Compare tool insurance

Cover for your tools pays to repair or replace them if they are stolen or damaged, whether on site, at home or in the van. Many tradespeople add it to a public liability policy, and others buy it as a stand-alone cover.

Send a single form through Quotezone and compare what UK providers offer for your kit.

Are tools covered if they are left in my van overnight?

Sometimes, and this is where policies differ most. Many insurers only pay for overnight van theft when the van was locked, the tools were out of sight and there are signs of forced entry.

Some also ask for the van to be in a garage or a locked compound, or set a lower limit for tools left in a vehicle overnight. These conditions decide a lot of claims, so read them before you buy.

What tool insurance usually covers

business.gov.uk describes equipment cover as protection for machinery, tools and stock against loss or damage (business.gov.uk). In practice a policy for tradespeople can include:

• power tools, hand tools and battery packs
• ladders, staging and small plant you own
• tools in a locked vehicle, a lock-up or your home
• accidental damage on site, if you add it
• hired-in tools, where the schedule lists them

business.gov.uk suggests this kind of cover if you rely on machinery or equipment to operate (business.gov.uk), which describes most trades.

What it does not usually cover

Exclusions vary between insurers, but these are the ones that catch people out most often:

• wear and tear, rust and gradual breakdown
• theft from an unlocked van or from an open site left unattended
• tools lent to someone the policy does not cover
• electrical or mechanical breakdown, unless you buy it as an add-on

Tool cover will not pay a customer who is injured or whose property you damage. That is what public liability insurance is for.

Can employees’ tools go on my policy?

Often, yes, if you list them. Some insurers cover tools owned by employees as well as your own, while others only cover kit the business owns. Add up the value of everyone’s tools before you ask for quotes.

Staff bring a separate legal duty too: employers’ liability, with a £5 million minimum, once anyone works for you (GOV.UK).

Stand-alone tool cover or part of a trade policy?

Buying tool insurance on its own can suit someone whose clients already insist on a separate liability policy, or who only needs kit covered. Adding it to a trade policy keeps everything on one renewal date.

Our tradesman insurance page explains the liability side for most trades.

Keeping tools safe on the road

Tools left in a van are an easy target, and the way you store kit can affect both the premium and whether a claim is paid. Simple steps that insurers tend to look for include:

• taking tools out of the van overnight where you can
• fitting extra deadlocks or a secure tool vault
• marking tools with your postcode or a security code
• keeping a list of serial numbers and photos

Tools for different trades

Electricians tend to carry test meters and testers that are costly to replace. Plumbers carry press tools, joiners carry saws and routers, and mechanics may keep large tool chests at a workshop.

Each trade has its own mix of small, easily stolen items and larger kit. Give the insurer an honest breakdown, and include any single items worth more than the policy limit per item.

Tools kept at home or in a lock-up

Do not assume your home policy will step in. Business property is a common gap, and GOV.UK gives stock and computers as examples of things a home policy may leave out (GOV.UK). Work tools often fall into the same gap.

A rented garage or lock-up brings its own conditions, such as the type of lock and whether the unit is alarmed. Tell the insurer where the kit spends each night as well as where you work.

What sets the price of cover for tools?

Quotes depend on the value you insure and how you look after the kit. The main factors are:

• the total replacement value of your tools
• where they are kept overnight and how they are secured
• your trade and the sites you work on
• whether you add accidental damage
• claims you have made before and your excess

Expect Insurance Premium Tax on top: 12% at the standard rate, a level HMRC has kept since 1 June 2017 (HMRC).

An electrician whose van stays on the drive

Take an illustrative electrician who carries tools worth a few thousand pounds and parks the van at home overnight. They would usually want cover for theft from the locked van, plus accidental damage on site.

A carpenter with a workshop and expensive fixed machines may also need cover at the workshop, so their quotes would look different.

Comparing tool cover on Quotezone

Tell us your trade, what your tools are worth and where you keep them. UK providers then send quotes for tool insurance, so you can compare the van conditions and per-item limits before you choose.

Start your tool cover quote now.

You might also need

The van itself needs its own policy, so compare commercial van insurance for business use. If you work in customers’ homes, builders insurance adds the liability side.