UK Construction Company Insurance Quotes
Construction Company Insurance
Cover for building firms and contractors, bringing liability, contract works, plant, property and business interruption together in one arrangement.
Why compare construction cover here?
- Bring liability, contract works, plant, property and BI into one commercial combined policy
- Built for building firms, main contractors and established builders
- Cover for owned and hired-in plant, subcontractors and multiple sites
What is construction company insurance?
Construction company insurance can combine protection for the different risks faced by building firms and contractors, including liability, contract works, plant, property and business interruption. The appropriate insurance depends on factors including company turnover, employees, subcontractors, contract values, activities, plant and the type of projects undertaken.
The right mix depends on what a company builds and how it works, which is why an established building firm is usually placed through a specialist broker rather than a generic comparison run.
Related construction cover
How construction company insurance works
Describe the business
Set out the activities carried out, turnover, employees and wage roll, typical and largest contract values, subcontractor payments, and the plant owned and hired in. Accurate answers bring back sharper quotes from the broker panel.
Compare specialist quotes
Your details reach brokers who rate construction risks every working day. They price liability, contract works, plant and the other exposures against the real business rather than a generic profile.
Set the cover up
Settle on the arrangement that suits the firm: individual policies for each exposure, or a commercial combined policy bringing property, liability, contract works and plant together on one renewal date.
What insurance does a construction company need?
Most building firms build their schedule around four pillars, employers' and public liability, contract works and plant, then add tools, premises, stock, business interruption, products and professional indemnity as the job sheet demands. What a main contractor running JCT commercial fit-outs carries looks little like a house builder on a multi-plot residential scheme, so the cover is shaped by turnover, staff and labour-only subcontractors, contract values, activities, plant and the projects on the books.
Once anyone joins the payroll this becomes a statutory obligation, and labour-only subcontractors are treated as employees for the purpose. It answers claims from bricklayers, groundworkers and site staff hurt or made ill by the work they do for you.
Should site activity injure a member of the public or damage a neighbouring property, a client's building or the highway, this responds. Main contractor tenders and JCT or NEC contract conditions frequently set the limit, and commercial developments push it well above what a jobbing trade would hold.
The building itself, as it rises, is what this protects, covering permanent and temporary works against fire, storm, flood, theft and accidental damage. Cover usually runs to practical completion, with the defects liability or maintenance period often written in, subject to policy terms.
Think of this as the wrapper that pulls contract works, owned and hired-in plant, tools and liability under one construction policy. On many building contracts it is the route through which the works and the plant on site are actually insured.
Machines the company owns outright, from telehandlers and dumpers to compressors and generators, are covered for accidental damage and theft whether standing on site or being moved between contracts.
Sign a hire agreement and its terms, commonly the CPA conditions, make you liable for the machine and for the hire charges that keep running while it sits out of action. Because builders lean heavily on hired excavators, cranes and access equipment at peak, this cover carries real weight.
Hand tools, power tools and the smaller kit found in every van are covered for theft and damage wherever they sit overnight, in the yard, locked in a vehicle or stored in a site cabin.
The yard, site office or storage depot the firm runs from is insured against fire, theft, flood and the other standard perils that can shut down a base of operations.
Bricks, timber, plasterboard and fittings waiting to be installed are real money on site. This covers materials and stock, held in compounds or in store, against loss or damage before they become part of the finished works.
When an insured event halts trading, this keeps income coming in and meets the overheads that do not stop, wages, plant hire and site costs, so the firm can get back on programme.
Materials or components the firm has supplied and installed can cause injury or damage after handover. Where the work involves it, this answers claims that trace back to what was fitted.
Take on design and build, specify a system or sign a collateral warranty and you carry professional responsibility, not just workmanship. This meets claims alleging a design or specification error, and clients increasingly want it in place before awarding the contract.
Contract wrangles over retentions, employment issues and the cost of defending an HSE prosecution can all land on a builder. This contributes to those legal costs where the policy applies.
Commercial Combined Insurance for Construction Companies
Commercial combined insurance packages the main exposures a building contractor faces into a single policy, so liability, property, plant, contract works and business interruption sit under one arrangement rather than a stack of separate certificates. Once a firm takes on principal contractor duties under CDM 2015, runs several sites and pays subcontractors under the Construction Industry Scheme, holding each cover on its own becomes harder to keep aligned. The sections below are the elements insurers typically fold into a combined policy for an established construction company.
Property
Your yard, offices and plant store, along with the building materials and stock held there, insured against fire, theft, escape of water and storm while off site.
Employers' Liability
Required by law from the day you take on site staff, this answers injury or illness claims brought by your tradespeople and, in most cases, the labour-only subcontractors counted as employees.
Public Liability
Covers a member of the public or an adjoining building harmed by the works, from a dropped load to damage to a neighbouring property, and is often written at £5m or £10m to meet contract conditions.
Products Liability
Answers claims that surface after handover from materials, fittings or components your firm supplied and installed, such as a failed fixing inside a completed unit.
Contract Works
The building as it goes up, both permanent structure and temporary works, protected against fire, flood, theft, vandalism and accidental damage from first fix through to practical completion.
Plant
Excavators, telehandlers and dumpers you own against damage and theft, plus the contractual responsibility you sign up to for hired-in machinery and its continuing hire charges.
