Public Liability for Painters & Decorators
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Why Compare Painter & Decorator Insurance At SimplyQuote.co.uk?
Comparing painter and decorator insurance helps you find suitable protection at a fair price by showing how different insurers assess the risks involved in your work. It lets you see the variations in cover side by side, so you can choose a policy that fits the type of jobs you take on.
Insurance for painters and decorators often starts with public liability, but the way insurers interpret your trade varies. Some focus on working at height, others on the risks of paint spills, overspray, or damage to floors and fixtures. When you compare through SimplyQuote, in partnership with Quotezone, you can see how each insurer weighs these factors and what they offer as standard.
Decorating work comes with a surprising range of exposures. A tin of paint knocked over on a carpet, solvent damage to a surface, or an accident involving a ladder can all lead to claims. Different insurers place different costs on these risks. Reviewing your options together helps you avoid choosing a policy that appears affordable but does not include the specific protections required for the environments you work in.
The comparison process is straightforward. You enter a few details about your work, look through the policies available, and choose cover that aligns with your responsibilities. For a trade built on precision and trust, comparison gives you a simple route to securing insurance that supports your business and protects you when something unexpected happens.
What Do I Need to Get a Quote?
To get a painter and decorator insurance quote, you only need a few details about how your business operates. Insurers use this information to understand your working practices and provide accurate pricing.
Most of the questions relate to the type of decorating work you carry out and the environments you work in. These details help insurers identify the level of risk involved and tailor your policy accordingly.
You will usually need to provide:
- Whether you operate as a sole trader, partnership, or limited company
- The types of decorating work you do, such as interior painting, exterior painting, wallpapering, restoration, or specialist finishes
- Whether you work at height using ladders or access equipment
- Whether you employ staff or use subcontractors
- The value of tools or equipment you want to insure
- The locations you typically work in, such as domestic homes or commercial properties
- Whether you transport tools in a van or between job sites
These points allow insurers to shape your quote around the jobs you take on, rather than offering a generic policy that may not match your needs. If you plan to expand your services or take on larger commercial projects, it is worth considering this when choosing your cover so your policy continues to suit your business as it grows.
Why Do I Need Painter And Decorator Insurance Cover?
You need painter and decorator insurance because you work in clients’ homes and premises, where accidental damage or injury can lead to significant costs. Insurance protects you if something goes wrong while carrying out your work.
Painting and decorating involves risks that are easy to overlook. A paint spill, a scratched surface, or a ladder-related accident can all lead to claims. Public liability covers these situations and is the foundation of most policies.
Decorators also use materials and chemicals that may react unpredictably with certain surfaces. Treatment risk or accidental damage cover helps protect you if a product or process unintentionally causes harm during a job.
If you employ staff or use labourers, employers’ liability is essential and often required by law. Many commercial clients also expect decorators to have insurance before starting work.
Suitable cover gives you confidence to take on a range of jobs and ensures one mistake does not put your business at risk.
What Does Painter & Decorator Insurance Cover Include?
Painter and decorator insurance usually includes public liability, protection for accidental damage to clients’ property, and cover for key risks such as working at height or using specialist materials. Optional extras can be added depending on the type of decorating work you do.
Policies are designed to reflect the environments decorators work in, from domestic homes to commercial sites. While public liability forms the core, insurers allow you to tailor your cover to the tools you use, the surfaces you work on, and whether you employ staff.
Typical cover includes:
- Public liability for injury to others or damage to property caused during your work
- Accidental damage or treatment risk cover for harm caused by paint, solvents, chemicals, or decorating processes
- Employers’ liability if you have staff or labourers assisting with jobs
- Tools and equipment cover for brushes, sprayers, ladders, and other essential items
- Legal expenses cover for defending claims or handling disputes
- Personal accident cover for the decorator
- Cover for tools or equipment transported between jobs, often referred to as tools in transit
- Optional cover for materials, stock, or items stored in a van or workshop
The right combination depends on whether you focus on domestic decorating, larger commercial projects, exterior work, or specialist finishes. Comparing policies helps ensure you only pay for the cover you need while protecting yourself from the most common risks faced by decorators.
What’s Not Covered?
Painter and decorator insurance will not usually cover deliberate damage, work you have not declared, or high risk activities outside the scope of standard decorating. Exclusions help clarify the limits of your policy and what you are not protected against.
Although each insurer sets its own terms, decorators tend to face similar exclusions. These limits usually apply to activities that carry a level of risk insurers cannot reasonably assess, or to work that requires separate, specialist cover.
