Checking a Builder’s Insurance: What to Ask For and What It Means
Which insurance matters on a domestic building job, how to read the paperwork, and what to confirm before work starts.
The short version
Ask to see the insurance, then read it. Five minutes with the certificate tells you most of what you need.
To check a builder's insurance, ask for the certificate or policy schedule, then confirm four things: the name matches the business on your quote, the dates cover your job, the limit of cover is stated, and the activities covered include the work you want done. If you want more certainty, you can check that the insurer or broker is authorised, and ask whether the builder is happy for you to confirm the policy directly.
The type of cover matters as much as whether cover exists. Public liability insurance is the one homeowners usually ask about, but it is not the only policy that can be relevant, and it does not do everything people assume it does. This guide explains the main types, how to read the paperwork, and where insurance stops and the builder's warranty begins.
It sits alongside the other checks in our guide to choosing and checking a building contractor.
Types of cover
The insurance you may come across, and what each is for
Not every job needs every policy. What matters is that the cover fits the work and the business.
Public liability insurance
Covers the business if its work injures a member of the public or damages someone else's property, such as your home, your belongings or a neighbour's property. It is not a legal requirement for builders, but it is the cover homeowners most often ask to see.
Employers' liability insurance
Covers the business if one of its own employees is injured or made ill at work. A business that employs people is generally required by law to hold it, with some exemptions. The Health and Safety Executive publishes the rules.
Contract works cover
Sometimes called contractors' all risks. Covers the work in progress and materials on site against damage, such as fire, storm or theft, until the job is finished. It is more common on larger projects.
Professional indemnity
Covers financial loss caused by professional advice or design. It matters where a firm is designing the work or giving technical advice, rather than building to someone else's plans.
Insurance-backed guarantees
Some firms offer a policy that backs their workmanship guarantee if the firm stops trading. It is offered for some kinds of work and not others, and it is separate from the builder's own liability cover.
Your own home insurance
Your buildings and contents policy may have conditions about building work. It is worth telling your insurer before a larger project starts and asking whether anything changes.
Reading the paperwork
How to check an insurance certificate
A certificate or policy schedule is usually one or two pages. These are the parts that matter.
The insured name
It should match the business named on your quote. If the quote is from a limited company, the policy should be in the company's name. If the builder trades under a different name, ask how the two connect.
The period of cover
Check the start and end dates. If the policy renews before or during your job, ask for the renewed certificate once it is issued.
The limit of indemnity
The maximum the policy will pay for a claim. It should be clearly stated. If you are unsure whether it is appropriate for your job, it is reasonable to ask the builder why they chose that level.
The business activities covered
Policies describe the trade or activities they cover. Check your job falls within that description. Some policies restrict or exclude particular activities, for example work above a certain height or work involving a naked flame, sometimes called hot works.
Other people on site
If the builder will bring in other trades, ask whether their policy extends to them or whether each trade holds its own cover.
The insurer or broker
The certificate should name the insurer and usually the broker. You can check either is authorised on the Financial Conduct Authority's Financial Services Register, which is free to search.
Going further
Confirming the policy is real and current
For most jobs, a certificate that is clear, current and in the right name is enough. On a larger project, or if anything about the document looks unusual, you can take one more step and confirm the policy with the insurer or broker named on it.
Insurers and brokers may only discuss a policy with the policyholder or with their permission, so the simplest route is to ask the builder. A builder with nothing to hide will usually agree, or will ask their broker to confirm the cover to you directly. Use the contact details from the insurer's or broker's own published details rather than a phone number printed on the certificate, so you know who you are speaking to.
Keep a copy of the certificate with your other paperwork for the job. If anything happens during the work, you will know exactly which policy and which insurer to refer to. It also makes the paperwork to get before work starts easier to keep together.
The name on the policy is also a useful cross-check against the company record. If the certificate is in the name of a limited company, checking the company on Companies House confirms it is active and is the same business that sent your quote.
Asking the right questions
Six questions to ask a builder about their cover
You don't need to understand insurance in depth. These questions bring out what matters, and a good builder will answer them easily.
Can you send me your public liability certificate?
The starting point. Ask for it before the job is agreed, not on the first morning of work.
Does the policy cover this type of work?
The builder knows their policy's description of activities better than anyone. If your job involves anything unusual, such as work at height or heat, ask specifically.
Do you employ anyone, and are they covered?