Business Interruption
Steps in when a fire or flood at your premises halts trading, replacing lost turnover and meeting ongoing overheads such as wages and site costs while you get back up and running.
Other selected covers
Professional indemnity for design and build responsibilities, hand tools, legal expenses and further lines can be bolted onto the same schedule as the contracts you take on demand.
Because a combined policy is assembled around the projects you run, the sections above are chosen to match your contract book, your workforce and your plant rather than bought piecemeal. Compare commercial combined insurance for construction companies through FCA-regulated UK brokers.
Who this is for
Insurance for Construction Companies and Building Contractors
Construction company insurance covers building companies and contractors across the industry, from main building contractors and house builders to design and build firms, refurbishment contractors and specialist subcontractors. It is arranged for companies and established contractors running real businesses, not for someone after £50 of public liability, and cover is set against the size of the firm, its contracts and its plant.
Companies and established contractors
Construction companies and contractors
This cover is built for construction businesses and established contractors, from smaller limited companies to firms running several sites and high-value contracts, rather than someone after £50 of public liability. Cover is arranged around the liability, contract works and plant a real business carries.
- Companies
- Established contractors
- Multiple sites
- Higher limits
Principal contractor
Main building contractors
Firms acting as principal or main contractor, managing subcontractors across multiple sites and carrying the contract, plant and liability that go with it.
General construction companies
Companies carrying out general building work across a mix of contracts, needing liability, contract works and plant under one arrangement.
Commercial building contractors
Contractors working on commercial buildings and units, where clients often require higher liability limits and evidence of cover.
House builders
House builder insurance for residential developers building new homes across single plots and larger sites.
Design responsibility
Design and build contractors
Contractors that both design and build, where design responsibility adds a professional indemnity exposure alongside the usual construction covers.
Develop and build
Property construction companies
Property companies that build, develop or refurbish their own schemes, insuring the works, the plant and the liability across each project.
Refurbishment contractors
Firms refurbishing and renovating existing buildings, from strip-out and structural work through to the finishing trades.
Groundworks companies
Groundworks firms handling excavation, drainage and foundations, insured within the wider construction company cover.
Construction maintenance businesses
Businesses providing ongoing construction, repair and maintenance work for commercial and public sector clients.
Interiors
Fit-out contractors
Contractors fitting out offices, retail and commercial interiors, covering the works, materials and liability involved.
Trade specialists
Specialist subcontractors
Established subcontractors in a specialist trade working for principal contractors, with liability arranged so cover lines up across every site.
Larger schemes
Construction companies on commercial developments
Construction companies working on commercial developments and larger schemes, where contract values, contractual insurance requirements and required indemnity limits all sit higher, and cover is arranged to match the scale of the work.
Run a construction company or work as an established building contractor? Compare construction insurance quotes and set your cover against the size of the firm, its contracts and its plant.
Construction plant and machinery insurance.
Construction plant and machinery insurance covers the equipment a building firm depends on, whether the company owns it outright or hires it in for a contract. Owned plant is insured against damage and theft, while hired-in plant covers the contractual responsibility you take on for equipment that belongs to someone else.
Machinery the company owns outright, covered against accidental damage, fire, vandalism, overturning and theft, on site, in the yard and in transit between contracts. The sum insured is based on the value of the plant you own.
- Cover basisValue owned
- Where coveredSite, yard, transit
- Protects againstDamage and theft
When you hire plant, the hire agreement usually makes you responsible for it. Hired-in plant cover meets the cost of physical damage to the equipment plus the continuing hire charges that keep running while a damaged machine is repaired or replaced. This matters because building firms frequently hire expensive plant they do not own.
- Cover basisHire agreement
- Physical damageCovered
- Continuing hire chargesCovered
Plant and equipment that can be covered.
Cover can extend across the range of plant a construction company runs, owned or hired in, from earthmoving machines to the smaller kit that keeps a site working. What can be included depends on the insurer and the plant declared.
Getting plant cover right
Set the sum insured against the value of the plant you own, and separately against the largest value of plant you expect to hire in at any one time, because hired-in cover needs to reflect your maximum exposure rather than a typical week. Compare construction insurance quotes to cover owned and hired-in plant alongside your other exposures.
What affects the cost of construction company insurance?
What a construction firm pays turns on the shape of its work, not a single rate card. Turnover, wage roll, the split between domestic and commercial contracts, the value of the largest job, plant on the books and the claims record all pull the figure one way or the other. A firm fitting out offices under JCT terms is read very differently from one throwing up a domestic extension, so a clear picture up front points the broker straight at the right market.
Put the activities, the turnover, the contract values, the subcontractor payments and the plant in front of the broker before any quote is run. No two insurers view building work the same way. Some will not touch high-value commercial contracts, work at height or design responsibility, while others are built to write exactly that. A specialist knows which door to knock on, so an honest declaration steers you toward a workable quote instead of a decline weeks later.
MMC Construction Insurance Specialists, FCA-authorised (reg. 916241)
Turnover, workforce and wage roll
Turnover, headcount and the wage roll sit at the heart of the rating, with years trading factored in alongside. More people on site and a heavier wage bill lift the employers' liability exposure, while turnover signals the scale of building work passing through the firm each year.