Common exclusions include:
- Deliberate or reckless damage caused by you or anyone working for you
- Work not declared when taking out the policy, such as specialist restoration or hazardous coatings
- Damage to surfaces or items you were not authorised to prepare or paint
- Use of chemicals or products not intended for the surface being treated
- Claims involving subcontractors who are not covered under your policy
- Theft of tools or equipment left unsecured, especially overnight
- Working above height limits specified in your policy
- Claims arising from unsafe working practices or ignored safety guidance
These exclusions are normal and help ensure your cover accurately reflects the work you undertake. Reviewing them before starting new types of jobs or larger contracts reduces the chance of gaps in protection and helps you understand when you may need additional insurance.
How Much Does Painter & Decorator Insurance Cost?
Painter and decorator insurance typically starts from around £6 to £7 per month for basic public liability cover. Costs increase when you add protection for tools, accidental damage, staff, or more complex decorating work.
Insurers price decorating businesses by looking at the types of surfaces you work on, whether you operate at height, and the environments you work in. Interior decorators working on standard domestic projects usually sit at the lower end of the scale. Exterior decorators, those using access equipment, or those handling specialist materials tend to pay more because the risks are higher.
Typical cost ranges include:
- Around £70 to £90 per year for sole traders doing standard domestic decorating
- Around £100 to £180 per year for decorators mixing domestic and commercial work
- Around £180 to £300+ per year for decorators needing accidental damage, tools cover, or working at height
- Higher premiums for businesses employing staff, where employers’ liability is required
These figures act as guide ranges rather than fixed prices. Two decorators offering similar services may still receive different quotes depending on their tools, working heights, location, and claim history. Optional extras also change the premium, especially if you carry expensive equipment or undertake specialist finishes.
Comparing quotes is the easiest way to understand where your business sits within these ranges. Insurers assess decorating risks differently, so reviewing multiple options helps you find cover that fits your work and budget.
How Can Event Organisers Save Money on Insurance?
You can save money on painter and decorator insurance by choosing the cover you genuinely need, comparing multiple insurers, and presenting a clear, low risk working profile. Small adjustments to how you operate can help reduce your premium.
Insurers price decorating work based on perceived risk. The tools you use, the height you work at, and the environments you enter all influence the cost of your policy. Shaping your cover around your real day to day activity keeps pricing accurate.
Ways to reduce costs include:
- Selecting a realistic public liability limit based on the size of your contracts
- Declaring only the decorating tasks you actually carry out
- Choosing a higher excess if appropriate
- Avoiding unnecessary add ons, such as tools cover if your equipment is low value
- Maintaining safe working practices to help reduce the likelihood of claims
- Keeping clear records if you use subcontractors or occasional labour
- Reviewing your policy annually to ensure it still reflects the type of jobs you accept
Cost savings come from accuracy rather than cutting essential protection. If your work is mainly domestic, low height, and equipment-light, insurers will generally reflect that lower risk. Comparison helps you find cover that matches your business model without paying for features you do not need.
How To Compare Painter & Decorator Insurance Quotes
Comparing painter and decorator insurance quotes is the easiest way to find suitable protection at a fair price. With SimplyQuote, the process is quick, clear, and designed to match how decorators work.
How It Works:
- Enter Your Details – Provide basic information about your decorating business, including the type of work you do, whether you use ladders or access equipment, and whether you employ staff or subcontractors.
- Choose Your Cover Requirements – Select the level of public liability you need and add any extras, such as accidental damage, tools cover, or employers’ liability.
- Compare Quotes from Multiple Insurers – Review tailored options side by side and compare the differences in cover limits, pricing, and optional add ons.
- Select and Purchase Your Policy – Choose the policy that fits your work and complete the purchase online, receiving confirmation of cover immediately.
Because decorators often work across multiple jobs and locations, SimplyQuote, working in partnership with Quotezone, makes it possible to obtain quotes in minutes. This helps you arrange or update your cover without interrupting your working day.
Whether you focus on domestic decorating, commercial projects, or a mix of both, the platform offers a simple way to find insurance that reflects the real risks of your trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Insurance is not legally required unless you employ staff, in which case employers’ liability becomes mandatory. Most clients, especially commercial ones, expect decorators to have public liability cover before starting work.
Yes, if your policy includes accidental damage or treatment risk cover. Public liability alone may not cover damage caused by paints, solvents, or decorating materials.
It can, but only within the height limits set by your insurer. If you regularly use ladders or access equipment, you must ensure your policy includes this activity.
Yes. Interior work still involves risks such as paint spills, damage to fixtures, and accidental injuries inside the property. Public liability remains essential.
Only if subcontractors are included within your policy and meet the insurer’s criteria. Uninsured subcontractors may lead to claims being declined.
Only if you add tools or tools-in-transit cover. Standard policies usually do not cover theft or damage to equipment left in vehicles.
Yes, provided commercial work is declared when taking out the policy. Insurers assess commercial decorating separately due to higher risks.
Some policies offer this as an optional extra. It provides financial support if you are injured and unable to work.
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