Public liability vs professional indemnity
Two of the most-searched covers explained, and why many businesses need both.
Business Insurance for Every Trade
Business Insurance for Every Trade
Tell us what you do and we’ll match you to the cover your business actually needs, from a single policy to a full commercial combined package.
Tell us what you do and we’ll match you to the cover your business actually needs, from a single policy to a full commercial combined package.
What type of business do you run?
Public liabilityEmployers’ liabilityOne combined policy
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What is business insurance?
Business insurance is a group of policies that protect your business from the costs of claims, accidents, theft, illness and legal disputes. Most businesses combine several covers, public liability, employers’ liability and professional indemnity are the three people ask about most, into one policy, often called commercial combined insurance. If you own the building your business trades from, buildings cover can sit on the same policy as your liability and stock. You do not need a separate property policy to insure the premises you trade from.
There’s no single "business insurance" product. It’s a package built from the covers your trade, premises and staff actually need.
Business insurance can include:
Public liabilityEmployers’ liabilityProfessional indemnityBusiness contents & stockBusiness interruptionCyber insurance
How can we help?
How can we help?
I know my trade
Find insurance built around the business you run, whatever it is.
I know the cover I need
Go straight to public liability, professional indemnity and other core covers.
I’m not sure what I need
Tell us about your business and we’ll recommend the right combination of cover.
Find insurance for your trade
Find insurance for your trade
Choose your industry, or search for your specific trade above to find relevant cover.
Choose your industry, or search for your specific trade above to find relevant cover.
Trades & Construction
Retail & Shop
Hospitality & Food
Hair, Beauty & Wellbeing
Professional & Business Services
Which core covers does your business need?
Which core covers does your business need?
Only employers’ liability is a legal requirement for most businesses. The rest depend on your trade, your contracts and how much risk you want to carry yourself.
Only employers’ liability is a legal requirement for most businesses. The rest depend on your trade, your contracts and how much risk you want to carry yourself.
| Type of insurance | Legally required? | Who needs it? |
|---|---|---|
Yes, if you employ staff | Required by law once you employ anyone, including part-time and casual staff | |
Not legally required | Strongly recommended for any business dealing with the public or visiting other premises | |
Sometimes required by contract | Mandatory for many regulated professions and often required by client contracts | |
Not legally required | Essential if you manufacture, supply or sell physical products | |
No | Protects fixtures, equipment and stock against fire, theft and damage | |
No | A single policy combining several covers, often cheaper and simpler than buying each one separately | |
No | Helps cover lost income and ongoing costs if you have to stop trading | |
No | Recommended if you hold customer data or take online payments |
Top Tip
Employers’ liability is the only cover on this list you can be fined for not having. Everything else is about how much risk you’re willing to carry yourself if something goes wrong.
Cover based on how you’re set up
Cover based on how you’re set up
Sole traders, small businesses, limited companies and startups all need slightly different cover. Here’s where to start based on how your business is set up.
Sole traders, small businesses, limited companies and startups all need slightly different cover. Here’s where to start based on how your business is set up.
Sole Trader & Self-Employed
Working for yourself with no staff? Employers’ liability isn’t required, but clients often ask for public liability before they’ll hire you.
Small Business
A few staff and a growing turnover? Employers’ liability becomes a legal requirement the moment you take anyone on.
Limited Company
Directors and shareholders can still be personally liable. Directors’ and officers’ cover sits alongside your business policy.
Startup
No trading history yet? You can get covered from day one without a business bank account or VAT number.
What affects the cost of business insurance?
There’s no fixed price for business insurance. It depends on your trade and risk, the covers you choose, your business size, the value of what you’re insuring, your excess and your claims history.
Your trade and risk
A florist and a scaffolder face very different risks, and insurers price them very differently.
Level of cover
A single policy costs less than several separate ones, but covers less than a full commercial combined package.
Size of business
More staff, more turnover and more premises all increase your exposure and your premium.
Sum insured
The value of your stock, equipment and premises contents sets your contents and stock premium.
Level of excess
A higher voluntary excess usually lowers your premium, but you’ll pay more towards any claim.
Claims history
A clean claims record helps keep premiums down at renewal, while previous claims push them up.
What are you looking to protect?
What are you looking to protect?
Choose a category to explore insurance products tailored to your business needs.
Choose a category to explore insurance products tailored to your business needs.
What could help:Public Liability
Learn more
Which core cover do you need?
Which core cover do you need?
Only employers’ liability is a legal requirement. Most businesses build from public liability, then add covers that match how they actually trade.
Only employers’ liability is a legal requirement. Most businesses build from public liability, then add covers that match how they actually trade.
Public Liability
Protects against claims if your work injures someone or damages their property.
Employers’ Liability
A legal requirement once you employ anyone, covering claims from staff injured at work.
Professional Indemnity
Protects against claims of negligence, mistakes or bad advice in professional work.
Business Contents
Cover for equipment, stock, fixtures and fittings against fire, theft and damage.
Business Interruption
Helps with lost income and ongoing costs if an insured event stops you trading.
Commercial Combined
Combine several covers into one policy, often cheaper than buying them separately.
Contract Works
Covers the building work itself while in progress, required by most JCT contracts.
Buildings Insurance
Covers the structure of premises you own, walls, roof, floors and permanent fittings.
Commercial Property
Buildings, contents and liability cover for shops, offices, warehouses and industrial units.
Business insurance without the guesswork
We help businesses find the right combination of cover, not just the cheapest single policy.
The right cover depends on your trade, your premises and your contracts, so we start there.
Specialist business insurersAccess to 20+ UK insurersExperienced UK-based advisersTailored to your exact businessSupport with complex risksHuman support when you claimHow the quote process works
How the quote process works
Getting business insurance takes four steps: tell us about your business, share the covers that matter to you, compare specialist insurers, then get covered, often the same day.
Getting business insurance takes four steps: tell us about your business, share the covers that matter to you, compare specialist insurers, then get covered, often the same day.
1
Tell us about your business
Your trade, premises, staff and turnover.
2
Tell us what you need
Which covers matter most to you and why.
3
We compare specialist insurers
We search our panel of 20+ UK insurers.
4
Get covered and trading
Choose your policy and receive your documents, usually the same day.
UK-based specialist advisersAccess to specialist insurersNo obligation, just expert helpTrusted by thousands of businesses across the UK
Trusted by thousands of businesses across the UK
From everyday business insurance to complex specialist cover, our customers trust Insurance Revolution to find the right protection and provide expert support when it matters.
From everyday business insurance to complex specialist cover, our customers trust Insurance Revolution to find the right protection and provide expert support when it matters.
Business insurance guides
Business insurance guides
Practical advice to help you choose, buy and use the right cover for your business.
Practical advice to help you choose, buy and use the right cover for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you know exactly what cover you need or you’re not sure where to start, find quick answers to some of the questions our customers ask most.
Whether you know exactly what cover you need or you’re not sure where to start, find quick answers to some of the questions our customers ask most.
Business insurance is a group of policies that protect your business from the cost of claims, accidents, theft and legal disputes. Most businesses combine several covers, such as public liability, employers’ liability and professional indemnity, into one policy.
Still have questions?
Our advisers are here to help you find the right solution.