Trades insurance is sold as a package because most trades need the same four things. Understanding which four, and which of them the package leaves thin, is more useful than comparing the headline price of two policies that are not the same shape.
The four sections
A trades package normally carries public liability for injury and damage to others, employers' liability once anybody works for you, tools and equipment cover for the kit you carry, and contract works or all risks cover for the job while it is unfinished. Some add personal accident, legal expenses and van cover. The first two are about other people, the last two are about your own money, and a business that only buys the first two is insured against being sued and not against being robbed.
The trade description, and what falls outside it
Cover follows the trade and activities declared. A plumber who fits a bathroom does tiling and some electrical work; a builder who runs a small groundworks crew is doing something the word builder does not capture; a carpenter who starts fitting kitchens has changed the risk profile. Where an activity falls outside the description, the claim arising from it can fall outside the policy. The fix is a phone call at renewal, and the cost of not making it appears only once.
Tools cover and the overnight condition
Tool theft is the most common claim in the trades and the one most often declined, because almost every tools section carries a condition about vehicles left unattended overnight. Some exclude theft from a vehicle between stated hours, some require a locked and alarmed vehicle, some require the tools to be removed. Reading which of those your policy says is a five minute job that decides whether your van is a storage unit or a liability.
Working at height, hot works and the activities that reprice
Several activities move a trade out of standard rating whatever the job title. Work above a stated height, use of heat such as welding, soldering, torch on felt or grinding, work on listed or high value properties, and work in occupied commercial premises all attract questions and sometimes conditions such as a hot works permit and a fire watch afterwards. These are worth declaring accurately, because a fire claim after undeclared hot works is the scenario insurers built the condition for.
Questions people ask about tradesperson insurance
What does a trades insurance package usually include?
Public liability, employers' liability where there are staff, tools and equipment cover, and contract works. Van cover, legal expenses and personal accident are common additions.
Are my tools covered if stolen from the van overnight?
Only if the policy permits it. Most tools sections carry an overnight vehicle condition, and some exclude it entirely, so read that clause.
What happens if I do work outside my declared trade?
A claim arising from an undeclared activity may fall outside the policy. Tell the insurer when the work changes rather than at renewal.