Nature of work and contract values
The trades carried out, the typical contract size and the largest single job all move the number. A commercial development or a local authority framework reads differently from domestic building, and one unusually large contract, such as a multi-plot scheme, reshapes the whole risk.
Depth, height and site risk
Working at height on scaffold and roofs, digging foundations and the kind of sites in play all weigh on the price. Live commercial premises, occupied buildings kept open during a refurbishment and work close to neighbouring structures push the exposure up, while low-level, single-site work sits further down the scale.
Plant values and hired-in exposure
Both the worth of the plant you own and the peak value hired in at any one time count. Standard hire conditions leave the builder carrying damage and the hire charges that keep ticking after a loss, so a yard leaning on hired cranes and telehandlers rates higher.
Subcontractors and professional work
How you engage labour-only and bona fide subcontractors, and how those payments run through the Construction Industry Scheme, shapes the liability picture. Once design, specification or temporary works responsibility enters the frame, professional indemnity is in play too, and the further a firm moves beyond pure building, the more the cover has to reach.
Claims history and required limits
Past claims, the areas worked and the limits a contract insists on all feed through. Main contractor and public-sector agreements routinely call for £5m or £10m of public liability, an unblemished record works in your favour, and a run of losses does the opposite.
No two builders are rated alike; the number reflects your own work, plant, contracts and claims. Compare construction insurance quotes to see how your activities, contract values and plant shape the cover across our specialist broker panel.
Contractors' All Risks and contract works insurance
Contract works insurance protects the building you are constructing, both the permanent structure and the temporary works, against damage before the job reaches practical completion, subject to the policy terms. Contractors' All Risks is the wider combined policy that can gather those contract works alongside owned and hired-in plant, site tools and the liability covers within a single arrangement. Standard building contracts such as JCT and NEC usually set out who insures the works, which is why contractors running a build and their own plant ask for this cover so often.
Contract works
The structure you are putting up under a signed building contract, insured while work continues on site. It picks up the permanent and temporary works if they are damaged before practical completion, subject to the terms and any conditions the insurer applies.
- The permanent building under the contract
- Temporary works such as scaffold and props
- Damage by fire, flood, theft and vandalism
- Owned and hired-in plant on site
- Site liability and hand tools
Contractors' All Risks
The broader construction policy that can draw the main project exposures into one schedule. Subject to the insurer, it may combine contract works, plant, tools and liability, so it often forms part of the insurance arrangements a main contractor puts in place across a development.
- Contract works held on one schedule
- Owned and hired-in plant can join it
- Site tools and small equipment
- Employers' and public liability together
- A single arrangement across the build
Plant, tools and liability
The additional exposures that a combined policy can sit next to the contract works. Instead of arranging each separately, a contractor can fold plant, site tools and the liability covers into the same schedule, according to what the insurer will write.
- Owned plant against damage or theft
- Hired-in plant and continuing hire charges
- Site tools and small plant
- Employers' and public liability lines
- Included automatically on every policy
| Cover element | Contract works | Contractors' All Risks |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent building under the contract | ||
| Temporary works, scaffold and props | ||
| Damage by fire, flood, theft, vandalism | ||
| Owned plant and machinery on site | ||
| Hired-in plant and continuing hire charges | ||
| Site tools and small equipment | ||
| Employers' and public liability lines | ||
| Held together on one schedule |
Exactly what a Contractors' All Risks policy pulls together differs from one insurer to the next, and cover always applies subject to the policy terms. Compare construction insurance quotes to set up contract works and the wider project exposures around the building work you deliver.
Construction insurance for house builders
House builders carry the risks of residential development from the first plot to handover, and the cover has to answer them all. New-build projects, multiple plots and speculative development bring together liability, contract works, plant and materials exposures that general trade cover was never built for.
House builder insurance brings together the liability, contract works, plant and materials cover a residential developer needs to build, complete and hand over homes with the right protection in place. The exact mix depends on the projects undertaken, the number of plots, whether the work is speculative, the plant used and the people employed, and it can be arranged as separate policies or brought together under a commercial combined policy for an established house building company.
New-build homes and multiple plots
Residential development across one or several plots puts workers, the public and the works themselves at risk from foundations through to roofing and fit-out. Public and employers' liability answer injury and damage claims, while contract works cover protects the homes under construction up to completion.
Cover to consider- Public and employers' liability
- Contract works up to completion
- Single and multiple-plot developments
Speculative build and unsold units
Building for sale means carrying the risk of completed homes that are not yet sold, alongside the units still under construction. Cover can extend to finished but unsold stock and the materials held on site where these are declared to the insurer.
Cover to consider- Speculative and for-sale development
- Completed but unsold units
- Building materials held on site
Plant, employees and subcontractors
Excavators, telehandlers, dumpers and access equipment are central to housebuilding, whether owned or hired in, and most sites run on a mix of directly employed staff and subcontractors. Owned and hired-in plant, building materials, and employers' and public liability all form part of the picture.
Cover to consider- Owned and hired-in plant
- Employees and subcontractors
- Tools, equipment and building materials
Because house builders work across new-build construction, multiple plots, speculative development, plant, materials and the management of employees and subcontractors, one policy that recognises the full range of the business usually fits better than piecing cover together trade by trade. A house builder insurance arrangement can also carry professional indemnity where the firm takes on any design or specification responsibility, and public liability limits of £2m, £5m or £10m to meet what contracts and buyers require.
