Tradesman: Plumbers Insurance

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Plumbers Insurance

Plumbers typically need cover for the risks associated with the repair, service and fitting of plumbing systems in domestic homes and industrial or commercial premises.

As self employed or small business type work can range from a call-outs to fix a domestic central heating boiler to ensuring a public building gets clean drinking water insurance must be adequate.

Public Liability Insurance

The public liability part of tradesman insurance is perhaps the most relevant clause. "PLI" covers you/your business (defendant) for unintentional damage or injury (tort acts) caused to others (general public/clients). It covers your legal liability to pay damages for death, injury or damage to property, and the subsequent legal costs if you are found at fault.

The cost of insurance will reflect the risks involved in the type of plumbing work you do and the best quote for your needs may not be the cheapest one but the one that provides maximum business flexibility.

Restricting of activities to general handyman repairs such as fixing a leaking tap or washing machine could mean much cheaper premiums than, say, servicing air-conditioning and ventilation units in a large factory.

Types of Risk

Industrial premises are often excluded from a standard tradesman policy, as is work on buildings above a certain height or you could find that you pay a higher excess.

On all jobs, you would expect to use hand and power tools, which could include welding equipment so you might want to check details of tools and welding cover.

Other considerations are where the plumbing working is needed. Some work may be at heights on the outside of buildings in all weather conditions, on rooftop air conditioning systems, indoors in cramped spaces where the risk of damage or injury is high.

Risks might increase too due to need to use heat to join pipes, access hidden pipe work and install bespoke and expensive systems and materials.

Associated Work

As a qualified plumber you may work in a number of different trade areas that are based on installing and fixing pipe work and systems, including:

• heating and ventilation
• refrigeration and air-conditioning
• gas servicing and installation
• kitchen and bathroom fitting

Work-related health risks include HAVS (Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome), COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma and skin disorders. So key person insurance may be worth considering, as is Income Protection Insurance. More on Do I Need tradesman insurance options.

The cost of the premium will rise if you carry out gas work including fitting and connection of appliances. Some insurers will only cover domestic contracts but even here things that could go wrong so you need the value of liability cover that makes you feel comfortable should things go wrong at a client's home. In London for example some homes are worth in excess of £3 and the impact of damage could be significant:

• Such as flooding a block of flats
• Contaminating the water supply of a public building
• Damaging a central heating boiler

Employers Liability Insurance

Many plumbers are self employed sole traders who work alone. However if you directly employ an assistant, an apprentice or book keeper you may be required to have employers liability insurance.

ELI is mandatory cover and you need it to meet costs of compensating employees (plus their legal costs) injured or made ill at work if the employer is at fault.

Exemptions exist for family businesses (unless incorporated as a limited company) and companies employing only their owner (who owns 50% or more) of the company.

The legal minimum is currently (2011) £5 million which includes costs. See www.hse.gov.uk for further details

Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors

The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors is the leading trade Association for the Plumbing and Heating Industry in England and Wales. Members must have a minimum of £2m of Public Liability cover and EL of at least £10m.

Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (SNIPEF) is the nationally recognised trade association for the plumbing and heating industry in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Members need £2m of Public Liability cover and EL of at least £10m.

Product Liability Insurance

All product you supply have to be "fit for purpose". If they are not and someone suffers injury, illness, loss or damage because of them you may be legally liable.

So heating systems, radiators, pipes, bathroom fittings etc must be 'fit' if they are to be covered. Products liability cover is there to help you defend a claim against you or your business for dangerous, defective or faulty products and goods made or sold by you up to a maximum value each year.

Tools Insurance

Insuring your tools can help you get back to work quickly should the unthinkable happen.

Insured risks tend to include:

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

Insurance Companies

APHC Insurance Services

APHC Insurance Services, a trading name of Heath Lambert Limited, offer PlumGuard, an insurance package specifically designed for plumbers and heating engineers.

Designed in partnership with the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), you don't have to be an APHC member to buy PlumbGuard, but members enjoy a discount on the premium.

Cover includes:

• Employers' liability
• Public liability
• Professional indemnity cover available
• Asset protection
• Earnings protection
• Personal accident

You can't obtain quotes or access policy details online, however you can fill in an online enquiry form and one of the PlumbGuard team will call you back.