What Insurance Do Contractors Need?
Appropriate public liability insurance, checked before you are introduced to any customer. As the main contractor, the insurance is yours on every job.
The short answer
Appropriate public liability cover, checked before your first introduction.
The insurance we check is public liability. You need appropriate public liability cover for the work you carry out, and we check it before introducing you to any customer. It is one of the five checks every contractor completes before joining the network.
Because you are the main contractor, the insurance is yours. It stays with you on every job, and customers are told that the appointed contractor holds it.
Why public liability
You're working in someone's home, as their contractor
Every job we coordinate takes place at a customer's property, usually their home. The construction contract is between you and the customer, and you carry out the work. Public liability cover is what responds if that work causes injury to someone or damage to their property, which is why it is the insurance we check.
Mortaro coordinates the process around the job: the enquiry, the visit, the quotation, the communication and the payments. We don't carry out the work, so the insurance for the work sits with the contractor doing it. That's the same reason the network is structured the way it is.
Who holds what
What we check, and what stays with you
We check
- That you hold public liability insurance
- That the cover is appropriate for your work
- That it is in place before any introduction
Stays with you
- Choosing your insurer and policy
- Keeping your cover in place on every job
- Any other cover your business carries
- Your workmanship warranty
What customers see
Customers know the contractor is insured
Customers are told plainly how the arrangement works: an independent main contractor carries out the work, holds the insurance and provides the workmanship warranty. You are named in their quotation before they commit. See who writes the quotation?
That clarity works in your favour. A customer who understands who they are dealing with, and that the contractor has been checked, is more comfortable accepting the quotation.
When it's checked
Where insurance fits in joining
Enquiry
You tell us about your business. No documents needed yet. See how do I join the network?
Application
You provide evidence of your public liability cover along with the other documents. The full list is in what documents do I need?
Checks
Insurance is checked alongside reviews and references, warranty terms, trade experience and work history, and your ability to meet our standards. More in contractor onboarding and vetting.
Introduction
Only once the checks are complete are you introduced to a customer.
Speak to your insurer or broker about the work you carry out, and mention it when you enquire. It is far better to raise it at the start than to discover a gap later.
Two different things
Your insurance and your warranty do different jobs
Public liability insurance and your workmanship warranty are both yours, and both are part of what we check, but they answer different questions.
Public liability is about accidents: injury to someone, or damage to the customer's property, arising from the work. It sits between you and your insurer.
The workmanship warranty is about the work itself: your commitment to put defects right. Every contractor in the network agrees to a minimum of 12 months, often longer on larger works, and it usually runs from completion. The terms are yours and they are confirmed in the customer's quotation.
Customers are told both sit with the contractor. Mortaro's part is the process around the job: if the customer raises an issue, we escalate it to you and follow it through.
Why it matters to you
Insurance is part of how you win the work
It is your business on the line
As main contractor, any claim arising from the work is made against you. Appropriate cover is what stands between an accident on site and your business.
Customers expect it
Customers are told the appointed contractor holds the insurance. Knowing you have been checked makes them more comfortable accepting your quotation.
Keep it matched to your work
If the kind of work you take on changes, check that your cover still fits it. That conversation is between you and your insurer or broker.
Straight answers
Insurance questions
Does Mortaro's insurance cover my work?
No. Mortaro coordinates the process and doesn't carry out work. The insurance for the work is yours as the main contractor.
Do I need insurance before I enquire?
You need appropriate public liability cover before you are introduced to any customer. The enquiry itself asks for no documents. The wider arrangement is on the contractor network hub.
Is public liability insurance the same as a warranty?
No. Insurance covers accidental injury or damage. Your workmanship warranty is your commitment to put defects in your work right, with a minimum of 12 months across the network.
Do I need employer's liability insurance as well?
If you employ people, the law generally requires employer's liability insurance, and the Health and Safety Executive publishes the rules on who needs it. Our check before introducing you to a customer is on your public liability cover; keeping the rest of your insurance right for your business stays with you.
For contractors
Tell us about your business
Your trade, the areas you cover and the size of work you take on. A person reads every enquiry, and if it looks like a fit we will send you the full application.