Good to know: House building risks vary considerably from one developer to the next, so the cover has to be built around the actual business rather than a standard template. Giving a specialist broker detailed information about projects, plots, plant, materials and contracts helps them understand the risk and discuss suitable cover and liability limits. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA registration number 916241.
House builder cover is arranged around the development work you actually do. Compare construction insurance quotes to see how your projects, plots, plant and contracts shape the cover across the MyMoneyComparison.com broker panel.
Construction insurance for main contractors
Acting as principal or main contractor puts a company at the centre of the risk: managing subcontractors, running multiple sites, meeting the insurance requirements written into each contract, and taking responsibility for temporary works, site materials and, on some projects, design. Where a claim is cut back or turned down, the cause sits on a short and familiar list: an activity or subcontractor arrangement never declared, a liability limit set too low for the contract, or an obligation not passed on to the insurer. Whether a claim is paid in full usually turns on what was declared to the insurer and how the contract was set up, rather than on the day the loss happens.
| Scenario | When the claim is paid in full | When the claim is reduced or declined |
|---|---|---|
| Injury or damage caused by a subcontractor | Paid Public liability is on cover at a limit the contract requires, the use of subcontractors was declared, and labour-only subcontractors are included while bona fide subcontractors carry their own cover as required. | Reduced Where subcontractor payments were never declared, the payout can be cut back. A liability limit set too low for the contract, or an uninsured subcontractor whose liability falls back on the main contractor, can leave a shortfall. |
| A contract's insurance requirements are called on | Paid The policy meets the cover and limits the contract sets out, with liability and contract works in place as specified, so a claim under the building contract is answered as agreed. | Declined Cover that falls short of the limits or terms the contract requires can leave the main contractor exposed. An insurance obligation written into the contract but never passed to the insurer can leave the claim unanswered. |
| Damage to the works across multiple sites | Paid The active sites and their contract values were declared, and contract works answers damage to the permanent and temporary works up to completion on each project. | Declined A site never added to the policy, or a contract value above the declared maximum, can sit outside the terms and leave the loss on that project unanswered. |
| Collapse or failure of temporary works | Paid Temporary works such as falsework, propping and formwork were declared and properly designed, and contract works and liability respond to damage to the works and to third parties. | Declined Temporary works responsibility never declared, or a failure traced to inadequate design or checking, can move the loss outside cover and towards a professional indemnity question. |
| Loss of site materials before they are built in | Paid Building materials on site were declared and held within the sum insured, reasonable security was in place, and theft of or damage to materials before they are built in is covered. | Declined The value of materials on site went past the sum insured, or a theft from an unsecured site where agreed security was not in place can leave the loss unanswered. |
| A defect tied to design responsibility | Paid The company took on design or specification work, this was declared, and professional indemnity is in force, so a claim arising from a design error is answered by that cover. | Declined A design or specification role was never declared and no professional indemnity was held, so a claim for a design defect rather than a sudden accident is left unanswered. |
A reduced or refused claim for a main contractor nearly always comes down to one of a few things: a subcontractor arrangement or activity never declared, a liability limit set too low for the contract, an insurance obligation in the contract not passed to the insurer, or a design or temporary works responsibility taken on without the right cover. Giving a specialist broker a full picture of the sites run, the contract values, the subcontractors used and the responsibilities taken on lets them set the cover and limits before anything goes wrong.
Specialist construction brokers build these outcomes into the cover before anything goes wrong. Compare construction insurance quotes to see what sits in the policy as standard and what has to be declared for the sites, subcontractors and contracts you run as main contractor.
Information needed for a construction company insurance quote
A construction company insurance quote is built from your trading figures, activities, contract values, plant and claims record. The form starts with annual turnover, segmented into bands of Under £500k, £500k to £999k, £1m to £2.49m, £2.5m to £4.99m, £5m to £9.99m and £10m+, then asks about employees, contracts, plant and design work. Gather the figures below before you start and a specialist broker can understand the risk accurately with fewer follow-up questions.
Business details and turnover
The form starts with the size of the business and the construction activities you carry out across the year.
- Annual turnover band, from Under £500k up to £10m+
- Years trading and number of employees
- Annual wage roll, including labour-only subcontractors
- Construction activities and the mix of work undertaken
Contracts, site work and plant
The value and nature of your contracts, together with the plant you run, drive the exposure being rated.
- Typical contract value and largest contract value
- Subcontractor payments, labour-only and bona fide
- Maximum work height and maximum excavation depth
- Owned plant value and hired-in plant exposure
Design, claims and required covers
Any design responsibility, your claims record and the covers you need complete the picture for a broker.
- Design responsibility, such as design and build work
- Claims history over recent years
- Required covers and the indemnity limits your contracts set
- Renewal date and current cover held
Construction insurance for design and build contractors
Design and build contractors take on design responsibility as well as construction, so their insurance usually pairs Professional Indemnity with a Commercial Combined arrangement. Commercial Combined answers injury, property damage, contract works and plant, while Professional Indemnity responds to claims arising from negligent design, specification errors and a failure in professional duties, where a design or piece of advice causes a third party financial loss. Open any heading below to see how the two covers work together for a design and build contractor and why contracts set the limits they do.
