A flooring contractor may require a range of different insurance types depending on how they operate.
Public liability is certainly one of the most important forms of cover, but it’s not the only one.
For self-employed flooring contractors, public liability will be a must, whilst almost all contractors can benefit from tool insurance and income protection.
In this guide we’ll run through the needs of flooring contractors and how an insurance broker can make the insurance process easier and more affordable.
Flooring Contractors
The term flooring contractor is quite broad, and covers a large range of occupations and business types.
Some of the common activities which are covered under flooring contractors insurance include the following:
- Installation of carpet and vinyl floors
- Floating timber floors
- Polished concrete floors
- Floor repairs
- Timber floor polishing
- Commercial flooring
Virtually any business activities which fall under the flooring contractor category can be insured, however if you undertake any activities which are a little ‘out of the ordinary’ it’s important to let us know.
Insurance Types
There are three main types of insurance which flooring contractors can benefit from, however depending on the size and structure of your business you may require additional cover.
Whilst our website does focus on public liability insurance, it’s important not to limit yourself to a single policy. Insuring all of your risks is vital.
The three main forms of cover are detailed below.
Public Liability
No matter what your trade is, the most commonly required form of insurance is public liability.
Public liability insurance will cover you in the event that your flooring activities result in property damage or personal injury to another person.
A typical personal injury claim could involve an incident where you have left some flooring materials in a walkway without sufficient marking, and a member of the public has tripped over them and suffered an injury.
A typical property damage claim could involve something as simple as breaking a window whilst carrying materials or equipment through a client’s premises.
Public liability is primarily for business owners, contractors and subcontractors. If you are working as an employee on wages you should be covered by your employer’s policy.
For more information about this cover please view .
Tool Insurance
This is another common form of tradies insurance for anyone operating in the building and construction industry.
Tool insurance will cover your gear in the event that it is stolen, damaged by fire or damaged in a vehicle collision or rollover.
If you are leaving gear on site overnight, such as large timber or concrete floor polishers that aren’t easily transported each night, you can also obtain special cover for these.
More information about tool insurance can be found by following the links on our website.
Income Protection
The last of the ‘big three’ form of trade insurance is income protection.
Regardless of whether you’re a business owner or an employee, income protection is an important way of protecting your income in the event that you cannot work for a period of time due to illness or injury.
A proper income protection policy must be obtained via a financial adviser rather than an insurance broker.
Other Insurances
If you work on your own and don’t operate from your own premises, the three basic forms of insurance listed above will take care of most of your needs.
But if you are operating a larger business, perhaps with a few staff and running from your own workshop, then you’ll need to consider additional forms of cover.
Some of these covers include contract works insurance, business interruption and property damage cover.
Advice and Quotes
The job of an insurance broker is to help you to protect yourself, your business and your family with the right insurance to suit your needs and your budget.
They can assist flooring contractors with anything from basic quotes through to comprehensive advice on their overall insurance needs.
To obtain quotes on your insurance please click here.
