Painters’ & Decorators’ insurance

That depends on the type of work you do, who you work with, and the level of risk involved.

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If you work around the public — whether it’s in people’s homes or on-site with other trades — Public Liability Insurance is a must. It protects your business if something goes wrong and someone is injured or their property is damaged.

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Most small businesses go for cover between £1 million and £5 million, but some jobs — especially with local authorities or bigger contractors — may ask for up to £10 million.

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With Admiral Business, you can choose a level of cover that works for you and adjust it as your business grows.

Here’s the simple version:

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• Public Liability Insurance covers you if someone (like a customer or site visitor) is injured or their property is damaged because of your work — for example, dropping a ladder onto a client’s car.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance covers you if a client claims you’ve made a mistake that cost them money — like if you’ve provided the wrong technical advice or design and it leads to extra costs.

If you give advice or drawings as part of your work (for example, as a contractor or surveyor), you might need both.

• Employers’ Liability Insurance covers you if someone working for you gets injured or becomes ill because of their work. Even if it’s just one labourer, apprentice or someone helping out with admin — if they’re on the books, you’re legally required to have this cover.
• Public Liability Insurance, on the other hand, covers third parties — like customers, subcontractors, or members of the public who are affected by your business activities.

If you have staff (full-time, part-time or even casual), make sure you’re covered on both fronts.

If something goes wrong — an accident on-site, a damaged client property, or stolen kit — you can start a claim by filling out the form at admiralbusiness.com/make-a-claim or emailing us at claims@admiralbusiness.com.

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Send over any supporting documents (photos, receipts, police report if it’s theft), and ideally let us know within 14 days. The sooner we know, the sooner we can help.

We’ll guide you through it — but here’s what’s helpful up front:

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• What happened and when
• Where it happened
• Any evidence (photos, receipts, invoices, etc.)

If you’re claiming for tools or materials, we’ll pay the original purchase price if they can’t be repaired — just make sure your cover limit reflects what your kit is worth.