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Self-Employed Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance for the self-employed for less than £55 per year

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Excellent 4.7 out of 5

Tradesman Saver’s Self-Employed Public Liability Insurance


Our standard cover is:

  • £1 million cover for public and products liability (with an option to increase to £2 million, £5 million or £10 million)
  • £10,000 cover for any financial loss (£50K cover optional)
  • Worldwide liability cover for temporary work abroad for up to 14 days (excluding the USA and Canada)

Self-employed public liability insurance helps to keep your business safe in the event of causing injury or property damage to a third party. What’s more, Tradesman Saver’s self-employed insurance package will give you all the cover you need as your own boss, including financial loss, products liability and legal expenses insurance. As such, you can do your job with a greater peace of mind, safe in the knowledge your livelihood is safeguarded in the event of any accidents. 

Why do you need self-employed public liability insurance?

Although being self-employed offers a number of benefits, from being your own boss to a better work-life balance, it’s important to remember that things can unfortunately go wrong. But with a comprehensive self-employed insurance policy, you’re much better placed to deal with any issues that arise. 

All in all, this lets you get on with the job without worrying that one misstep will put your business in the mire, while also making you more appealing to prospective clients. People and businesses will see that you take your safety seriously and are trustworthy as a result.

Here at Tradesman Saver, we offer low-cost self-employed liability insurance so that everyone can afford the cover they need. To create a tailor-made policy today, fill out our online form at your closest convenience.

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Why choose Tradesman Saver self-employed public liability insurance?

Save £££ on your insurance Save on your insurance

Customers are always telling us how much they saved by switching

Trusted for over 40 years Trusted for over 40 years

We’ve been providing insurance to businesses since 1984

Financial Strength Financial Strength

All insurance policies provided by Standard & Poor’s A rated insurers

Defaqto 5 Star rated

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.

Understanding public liability insurance for the self-employed

When shopping around for self-employed insurance, you’re likely to come across the term ‘public liability cover’ more than once, and for good reason. This underpins any insurance policy and covers injury or property damage to third parties, therefore safeguarding you when a customer or member of the public makes a claim against you. Among the situations it covers you in includes:

  • Fire damage to a property after failing to rewire a fuse box properly 
  • Injury to a member of the public after they slip on a wet floor you created and you failed to put up a sign
  • Damage to both a client’s and their neighbour’s properties due to faulty plumbing work

Why do you need public liability insurance as a self-employed tradesman?

Being a self-employed tradesman is a particularly precarious position, as the buck stops with you and you only. As such, it’s crucial you do everything possible to keep your livelihood protected, which is exactly what public liability insurance helps you to achieve.

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How our self-employed public liability insurance works

1 Apply online

Complete our simple quote form with basic details about your business.

2 Get quotes

Compare quotes from our panel of insurers & chose any optional covers you may need.

3 You’re insured!

Choose the quote that’s right for you, activate your policy and view your certificates online.

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builder apprentice carrying timber on site
From only£55per year

How much does self-employed public liability insurance cost?

If you are self-employed the cost of your public liability insurance will depend on a number of different factors.  The most important factor will be your trade.  Almost all trades can work on a self-employed basis but the price you pay will depend on the type of job you do.  For example, a self-employed plumber will pay more for public liability insurance than a self-employed builder or caterer as the risk of a large claim occurring is greater.  As well as your trade, how long you have been in business and whether you have had any previous claims will also affect the cost of your insurance.

Our Tradesman Saver public liability policy for the self-employed includes additional covers as standard, including legal expenses, financial loss and accidental death cover. You will get some of the widest covers available at a price you’ll find hard to beat!

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Self-Employed Public Liability insurance quote examples

Tradesman Saver - A Trades Insurance Company £54.88 / year

A self-employed bricklayer working on domestic and small commercial properties less than 10 metres in height

  • Sole Trader
  • New start-up. No previous experience
  • Based in Newcastle
  • No claims

Automatic Covers

  • Public Liability £1,000,000
  • Financial Loss £10,000
  • Products Liability £1,000,000
  • Legal Expenses £250,000
  • Accidental Death £10,000

Optional Covers

  • Business Contents Not Insured
  • Personal Accident Not Insured
  • Employers Liability Not Insured
  • Tools / Equipment Not Insured
  • Contract Works Not Insured
  • Professional Indemnity Not Insured
Tradesman Saver - A Trades Insurance Company £38.14 / month £423.36 / year

A self-employed caterer

  • Sole trader
  • 5 years experience
  • Based in Surrey
  • No claims

Automatic Covers

  • Public Liability £5,000,000
  • Financial Loss £10,000
  • Products Liability £5,000,000
  • Legal Expenses £250,000
  • Accidental Death £10,000

Optional Covers

  • Business Contents £10,000
  • Personal Accident £50,000
  • Employers Liability Not Insured
  • Tools / Equipment £10,000
  • Contract Works Not Insured
  • Professional Indemnity £50,000

The above quote examples were taken from our online system on 06/11/25 and include insurance premium tax but exclude our £10 admin charge.  These are real quotes but your own personal quote will vary dependent upon your circumstances and the level of cover you require.

What is the excess under a self-employed public liability insurance policy?