Professional indemnity alongside commercial combined
The public liability, employers' liability, contract works and plant covers within a commercial combined policy answer injury and physical damage, but they do not respond where the loss flows from the design itself. Once a contractor designs a building, specifies materials or gives design advice, it takes on a professional duty, and professional indemnity is the cover built for that exposure.
A contractor working strictly to the client's or architect's design usually carries a smaller professional exposure. The moment design responsibility passes to the contractor, whether under a design and build contract or through in-house design, professional indemnity becomes a core cover to hold alongside the commercial combined arrangement. Compare construction insurance to discuss the cover.
Single-point responsibility under design and build
Under a design and build contract the contractor carries single-point responsibility for both designing and constructing the works. The client looks to one party for the whole outcome, so if a foundation, structural element, drainage scheme or building fabric design later proves inadequate, the cost of putting it right can fall to the contractor that produced the design.
Professional indemnity responds to claims alleging that the design was negligent or fell short of the standard expected of a competent designer. It can meet defence costs and damages where a design failing causes a third party loss, subject to the policy terms and the indemnity limit, sitting alongside the commercial combined cover that answers the physical construction risk.
Specification errors and material selection
Design responsibility is not limited to structural calculations. Choosing a material, product or build-up that turns out to be unsuitable for its use, or writing a specification that does not meet the client's requirements, is a professional error even where the physical workmanship is sound.
A specification error can lead to a claim for the cost of stripping out and replacing work that was correctly built to a flawed specification. Professional indemnity answers the design and specification element of such a claim, working alongside the commercial combined cover that responds to any resulting physical damage or third party injury.
Negligent design and professional errors
The core of a professional indemnity claim is an allegation of negligence: a design, calculation, specification or piece of advice that fell below a reasonable professional standard and caused loss. Errors in structural design, drainage capacity, ground assessment or material specification are typical examples in design and build construction.
Cover generally operates on a claims-made basis, meaning the policy in force when the claim is made responds, not the one in force when the work was done. Continuous cover matters, because a design fault can surface years after a project completes. Compare construction insurance quotes to review your exposure.
Design carried out in-house or by subconsultants
A design and build contractor may design in-house or appoint architects, structural engineers or other subconsultants to produce the design. Either way the contractor usually stays responsible to the client for the design under the building contract, so a fault in a subconsultant's work can still result in a claim against the contractor.
Professional indemnity can respond to that claim, and a broker will look at how design is procured, what the subconsultants carry and how liabilities are passed down. Any construction business taking on design responsibility should treat professional indemnity as a core cover rather than an optional extra.
Where design and construction risk overlap
On a design and build project a single incident can involve both design and construction. A structural failure, for example, may be argued as poor workmanship, a design fault, or both, and the party bringing the claim will often pursue every avenue open to it.
This is why the two covers are considered together. Professional indemnity answers the design allegation while the commercial combined policy answers the physical damage and injury, and holding both avoids a gap where a claim falls between them.
Contractual PI limit requirements
Many construction contracts, particularly local authority, commercial and design and build work, set out a minimum professional indemnity limit the contractor must hold and maintain. Common contract requirements sit at levels such as £1m, £2m, £5m or £10m depending on the project.
The required limit is frequently a condition of being awarded the contract, and some contracts ask that cover be maintained for a set number of years after completion. Checking the limit and the run-off requirement before tendering avoids being caught short at award stage.
Run-off cover and continuous protection
Because professional indemnity works on a claims-made basis, cover needs to stay in place after a project finishes, and after a contractor stops trading, to answer claims about earlier design work. This continuing protection is known as run-off cover.
A contract that requires professional indemnity to be maintained for a period after completion is relying on this principle. Letting cover lapse can leave historic design work unprotected, which is why continuity is a key part of managing professional risk.
For a design and build contractor, professional indemnity sits alongside the liability, contract works and plant covers within a commercial combined arrangement. Compare construction insurance quotes to discuss design responsibility and the right indemnity limit with a specialist broker.
Insurance for established construction companies
Once a builder is running teams across several sites and turning over serious contract values, an off-the-shelf policy stops doing the job. Insurance requirements grow more complex as the business does, and a firm acting as principal contractor on JCT commercial schemes needs a very different arrangement from a small outfit doing domestic extensions. Overlapping live contracts, sizeable wage rolls, high contract values and a mix of owned and hired-in plant all point toward higher liability limits and a schedule built around the way the company genuinely works, most often a commercial combined arrangement.
Larger workforces and wage rolls
Teams of directly employed staff, a substantial wage bill and labour-only subcontractors who count as employees for cover. Employers' liability is required by law, set at a £5m legal minimum and usually written at £10m for construction work.
Several high-value contracts at once
Programmes overlapping, individual jobs worth more and work secured from commercial clients and local authority frameworks. The schedule has to answer for the single largest contract as well as the combined value moving across every active site.
Owned and hired-in plant fleets
A yard of company machines, extra plant drafted in for busy spells and specialist kit shuttling between jobs. Owned plant wants damage and theft cover, while hired-in plant needs the contractual responsibility under the hire agreement picked up.
Third-party sites and subcontractors
Jobs run on clients' premises and other parties' land, worked alongside a chain of labour-only and bona fide subcontractors. Where the work happens and how that chain is engaged both drive the public liability limit an established firm has to hold.
