges, even though you can’t use it. Your hired-in plant insurance covers those charges, up to a maximum of 90 days.
Yes. Construction plant is at risk in transit as well as on site, and hired-in plant insurance covers it whether it’s in transit or on site.
If you hire in plant and are responsible for it under the hire agreement, you should have hired in plant insurance in place. It protects you financially if the plant is stolen or damaged while in your care.
Some hirers offer a waiver, and many contractors rely on it rather than taking out their own insurance policies. But it isn’t always the best option, for two reasons.
First, the hirer’s waiver may only cover a limited range of risks, and may not cover accidental damage to the plant. Having your own insurance can give you more protection.
Second, it may be cheaper to insure hired-in plant yourself, particularly if you hire plant regularly. An annual policy that covers all the plant you hire during the year will usually work out cheaper than paying for a waiver each time you hire something.
It depends on the value of your plant, the nature of your work and how often you hire in machinery. Add up the replacement value of the plant you own and the most valuable item you’re likely to hire, and choose a limit that covers both without over-insuring. Our team can help you work it out.
Plant insurance isn’t a legal requirement in the UK. However, if you have employees, you must have employers’ liability insurance by law. Many main contractors also require their subcontractors to have adequate insurance, including plant cover, before allowing them on site.
Contact us as soon as possible through our claims form. We’ll guide you through the process, notify your insurer and tell you what information and documents are needed.
Tradesman Saver offers liability insurance from less than £55 a year, with five covers as standard: public liability, products liability, legal expenses, financial loss and accidental death. Add hired-in and owned plant cover alongside your contract works, choose the date your cover starts and manage everything online. Please check the policy wording and IPID for full details, including limits and exclusions.
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