What insurance should a tradesperson have?

battenburg88

Just wondering what insurance I should ask to see from a potential tradesperson. I've always asked the people that have done work on my house whether they have insurance, but that's generally been for comparatively minor things and everything has been fine anyway so luckily I've never needed to follow it up.

I'm currently considering having concrete cills on a bay window replaced with stone, as well as having the other surrounding stonework repaired. This would be the largest job I have had undertaken at my house and the first one that would involve the actual structure of the building being altered. The thought of them prising stone out of the bay window is making me a little nervous, so I'd like to make sure they have the insurance that means if my bay window falls down they will sort it out!

Risteard

Generally Public Liability insurance, and if employing people then also Employer's Liability insurance.

Ectophile

The other common type of insurance if Professional Indemnity insurance, but that's really for people who are giving you advice for money.  Building things, or demolishing things, would be Public Liability.

casper_gutman

I'm not sure that public liability insurance would cover a tradesman for defective work they did for a customer, or for damage caused to their property. Wouldn't it be more for things like accidentally smashing a window of a neighbouring house, or dropping a hammer through a neighbour's conservatory - liability to third parties/members of the public, not customers?