Talk to our tradesman insurance experts and get the cover you need for your business

GENERAL TRADESMEN INSURANCE


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GENERAL TRADESMEN INSURANCE

  • Public Liability Insurance from €520
  • Heat Work Away is included
  • Height Limit of 15 metres and Depth Limit of 3 metres is standard and can be increased
  • No proposal form and No paperwork
  • You are covered in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Make sure to protect your business, clients and employees with the right level of tradesman insurance

INSURANCE FOR TRADESMEN - FAQs

HOW MUCH DOES TRADESMAN LIABILITY INSURANCE COST?

As a Tradesman, you can usually make an offer on a project without a Liability Insurance Policy. However the chances are that in advance of the contract being awarded to you, proof of insurance will have to be supplied by you to the homeowner, the business owner, the building owner or the local county or town council.

The cost of a public liability policy for a Tradesman with a limit of indemnity of €1.3 million starts at €520. To include employers liability for one employee and a limit of indemnity on EL of €13 million would cost approximately €900 per year.

In order for us to get a quotation, we will ask you a few simple questions such as your expected turnover, wages if applicable, payments to subcontractors and your standard height and depth requirements. You will probably be able to answer them all over the phone. Then we will approach a range of insurance providers to obtain competitive quotes for you. We aim to compete the exercise and get back to you within 24 hours.

CAN I PAY FOR MY TRADESMAN POLICY IN INSTALMENTS?

Yes – there are two ways in which we can arrange this. Some of the insurance companies providing liability insurance have payment by instalment plans. Otherwise, we can arrange finance through a premium finance company. In either case, you will pay a deposit which will be approximately 20 – 40% of the premium with the balance payable over 6 months.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ARRANGE MY INSURANCE POLICY?

It normally takes 24 hours for us to search for quotations and come back to your with our policy and cover recommendation. We can start cover immediately, over the phone. Furthermore, you can pay your premium or your deposit, if you have opted to pay by instalments, by credit or debit card over the phone. In most instances a proposal form is not required.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO MY TRADESMEN'S LIABILITY POLICY?

We issue your documents immediately to you and we keep a copy here in our office. If you need to make changes, provide proof of these changes or simply require another copy of your insurance documents sent to somebody as proof of your insurance, we will do so on your behalf. Just supply us with their email address and we will do the rest.

WHAT IS THE STANDARD HEIGHT LIMIT AND CAN I GET IT INCREASED?

The standard height limit is 15 m and the standard depth limit is 3 m. If this is insufficient for your contract, or if you need it extended mid-year, please contact us and we will work on getting these limits increased.

TYPICALLY, WHAT TYPE OF TRADES REQUIRE PUBLIC AND EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY COVER?

Plumbers, Electricians, Window Cleaners, Builders, Plasterers, Brickies, Roofers, Scaffolding, Carpenters, Flooring Contractors, Landscapers, Stonemasons, Tilers etc.

CHOOSE UP TO 5 TRADESMAN OCCUPATIONS ON YOUR POLICY

Many Tradesmen are multi skilled and carry out a variety of roles during a job. For example, while plumbing a sink, they may also do a bit of tiling. While doing some carpentry, they may fix something on the chimney or use heat to remove old wall-paper. No matter what you describe yourself as, we will also use the term “Handyman”. We do this because it covers a multitude of skills and tasks and to make sure that you have as wide a cover as possible.

Our policy is specifically designed for General Tradesmen. During our phone call or meeting with you, we will ask questions designed to tease out the type of work you do, so that you can be certain that you have the correct cover and at a really competitive price.

Despite having a purpose built insurance policy for General Tradesmen, we will always check the wider marketplace. That way, you can be certain that you have a great deal.

HOW WE HELP WITH YOUR PAPERWORK

The first thing is that we will not be asking you for a proposal form. Our conversation with you is sufficient to obtain quotations and go on cover. Once you are on cover, we can either email or post your ‘Statement of Fact’. This is a summary document of our conversation with you in relation to your insurance requirements.

You choose whether to receive your policy document and schedule by post or by email. Rest assured that we have copies of everything on our system. If you need a copy emailed to a potential client or a local authority – just give us a ring and it will be done there and then, instantly.

We hope that by providing this back office service for you, that you can concentrate on growing your business and let us worry about your insurance related paperwork.

COVER FOR USING SCAFFOLDING WITH TRADESMAN INSURANCE

You can put up and use scaffolding as part of your wider job. However, if you put up scaffolding on a professional basis – erection of scaffold being one of your main areas of expertise - then you need to tell us, because you’ll need a specialist policy which we will be delighted to arrange.

EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS – WHY YOU NEED THE CORRECT TRADESMAN INSURANCE COVER

A woman injured herself when she fell down a hole in the floor where a staircase was being constructed while attending a party. Despite the defendants (the carpenters) raising contributory negligence against the women, she was awarded a considerable sum.

A plumber was fitting a new shower in a client’s bathroom. Due to a faulty fitting, a pipe worked itself loose and caused a leak. There was substantial damage to the client’s home as well as to the next door neighbour’s home - it was semi-detached house. The insurance company looked after the entire claim and paid compensation to both the client and the neighbour. The only cost to the plumber was a €500 public liability policy excess.

Remember, even if you successfully defend the action taken against you, there will most likely be substantial legal costs. Your Tradesmen Public Liability Insurance Policy will cover these legal costs as well as the hassle of defending the case on your behalf. It is not expensive cover, but can be very valuable.

Guide

We highlight the importance of having a safety statement as a tradesman

The Importance of your Safety Statement in relation to your Insurance Cover

CAEVA

01/07/2020

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Tradesman Insurance review by Cormac Farrell of Rawplug ireland Ltd..

OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

"..We have been a customer of O'Callaghan Insurances for over 23 years and they always provide excellent product, service and pricing for my policies ranging from liability to property. I have my own designated Account Handler, Mary, who understands my business leaving any queries and changes very easy to manage. I would definitely recommend them.."

Cormac Farrell Rawplug ireland Ltd.

YOUR LOCAL TRADESMEN INSURANCE SPECIALIST

Jean Marc Rolland – Tradesman Insurance Agent

JEAN MARC ROLLAND

NAVAN

Rachel Dixon – Tradesman Insurance Agent

RACHEL DIXON

DUNDALK

Linda West – Tradesman Insurance Agent

LINDA WEST

MONAGHAN