If the answer is yes, ask about employers' liability cover. If the builder works alone or uses self-employed trades, ask how those trades are covered.
Who else will be working on the job?
Other trades may hold their own policies or be covered under the builder's. Either can work, as long as the answer is clear.
Does the policy run for the whole job?
If it renews during the work, agree that you will receive the new certificate when it arrives.
What happens if something goes wrong after you leave?
This is a question about the workmanship warranty rather than insurance, and it is worth asking at the same time. The answer should match what is written in your quote.
At a glance
A reassuring certificate, and one worth querying
A single point on the right usually has an explanation. Ask before you assume.
Reassuring
- In the same name as the business on your quote
- Dates that cover the whole of your job
- A clearly stated limit of indemnity
- Activities that describe the work you want
- A named insurer you can look up
- Provided promptly when you ask
Worth querying
- A different business name with no explanation
- A policy that has lapsed or ends mid-job
- No limit shown, or parts of the page missing
- Activities that don't mention your type of work
- An insurer you can't identify
- Reluctance to show you anything at all
What insurance is for
Insurance and warranties do different jobs
It is easy to assume that an insured builder means insured work. In practice, liability insurance is mainly about accidents: injury to people and damage to property. It is not generally designed to pay for putting right work that was simply done badly. That is what a workmanship warranty is for: the builder's own promise to return and fix defects in their work for a stated period.
So it is worth checking both. The insurance shows the business can meet a claim if something goes wrong on site. The warranty shows what the builder will do if the work itself proves faulty. A good quote states the warranty terms, including how long it lasts and when it starts.
Your legal rights when work is not done with reasonable care and skill are separate again. Citizens Advice explains them clearly and for free. This is general information, not legal advice.
The wider picture
Where insurance fits among the other checks
A valid certificate is reassuring, but it only answers one question: whether the business can meet a claim for accidental injury or damage. It says nothing about how well the business works, how it treats customers or whether it finishes jobs on time. Those answers come from reviews, references and previous work, which is why insurance is one step in vetting a builder rather than the whole of it.
It also helps to know who is responsible for what on site. The builder you hire normally acts as the main contractor, answerable to you for the whole job, including any trades they bring in. What a main contractor is responsible for explains how that works in practice.
Finally, think about your own cover. Your home insurer may want to know about significant building work, and some policies have conditions that apply while work is under way or while a property is unoccupied. A short call to your insurer before the job starts is usually all it takes. If you would like every check in one list, the contractor checking checklist includes insurance alongside the rest.
Whether a business must hold employers' liability insurance depends on whether it employs people, and there are exemptions. The Health and Safety Executive sets out who needs it and what the law requires. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where Mortaro fits
Insurance checked before a contractor is introduced
When Mortaro appoints a contractor from our network, public liability insurance is one of five checks completed before that contractor is introduced to any customer. The others are reviews and references, the warranties they provide, trade experience and prior work history, and their ability to meet our standards.
The insurance is your contractor's, not ours, and so is the workmanship warranty. Every contractor in the network agrees to a minimum 12-month workmanship warranty, often longer on larger works, with the terms confirmed in your quotation. Because your contractor is named before you commit, you can still ask to see their certificate and run the checks on this page yourself. Who you're dealing with explains how the arrangement works.
Straight answers
Questions about a builder's insurance
Is it a legal requirement for a builder to have public liability insurance?
No. Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for builders, although it is widely expected. Employers' liability insurance is different: a business that employs people is generally required to hold it. What insurance should a builder have? gives the short answer.
Can I ask to see a builder's insurance certificate?
Yes. It is a normal request and good builders expect it. How do I check a builder's insurance? covers the quick steps.
Does the builder's insurance cover poor workmanship?
Liability insurance is mainly for accidental injury and damage, not for putting right work that was done badly. That is usually the role of the builder's workmanship warranty, so check the warranty terms in your quote.
What if the builder uses other trades?
Ask whether the builder's policy covers them or whether each trade has its own. The builder you hire is normally responsible to you for the whole job. See who is responsible for a builder's subcontractors?
Can I phone the insurer to check the policy?
You can ask, but insurers and brokers may only discuss a policy with the policyholder's permission. The easiest route is to ask the builder to confirm you can check, or to have their broker confirm the cover to you directly.
Start here
Tell us about the work you have in mind
We will confirm we cover your postcode, arrange a site visit with a contractor from our network and send you a written quotation. No charge, no obligation.