How Do I Check a Builder’s Insurance?
Ask for the certificate, then read it properly. Five checks on one document, and what to do when something doesn't line up.
The short answer
Ask to see the certificate, then check it says what you need it to say.
Ask the builder for a copy of their current insurance certificate or policy schedule before you agree to anything. Then check four things: that the name on it matches the business you are contracting with, that the dates cover your job, that the insured activities include the kind of work you are having done, and that the cover limit is sensible for the size of the job. If anything is unclear, or the job is a large one, contact the insurer or broker named on the document and ask them to confirm the policy is in force.
A good builder will send this without fuss. Most keep a copy ready, because commercial customers and letting agents ask for it all the time. The rest of this page walks through each check and what to do when something doesn't match. If you are not yet sure which types of cover to look for, start with what insurance should a builder have?
Step by step
Five checks on one document
Once the paperwork is in front of you, none of this takes long.
Get the document in writing
Ask for the certificate or schedule by email rather than being shown a screen at the door. You want a copy you can keep with the rest of your project paperwork. The schedule is usually more useful than a one-page certificate, because it lists the activities covered and the limits that apply.
Match the name
The policyholder should be the same person or company that will be named on your quote and invoice. If the quote comes from a limited company and the insurance is in an individual's name, ask why. There may be an ordinary explanation, such as a recent change of business structure, but the policy needs to cover the business you are actually contracting with.
Check the dates
Look at the start and expiry dates. If the policy runs out before or during your job, ask the builder to confirm it will be renewed, and ask for the new certificate when it arrives.
Read the description of the business
Policies are written around a description of the trade and a list of activities. Work at height, roofing, work involving heat or flame, and structural alterations are often named specifically, or specifically excluded. If your job involves something the schedule doesn't mention, ask whether it is covered.
Note the limit
Every policy has a maximum it will pay on a claim. Ask what the public liability limit is, and consider whether it feels proportionate to your property and the scale of the work.
Confirming it is current
Checking the policy with the insurer
A certificate shows what the policy said on the day it was issued. It doesn't prove the policy is still running, because policies can be cancelled part way through the year.
If you want more certainty, contact the insurer or broker named on the document. Use contact details you have looked up yourself from the insurer's own site, rather than a number printed on the certificate. Give them the policy number and the policyholder's name, and ask whether the policy is currently in force for that business. Some insurers will say very little to a third party, but even a simple confirmation is worth having.
For a small repair, reading the certificate carefully is usually enough. For a larger project, such as an extension or a full roof replacement, the call is worth the few minutes it takes. Our fuller guide, checking a builder's insurance, goes into more detail.
When something doesn't line up
What the common mismatches usually mean
The certificate has expired
Often an admin slip: the builder renewed but sent last year's copy. Ask for the current one. If they can't produce it, don't let work start until they can.
The name is different
It could be a trading name, a family member's business or a change of structure. Ask for an explanation in writing, and make sure the insured business is the one on your quote. See is a sole trader builder riskier?
Your type of work isn't listed
A general building policy may not extend to specialist work. Ask the builder to confirm with their insurer, in writing, that your job is covered before it starts.
Beyond public liability
Other cover worth asking about
Public liability is the policy people usually ask about first, because it covers injury to other people and damage to their property caused by the builder's work. It is not the only one. If the builder employs staff, employer's liability insurance is a legal requirement for most employers, and GOV.UK explains who needs it. On larger jobs, ask whether the works themselves are insured while they are in progress, for example against fire or storm damage before everything is finished.
It is also worth a quick call to your own home insurer before major work starts. Some policies expect to be told about building work, and it helps to know where your cover ends and the builder's begins.
This is general information, not legal advice.
If you use Mortaro
Insurance is checked before we introduce a contractor
Every contractor in our network had their public liability insurance checked before being introduced to any customer, alongside their reviews and references, the warranties they provide, their trade experience and work history, and their ability to meet our standards.
Mortaro coordinates the project; the contractor carries out the work and holds the insurance, and is named in your quotation before you commit. You are still welcome to see their certificate. Ask us and we will get it for you. More on how contractors join is on our contractor network.
Straight answers
Questions about checking insurance
Is a builder legally required to have public liability insurance?
Not as a general rule. Public liability is not a legal requirement for most trades, but working in people's homes without it leaves both the builder and you with fewer options if something is damaged. Employer's liability is different: most businesses with employees must have it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can I ask before the site visit?
Yes. There is nothing unusual about asking at the enquiry stage, and it saves everyone time if the answer is no.
What if the builder won't show me?
Treat it as a reason not to go ahead. There is no good commercial reason to keep an insurance certificate from a customer. More on this in what are the warning signs of a bad builder?
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.