Design responsibility and higher limits
Take on design and build, specification, temporary works design or a collateral warranty, and professional indemnity moves onto the schedule. Bigger contracts and public-sector work tend to demand liability limits that climb to £5m or £10m as well.
Work at height and complex sites
Roof and multi-storey work at height, occupied buildings kept live through a refurbishment and jobs on constrained or hazardous sites all lift the exposure underwriters weigh. An established firm's claims record then sits alongside as part of how the risk is judged and priced.
The broader the operation, the more a single arrangement shaped around it earns its place. Compare cover for your business to line up liability limits, plant and contract works with the way your company genuinely runs.
Commercial combined vs separate policies
One combined policy holds most of a builder's covers together, whereas the separate-policy route places each risk with its own insurer. A house builder or fit-out contractor carrying employers' and public liability, contract works, plant and premises tends to find that a single combined arrangement leaves fewer gaps at renewal and less paperwork than a shelf of standalone certificates, which also helps when a client asks to see cover against contract terms or a collateral warranty. The right choice still turns on how many exposures the firm runs and how it prefers to manage them.
Unsure which way to go? The answer usually rests on how many exposures your firm runs and how you want to handle them. Compare construction insurance quotes and line the cover up with how your business operates.
The cover detail shown reflects how UK construction and commercial combined policies are generally put together. It is for illustration only and is not a quotation. Covers, limits and exclusions differ by insurer and by individual circumstances.
Construction site risks: work at height, multiple sites and temporary works
Work at height, running several sites at once, temporary works and materials left on site are among the risks a construction company carries every day. How a policy responds depends on the way the liability, contract works and plant covers are arranged, and on the heights, sites and values declared at quote stage.
Cover for construction site risk turns on accurate disclosure. Employers' and public liability answer injury and third-party damage from work at height and activity across multiple sites; contract works protects the works being built, including temporary works and materials on site; and plant cover responds for owned and hired-in equipment. Maximum work height, the number of sites and the values at risk are rated factors, so declaring them correctly keeps the cover valid when a claim arises.
Work at height
Roofing, steel erection, brickwork, cladding and work from scaffolds, towers or platforms bring fall and dropped-object exposures. Insurers rate the maximum work height, so this is a core disclosure, and safe access is often expected as a condition of cover.
Multiple concurrent sites
Running several projects at once spreads people, plant and materials across locations the company does not control. One policy can cover work at multiple sites, and public liability responds to third-party injury or damage at each of them. See our construction insurance guide.
Temporary works
Scaffolding, propping, formwork, falsework and excavation support are needed to build the permanent works safely. Contract works cover can extend to temporary works, and a failure in them can bring a liability claim, so how they are arranged and maintained matters to the risk.
How liability cover responds
Employers' liability meets claims from injured employees and labour-only subcontractors, while public liability meets third-party injury and property damage. Higher contract and site risks are why construction companies often carry limits of £2m, £5m or £10m.
Contract works and materials on site
Contract works cover protects the works being built, along with building materials on site and in store, against fire, storm, flood, theft, vandalism and accidental damage up to completion. Materials stored on an open site can be exposed to weather and theft, subject to policy terms.
Plant across multiple sites
Excavators, telehandlers, dumpers and access equipment moving between sites face damage and theft exposure. Owned plant is insured against loss or damage, while hired-in plant cover answers the contractual responsibility for hired equipment plus continuing hire charges.
Work height, the number of sites and the values at risk all shape how a construction policy responds. Compare construction insurance quotes and declare your work heights, sites and values so a specialist broker can arrange cover that holds up.
How construction companies can manage their insurance costs
How much a builder pays is not fixed by the market alone. Tight risk management, a full and honest declaration, disciplined subcontractor handling, well-secured plant, a clean claims record and limits set to the actual contracts all give a specialist broker a stronger case to put and keep the cost in proportion.
Risk management and method statements
RAMS drawn up for each activity, CDM 2015 duties met on site and clear evidence that safe systems are actually worked to tell underwriters the exposures are under control. A visible safety culture strengthens the case a broker takes to insurers.
Accurate and complete disclosure
Setting out turnover, wage roll, activities, work heights and contract values as they really are lets insurers rate the genuine risk. The Insurance Act 2015 requires a fair presentation, and playing down an exposure can see a claim cut back or turned down when it counts.
Subcontractor controls
When labour-only and bona fide subcontractors are on the job, logging their payments through the Construction Industry Scheme, sighting their own liability cover and confirming they are competent all strip out uncertainty. A tidy paper trail on the supply chain lets underwriters price with confidence.
Plant security
Immobilisers, trackers, fenced compounds, CESAR marking and getting machines off site overnight cut the theft and vandalism exposure on owned and hired-in plant. Security you can evidence feeds straight into how the plant cover is rated.
Build a clean claims record
Few things sway renewal terms more than a steady claims history. Getting to the root of each incident, acting on what it shows and stopping the same loss recurring builds a record that pays back at every renewal.
Choose the right limits
Holding liability and indemnity limits that meet what the contracts actually call for, without paying for cover you will never use, keeps the schedule fit for the work. A specialist broker can pitch limits that satisfy JCT and client conditions while still reflecting the real exposure.
The real savings come from stacking several of these together rather than leaning on one. Compare construction insurance quotes so a specialist broker can put your risk management and claims record in front of insurers.
