Do I Need Painters and Decorators’ Insurance?

Painting and decorating isn’t considered a dangerous profession – but do you need special insurance for it?

Yes. If you are trading as a painter or decorator, you will need painters insurance.

Having the necessary insurance in place protects you from risks. It will help cover the cost of damages or injury, and is essential for any professional to maintain a good reputation.

In this article, we’ll go over the following questions:

• What insurance do I need as a painter and decorator?
• Does painters’ and decorators’ insurance cover public liability?
• Will painters’ and decorators’ insurance cover materials and tools?

You may think painting and decorating is low-risk, but you will still be working at heights and be exposed to the other hazards every other tradesman faces. Good insurance will protect you and your business, no matter what happens.

What insurance do I need as a painter and decorator?

Comprehensive painters or decorators insurance will allow you to work in others’ homes safely, and will cover faulty materials as well as the costs of unintentional damage and subsequent repairs. This applies not only to your clients’ property, but also to members of the public.

Because you work with different tools, materials and situations as a painter and decorator, you’ll need different insurance than, say, a bricklayer or an electrician. Your work is detail-focused and requires difficult maneuvers while working at heights. You will be going up ladders, working with tools and equipment, and also have to contend with loose cables and noxious substances. These are all part of the risks you face when you paint a house, interior or exterior.

Furthermore, if you don’t have the necessary insurance in place, you may find it difficult to find clients willing to employ you. Having good insurance is the hallmark of a professional who is serious about their business. Not to mention, if things go wrong, you could find yourself disastrously out of pocket.

At a minimum, you will need three types of liabilities included in your insurance policy to cover your basic needs:

• Public Liability
• Products Liability
• Employers’ Liability

Don’t forget – there is a spray painting exclusion on some insurance policies. For example, the Axa policy specifically excludes spray painting. On the other hand, Optis and Broker Options have no such exclusion. Call us up and we can find a policy that exactly fits your needs at the lowest price.

Does painters’ and decorators’ insurance cover public liability?

Absolutely. Any painters’ and decorators’ professional insurance will include public liability as standard. This liability cover is the single most important part of any tradesmen’s insurance. It protects your clients – indeed, any member of the public – in the event that a claim should arise and that you are responsible.

This is the section of the policy you’ll need to claim if you accidentally damage your client’s property, or cause injury to themselves or their loved ones, while working on the site. Their public liability insurance will cover the cost of repairs – including labour and materials – or compensation and hospital bills. It may even cover loss of income, if applicable.

Public liability only insurance starts at only €530 for the year. This means it’s definitely worth it, as you could easily end up paying much more if something bad happens.

“All risks” tradesman’s insurance covers everything, as you might imagine. This kind of insurance covers anything that could happen to contract works such as damage to the project being worked on, own plant, hired-in plant and employee’s tools.

If you subcontract out part of a project, your subcontractors do need their own insurance, at least for public liability. If they don’t and something goes wrong, you’ll have to pay for damages out of your own pocket.

Will painters’ and decorators’ insurance cover materials and tools?

Only if you want to have it added onto your policy to benefit from this kind of cover. In order to make sure your equipment and materials are protected, talk to your insurance provider, or contact us for a competitive quote.

Products liability insurance will cover you in the event of a claim relating to parts and materials you install. So, if you bought a mislabeled tin of paint, this is the policy you need if the decorating work suffers a delay as a result.

In the majority of cases, the insurance provider you have your policy with will pursue the manufacturers. As long as the part turns out to be defective, it wasn’t your own fault and you installed the materials correctly, the manufacturer will be liable.

Talk to us today about your painters’ and decorators’ insurance needs. Our experts are on hand to answer all your questions.