When you consider insurance of any kind, it’s important to know about “excess”. Essentially, this is what you’ll pay out of pocket before the insurance begins to cover the rest of your claim. You can often decide how much you want your excess to be.

Typically, the higher your excess, your actual policy cost will be lower. However, it’s important you find the right balance for you and your business.

Detailed in the table are the standard excesses under a Tradesman Saver policy but you should check your own quotation to see exactly what excesses apply to your policy as these may vary dependent upon the type of work you do.

Insurance cover Excess
Public Liability £250
Products Liability £250
Employers Liability No Excess
Financial Loss 10% of claim value(£2,500 minimum)
Professional Indemnity 10% of claim value(£2,500 minimum)
Contract Works £250(£500 Theft/Malicious Damage)
Tools / Equipment £100(£250 Unattended vehicle)
Legal Expenses No Excess

Chosen by over 5000 businesses and counting*

Chosen by over 18761 businesses and counting

Online & Anywhere

We like to keep things simple. Your quote, purchase and documents are all available online, anytime.

Monthly Instalments

Cashflow is important to every business. Spread the cost by paying in easy monthly instalments.

Instant Cover

No need to wait for your documents. Our tradesman cover starts from the date you select.

Added Protection

Public liability, products liability, financial loss, legal expenses and accidental death cover as standard.

* Total number of live policies as of 31/10/2025

FAQs

Self-Employed Public Liability Insurance FAQs

You’re not legally required to have public liability insurance, but odds are you’ll need it. Not only will it keep your business from going under in the event of an incident, but will help you attract clients.

The amount of self-employed public liability insurance you need depends on aspects like how dangerous your jobs are, how expensive your contracts are, and how much your equipment costs. We can help you work this out if you’re unsure.

To make a claim on your self-employed public liability insurance policy, just get in touch with us or your provider directly to tell us what has happened. Before you do though, check that you’re within the time limits for making a claim and that your policy covers what you’re claiming for. You should also see what the excess is so you’re aware of how much you’re paying towards the claim.

The main information you’ll need to give when securing a self-employed public liability insurance quote includes your name, address and the type of work you typically do. From there, we can typically provide a quote which is significantly lower than you’re likely to find on insurance comparison sites. 

Every Tradesman Saver includes public liability cover as standard. In addition to self-employed public liability, you’re also protected against legal expenses, financial loss, accidental death, and products liability. For more information on each of these automatic covers, please consult the dedicated section above.

Depending on the industry you’re in, you may benefit from a range of different insurance policies. Business insurance is quite a broad term, and can include cover for things like employers’ liability, professional indemnity and property damage. In some cases, it can be worth making sure that your public liability insurance cover also includes things like professional indemnity insurance cover, employers liability insurance where applicable, and even business equipment cover.

Finding the right insurance cover for you can be tricky. Fortunately, the team at Tradesman Saver has worked to make it as simple as possible for any self employed professional in the UK. Self employed insurance needn’t be confusing – simply apply with Tradesman Saver, and we may be able to provide comprehensive coverage to protect you on-site.

Professional indemnity insurance is an insurance product which protects professionals and businesses from claims made against them for mistakes or negligence in the course of their work. In particular, it can provide cover for legal costs related to defending a claim, as well as any settlement awarded if found liable. 

Professional indemnity insurance is normally required by employers, or the self-employed, operating within certain industries or professions, such as accounting, architecture, engineering and IT.

Self employed insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK. However, it is advisable to have some form of cover in place if you’re operating as self employed, or even running a small business. Depending on your industry and where you work, certain insurance policies may be compulsory – so make sure to check before starting any job. Protecting yourself, your client and the general public is extremely important, not just for your reputation and safety, but also for your livelihood. If a client claims against you, or a member of the general public makes a claim and you don’t have the right insurance cover in place, you could be vulnerable to extremely costly legal fees.

The cost of your self employed insurance depends on a range of different factors, including your history and the type of tradesperson you are. The cost can also be influenced by the kinds of coverage you require – for example, professional indemnity cover, public liability insurance cover and tools and equipment cover will typically cost more than just public liability insurance. Self employed people across the UK need to pay different amounts for their business insurance policies depending on their daily risks, and the risk they pose to those around them.

However, here at Tradesman Saver, we’re dedicated to keeping insurance costs as low as possible for all self employed professionals we cover. For an accurate quote on how much you could expect to pay for insurance as a self employed person in the UK, apply with Tradesman Saver today.

Yes, it will. The purpose of public liability or professional indemnity insurance for self-employed tradespeople is to protect yourself, your clients and the general public around you. When you’re protected by the right insurance, you have a safety net around you, protecting your business and livelihood, in addition to being able to provide compensation pay outs to anyone injured as a result of your work.

Yes, we can! One thing that often causes confusion amongst tradespeople in the UK is exactly what kind of insurance cover they need. Here at Tradesman Saver, we can provide a diverse range of insurance covers, from personal accident cover to employers liability insurance, general liability and professional indemnity covers. Whatever kind of cover you need, excluding vehicle insurance, we aim to be the one stop shop for all your self-employed insurance needs!

Who We Cover

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Contractors liability insurance, starting at less than £55 per year

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