PL Insurance - rough guide to cost

[DavidM]

I'm semi retired and been working part time for the last year doing general handyman type work via a local company that handles all the marketing, invoicing, tax, NI, PLI and general admin. Suits me that way. Unfortunately the company is probably going to cease trading soon, nothing ominous, has a good reputation and quite a nice niche local market, doing the smaller jobs that the trade guys don't want.

I quite enjoy the work (mostly) and the money is handy, so am considering going it alone. Tax and NI are ok to handle, done that before in a previous career, I won't get anywhere near VAT registration limits, but I've just not had to get involved with Public Liability Insurance before, so wondering what ballpark it might be in (eg if £200 pa I might investigate further, if £10K pa I'll just sell all my tools on eBay and find something else to do). I'm in northern Home Counties.

Looked at online quote sites and they all want too much personal info, which I'm not prepared to divulge just yet (I get enough spam as it is).

Any guidance much appreciated. Also any recommendations as to providers of PLI.

David

[A.Lee]

I pay ~£120/yr for £1million of cover from these:

were numerous limitations in the online schedule (no working over

10ft high, no heating tools allowed etc), but none of these are listed in the paper version I subsequently got. £250 excess iirc.

I have never once been asked by customers to see my insurance cover, though it is always there for peace of mind. Alan.

[The Medway Handyman]

My policy is about the same price etc, can't recall who with without looking it up. Mine excludes working above gutter height & use of a blowlamp indoors.

I had to show mine to get the Fair Trader scheme approval & one local company I work for asked to see it.

[John Stumbles]

Nearer the former. It varies with amount of cover (natch). You can get 1M but if you sign up to any sort of competent persons scheme or work changing lightbulbs for Waitrose (seriously - had someone tell me they had this nice little earner) you'll need 2M. It also varies with trade. I think window cleaners are the most, with plumbing & heating next. IIRC surveyors were least.

[Steve]

That must hinder your plumbing activities somewhat!

I just added it to my advert in the local rag as a selling point. Never asked for the details by any customer but it gave me a warm feeling.

That was 18 years ago, IIRC about £65 PA, for 1 Million cover working on roofs, ladders etc. as an aerial rigger.

So £120/yr now for less dangerous activities seems about right.

Steve

[The Medway Handyman]

Not really. I make up assemblys outside & do the final join with compression, or I just use compressions - or I cheat :-)

I mention it on the web site.

[Andy Hall]

Thereby hangs a tale.

Does this mean that they never get into situations where they might break something - i.e. never look in roof spaces; or that they are considered to be masters of writing the evasive, botty covering report?

[John Stumbles]

[Andy Wade]

[surveyors]

Probably both, although the surveyor I used when I first bought this house did go jumping on a flat roof and peering under floorboards.

The consequences of what is or isn't in their reports would surely be a matter for their professional indemnity insurance though, rather than public liability.

On the same basis electricians doing periodic inspection work should have PI as well as PL insurance.

[DavidM]

Thanks everyone, very helpful. David

[Pete Verdon]

It seems to depend on where their "short ladder" can get them. Mine looked into the main part of the roof (but not the extension) on one house, but not on another because the hatch was "inaccessible with a standard surveyor's ladder" (I think it was over the stairs of all places, so fair enough).

A certain amount of botty-covering goes on, but to be honest of all the verbiage produced during my one abortive and one successful purchase, the surveyor's reports were the only bits with any connection to the real world. The estate agents' were largely content-free, and the solicitor's were a fuzz of legal fantasy.

Pete