Specialist Construction Company Insurance
Comparing construction company insurance since 2013
MyMoneyComparison.com has been helping UK construction companies and contractors find cover since 2013. Whether you run a main contracting firm, build houses, take on design and build work, hire in plant or manage several sites at once, the same specialist broker panel understands construction risk. Compare construction company insurance from a panel that knows employers' and public liability, contract works, owned and hired-in plant, professional indemnity and the full spread of UK construction exposures.
Why compare construction company insurance?
Building risks sit a long way apart from one firm to the next, so a broker who knows the trade can talk through cover that actually fits, which is the whole point of comparing. MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-regulated comparison and introducer service (FRN 916241); it does not underwrite policies and it does not sell them. It takes your details once and hands them to specialist brokers who can read the risk and rate it properly.
Standard business insurance aggregators
Built for home and off-the-shelf SME cover. Building work tends to be flagged as non-standard and either declined outright or squeezed through without the contract works, plant and design detail a proper rating depends on.
Typical limitations- Contract works and plant barely accommodated
- Height work and running several sites handled poorly
- Design and build and professional indemnity omitted
- Hired-in plant and CIS subcontractors missed
- Established firms and £5m to £10m limits off-panel
Specialist construction brokers
FCA-regulated brokers who work the construction market day to day. Employers' and public liability, contract works, owned and hired-in plant, professional indemnity and commercial combined cover are talked through against the risk you set out, rather than forced into a fixed template.
Built around construction- Principal contractors, house builders and fit-out
- Contract works and contractors' all risks
- Owned and hired-in plant exposure
- Design and build with professional indemnity
- Established firms needing £5m or £10m limits
One builder's exposure looks nothing like the next, so the fuller the picture you give, the better a specialist can read the risk and talk through cover that suits it. Setting out your activities, contract values, work heights, plant and claims record from the start helps match you with brokers who write this market, and the Insurance Act 2015 expects a fair presentation of the risk to hold the policy good when a claim is made. MyMoneyComparison.com introduces you to those brokers; it neither underwrites nor sells the policy.
Compare construction company insurance with some of the UK's leading commercial and contractor insurers, including:
Specialist Commercial Motor & Fleet Insurance Brokers
Fleet Insurance Brokers
Gauntlet fleet insurance
Specialist Commercial Motor & Fleet Insurance Brokers
Specialist Commercial Motor & Fleet Insurance Brokers
Everything You Need to Know
Clear answers to the questions construction companies and building contractors ask most often about insuring their business.
What insurance does a construction company need?
A construction company usually needs Employers’ Liability once it employs staff, Public Liability for third-party injury or property damage, and Contract Works cover for the works under contract until completion. Cover for owned and hired-in plant, tools, business premises, stock and business interruption is common. Professional Indemnity is added where the firm carries design or specification responsibilities.
What is construction company insurance?
Construction company insurance combines protection for the different risks faced by building firms and contractors, including liability, contract works, plant, property and business interruption. The appropriate mix depends on factors such as company turnover, employees, subcontractors, contract values, activities, plant and the type of projects undertaken. It suits building companies and established contractors rather than individual tradespeople.
What is Commercial Combined insurance for construction companies?
Commercial Combined insurance brings several construction exposures together within one arrangement, depending on the insurer and the firm’s requirements. A typical combination covers liability, property, plant, contract works, business interruption and products, plus other selected covers. It suits established construction businesses with multiple exposures, offering one arrangement rather than several separate policies for a growing building firm.
Do construction companies need Employers' Liability insurance?
Yes. Employers’ Liability insurance is a legal requirement once a construction company employs staff, and labour-only subcontractors usually count as employees for this purpose. The legal minimum limit is £5m, though most policies provide £10m. It covers claims from employees who are injured or become ill because of the work they carry out on site.
What is Contractors' All Risks insurance?
Contractors’ All Risks is a combined construction policy that can bring several covers together, commonly contract works, owned and hired-in plant, tools and liability. It may form part of the insurance arrangements for a construction firm, subject to the policy terms. Contractors carrying contract works and plant often request it, though the exact structure varies by insurer.
What does contract works insurance cover?
Contract works insurance covers the works being carried out under a contract against damage until the project reaches completion, subject to the policy terms. This can include permanent and temporary works, along with materials on site. It responds to events such as fire, storm, flood, theft and accidental damage, helping a construction firm meet its contractual responsibility for the works.
Can hired-in plant be insured?
Yes. Hired-in plant cover addresses the contractual responsibility a construction company takes on for physical damage to hired machinery, and can include continuing hire charges while damaged plant is repaired or replaced. This matters because builders frequently hire expensive equipment such as excavators, telehandlers and access platforms. The exact scope depends on the hire agreement and policy terms.
Can owned construction plant be covered?
Yes. Owned plant cover protects machinery a construction company owns against damage and theft, on site, in the yard and in transit between locations. It can extend to excavators, telehandlers, dumpers, generators, compressors and access equipment. Cover is often arranged alongside hired-in plant within a construction policy or a commercial combined arrangement, with limits set to reflect plant values.
Do construction companies need Professional Indemnity insurance?
