A brief guide to carpenter insurance

Do carpenters need insurance?

As anyone with an interest in woodwork knows, working as a carpenter involves using potentially dangerous tools and equipment.

This can range from handling saws and chisels, all the way to hammers and planes. As a result, the potential for serious accidents and accidental damage to customer property is very real.

If you do damage a customer’s property, or you suffer injuries, you will be financially responsible if you lack carpenter’s insurance.

So, if you are planning on working as a carpenter, you need to consider what level of insurance you require.

Whether that’s protection against chips to woodwork, accidents caused by tools, or loss or damage to your assets.

What are the different types of insurance for carpenters?

There’s a lot to choose from when looking at types of insurance for carpenters. And you’ll need to be aware of your personal and company needs before choosing your level of coverage.

Therefore, the most appropriate insurance policy for you will depend on the type of carpentry work you carry out.

However, as a general rule of thumb, you should always consider the following areas for carpenter insurance:

• Carpenters’ public liability insurance
• Employers’ liability insurance
• Tools and equipment cover
• Personal accident insurance
• Professional indemnity insurance

It should go without saying that you need to look at all these areas before you agree to any cover.

But once you have selected your insurance options, your provider can create a bespoke carpenter’s insurance policy for you.

You should never turn down a customised carpenter’s insurance policy. It will ensure that you only pay for the cover that you want and may include protection against niche claims.

What does insurance for carpenters cover?

As the accidents and mishaps involved in carpentry can be quite varied, so too is the coverage involved.

That’s why you need to make sure you choose an insurance policy that covers all areas of your work.

Based on this point, here are some scenarios you may want to protect against when working as a carpenter:

• Customer property damage when installing kitchen units. Having carpenters’ public liability insurance will help you cover the costs of any repair work.
• Loss of theft of your tools and vehicle. Reliable motor insurance or equipment insurance will provide the necessary cover for replacing them
• If a member of the public is injured because of your carpentry work. Picking up public liability insurance will give you essential cover against any claims they make
• One of your employees suffers an injury while working. You will need employers’ liability insurance in place to provide for their recovery
• A client decides that you failed to follow specific health and safety guidelines at work. By having professional indemnity insurance, you can protect against associated legal fees
• You accidentally injure yourself while working. With personal accident insurance in place, you’ll have a source of income to protect your business until you recover

As a side note, it may also be worth considering additional premium cover when working on high-end renovation projects.

That way, if the worst does happen, you’ll mitigate any losses.

We could also go into much greater detail with regard to what each level of insurance covers. But you can read all about that in our article on finding the right tradesperson insurance.

How much does carpenters’ insurance cost?

As we’ve already mentioned, the cost of carpenter’s insurance will depend on various factors.

So, when looking at what you might need in your insurance policy, you should consider the following areas:

• What level of cover do you require?
• Do you work mainly on domestic or commercial carpentry projects?
• How much work do you do in a year?
• Do you employ any staff, and if so, how many?
• Where do you work? (homes, construction sites, offices, etc…)
• Whether or not you’ve made any previous insurance claims?
• What type of carpentry do (building furniture, installing cupboards, etc…)

And once you’ve looked into all these areas, you should examine the various quotes on offer for you. That way, you can pick the best one for your business.

Naturally, knowing what your potential income might be can also help with this.

Take a look at our article on how much carpenters earn for more details on this area.

Is it mandatory to have carpenters’ insurance?

Regardless of what carpentry you perform, Carpenter insurance is always mandatory.

This sort of work can be dangerous to yourself and those nearby, even when wearing the correct PPE. You simply can’t guarantee safety at all times.

On top of this, certain insurance is mandatory on its own, no matter the trade you’re working in.

• Anyone who has employees must also legally have employers’ liability insurance as well
• There are other benefits to carpenter insurance besides financial cover
• Working as a fully insured carpenter shows your customers that they are working with a professional company

This will help you to win repeat business and attract new customers, helping your carpentry company to grow.

Save money on your carpenters’ insurance with Checkatrade

Ready to get your carpentry business insured? You should have everything you need to get started, as well as great discounts if you sign-up with Checkatrade.

Once you’ve been through our 12-point vetting process, you get instant access to a wide range of benefits and savings.

And Checkatrade members even get 20% off public liability insurance through our partners. Log in to our Member’s Area to see the latest deals!

Carpenter insurance FAQs

What insurance do I need as a self-employed carpenter?

As we’ve already mentioned, carpentry insurance is mandatory for anyone working in this field. That means, as a self-employed carpenter, you must have some form of carpentry insurance.

How do I start a carpentry business?

It’s never easy to start any trade company, least of all a carpentry business. However, if you think you’re up to the challenge, take a look at our article on starting a carpentry business.

It covers all the information you need to know to get started. You can also look at our piece on carpentry tools as well for an idea of what tools to buy.