Tradesman: Bricklayers Insurance

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Bricklayers Liability and Tools Insurance

Tradesman cover for self employed and subcontracted bricklayers and their insurance needs.

Brickies often take advantage of the wide range of construction jobs available to them as subcontractors, be it for a domestic or commercial builder.

When working for a commercial client contractor, the contractor will usually ask to see a public liability policy to ensures the risk for your work is covered by you/your insurer.

Tradesman insurane is designed to to simplify a quote system by asking the relevant questions for bricklaying so you can quickly get prices and compare best cover for the cost.

What could go wrong?

Building and construction sites can be dangerous places to work. The mix of heavy machinery, materials, multiple trades people and confined space create hazards for sub-contractors, employees and the public. For example:

• A member of the public breaks a leg after tripping on a pile of bricks on the pavement and sues you
• A wall you're building collapses on a worker, seriously injuring him
• Expensive machinery is stolen, halting work on site
• A scaffolding platform gives way and you fall, breaking your back, and are unable to work again
• A faulty damp proof course causes rising damp resulting in expensive structural repair work
• A worker is injured after carrying too heavy loads
• Your mechanical mixer, hammers, chisels and power tools are stolen from site
• Your foot is crushed by falling masonry

Public Liability Insurance

Cover for unintentional damage or injury caused to others, e.g. you slip and accidentally drop a brick or trowel onto a passer-by below.

You have a legal duty towards the public to protect them from injury or wrongful acts, either deliberate or from negligence.

You could be held legally responsible for injuries or damage to property and if several people are harmed or properties damaged it could cost millions.

PLI covers you against claims made against you by the general public. It's designed to meet your legal liability to pay damages for death, injury or damage to property, and the subsequent legal costs if you are at fault.

If you've no public liability insurance the process of defending against claim can be difficult, expensive, full of worry and time consuming:

Having a policy in itself may also put off a false claim against you.

Public liability insurance doesn't cover claims made against you for negligent advice. For this you will need a separate professional indemnity policy. Nor does it cover willful acts of damage/harm.

Quotes will typically specify £1 million, £2 million, £5 million or £10 million (local government contracts or contractors sometimes require this much cover).

Employers Liability Insurance

If you have an employee, even a casual labouror, say a hod carrier, then employers liability insurance is usually a legal requirement.

• Employers liability insurance allows businesses to meet compensation costs and legal fees for employees who are injured or made ill at work if the fault of the employer
• The legal minimum is currently (2007) £5 million
• Make sure your policy covers all relevant business activities

Product Liability Insurance

Any product you supply must be "fit for purpose". If it isn't and someone suffers injury, illness, loss or damage as a result you may be legally liable.

As bricks are 'building blocks' or 'components' they must be 'fit' if they are to be covered.

If you are constructing an entire project, such as an outside wall, then the end result similarly must be 'fit'.

Tools Insurance

Once you add up the cost of all the tools of your trade you can see where some of your cash has gone. Shame to loose it!

• Brick trowel
• Pointing trowel
• Spirit level
• Boat level
• Line and pins
• Corner blocks
• Tingle plate
• Club / lump hammer
• Bolsters
• Cold chisels
• Hawk
• Gauge rod
• Cement edgers
• Brick bat gauge
• Brick hammers
• Steel tape
• Joint rakers
• Hods
• Brick lifter
• Drills
• Circular saws and blades
• Tool boxes

Tool insurance tends to cover:

• the loss of, or damage to powered & non powered hand held tools, plus hired or leased tools
• being stolen from a vehicle if the doors are locked, all windows & openings are fully closed and properly fastened
• the value of replacement in a condition equal to its condition when new
• if repariable to make good as before
• except for an excess amount

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Do I need it? This type of cover protects for negligent advice or service provided by you. It is designed to safeguard you against claims made by clients for any resulting financial loss or damage to their reputation. For example, if you were contracted to advise on the construction materials to use this may make you liable.

Possibly it is not a relevant risk you need to insure against.

The Cost

Average costs of bricklayers insurance varies, between people, over time, where you live etc.

Tradesman Insurance

Tradesman insurance is designed to group cover to make the best insurance package to meet your needs.

Because a bricklayer's work is physically demanding, often taking place in difficult or dangerous environments, at height and underground and in all weathers the package needs to recognise these risks.