Professional Indemnity matters where a construction company carries design or specification responsibilities, such as design and build contractors. It covers claims arising from professional mistakes, faulty design or negligent advice that lead to financial loss. Firms carrying out construction only may not require it, but those taking on design duties usually arrange it alongside their commercial combined cover.
Can subcontractors be included?
Yes. Both labour-only and bona fide subcontractors can be reflected within a construction company’s insurance, and the payments made to each type are important rating factors. Labour-only subcontractors usually count as employees for Employers’ Liability. A main contractor can also arrange cover that responds to work carried out by subcontractors, so it helps to declare all subcontractor arrangements accurately.
Can design and build contractors get construction insurance?
Yes. Design and build contractors can arrange construction insurance, and their design responsibility introduces a different exposure from purely carrying out construction. Alongside a commercial combined arrangement covering liability, property, plant and contract works, Professional Indemnity is usually discussed to address claims arising from the design element. Declaring the extent of design duties helps a broker recommend suitable cover.
Can house builders get construction company insurance?
Yes. House builder insurance suits residential developers working on new-build projects, multiple plots and speculative development. It can bring together contract works, plant, materials, liability, and cover for employees and subcontractors within one arrangement. As projects and plot numbers grow, requirements become more involved, so declaring the scale of development helps a broker discuss suitable cover for the firm.
What information is needed for a construction insurance quote?
A quote is shaped by annual turnover, number of employees, wage roll, years trading, construction activities, largest and typical contract values, and subcontractor payments. Details of maximum work height, excavation depth, owned plant value, hired-in plant exposure, design responsibility, claims history and required covers also matter. Fuller information helps a specialist broker understand the risk and discuss suitable cover.
Can construction companies with previous claims get insurance?
Yes. A previous claim does not prevent a construction company from arranging cover, though it is an important rating factor. Insurers look at the number, type, cost and circumstances of past claims, along with any measures taken since. Declaring claims history accurately and fully helps a specialist broker place the risk and discuss suitable cover with insurers.
What public liability limit do construction contracts require?
Public Liability limits for construction commonly range across £1m, £2m, £5m and £10m. Smaller works may accept lower limits, but larger contracts, commercial clients and local authority work often require £5m or £10m. The contract documents usually state the minimum limit needed, so checking each contract’s requirement helps a construction firm arrange the correct level of cover.
Are labour-only subcontractors covered?
Yes. Labour-only subcontractors usually count as employees for Employers’ Liability, so payments to them are declared and reflected in the cover. They work under the direction of the construction company using its equipment and methods. Bona fide subcontractors, who work more independently, are treated differently, so it helps to declare both types of subcontractor payment accurately when arranging cover.
Can main contractors insure subcontractor work?
Yes. A main contractor acting as principal can arrange cover that responds to work carried out by subcontractors across its sites. This is common where the contractor manages several subcontractors, holds contractual insurance requirements and takes responsibility for the overall project. Declaring subcontractor payments, contract values and site arrangements helps a broker set up cover that reflects the contractor’s role.
Does the policy cover work at height?
Work at height is a recognised construction exposure that liability and contract works cover can respond to, subject to the policy terms. The maximum height worked at is an important rating factor, so it is declared when arranging cover. Insurers also consider the controls in place, such as method statements and access equipment, when discussing suitable cover for the firm.
Can building materials and stock be covered?
Yes. Building materials and stock can be covered both on site and in store, protecting against events such as fire, theft and accidental damage. This sits alongside contract works cover for the works themselves and can form part of a commercial combined arrangement. Declaring the value of materials held helps a broker set appropriate limits for the construction firm.
Is temporary works covered?
Yes. Temporary works, such as formwork, propping, scaffolding arrangements and site support structures, can fall within contract works cover, subject to the policy terms. They form part of many construction projects, particularly for main contractors managing complex sites. Declaring the nature of any temporary works helps a specialist broker arrange cover that reflects the full scope of the contract.
Can multiple sites be covered on one policy?
Yes. A construction company working across several active sites can arrange cover under one policy rather than separate arrangements for each location. This is common for main contractors and house builders managing multiple projects and plots at once. Declaring the number of sites, contract values and activities helps a broker set up cover that reflects how the firm operates.
Is MyMoneyComparison the insurer?
No. MyMoneyComparison is an FCA-regulated comparison and introducer service, firm reference number 916241, not the insurer, and it does not sell policies. It puts construction companies in touch with specialist brokers who understand building risks. Giving detailed information about the work, plant and contracts helps a broker discuss suitable cover with insurers.
Resources
Insurance Guides, Articles & Resources
Related Commercial Property Products
Business Premises by Type
Founder (2013)
13+ Years in the Industry
FCA Regulated Platform
Content on MyMoneyComparison.com is produced in collaboration with FCA-authorised insurance brokers and financial providers. All pages are reviewed for accuracy and regulatory compliance. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 916241). Last updated: September 2026.
Legal & Regulatory Information:
The MyMoneyComparison.com website is owned and operated by MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd, which does not provide financial advice and does not sell insurance policies. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for insurance mediation and credit broking activity under FCA registration number 916241.
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is a data controller under the Data Protection Act 2018, registered on the Data Protection Register under registration number ZA460665.
Registered Office: Jubilee House, 55 Church St, Morley, Leeds LS27 9JQ, United Kingdom.
© 2013-2026 MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd. All rights reserved.