If you repair appliances or work on construction sites, you’re often operating in someone else’s property, using power tools, moving heavy items, isolating electrics and water, and working under time pressure. That’s the perfect recipe for accidental damage.
A cracked quartz worktop while pulling out an integrated dishwasher. A burst flexi hose after a washing machine refit. A scorched vinyl floor from a heat gun. A ladder through a ceiling in a new-build. These are “small” incidents that can quickly become expensive—especially when the customer’s kitchen is out of action or a site programme gets delayed.
This is where Appliance Repair Insurance (often packaged around public liability and related covers) and Construction Insurance come in. They’re not the same thing, but for many tradespeople and small contractors, they overlap.
There isn’t usually a single policy called “appliance repair insurance” in the UK market. Instead, most appliance repair businesses arrange a tailored package built from:
Public Liability Insurance (core cover for third-party injury and property damage)
Professional Indemnity Insurance (if you give advice, diagnose faults, specify parts, or sign off work)
Tools and Equipment Cover (own tools, test equipment, specialist kit)
Employers’ Liability Insurance (legal requirement if you employ staff)
Business Van/Commercial Vehicle Insurance (often with tools-in-vehicle options)
Product Liability (if you supply parts or install replacements)
Contractors’ All Risks / Contract Works (if you’re doing installation work as part of a larger build)
When you specifically say “customer property damage”, you’re usually talking about a public liability property damage claim.
Customer property damage is accidental physical damage to property that belongs to someone else—typically a homeowner, landlord, letting agent, or commercial client.
Examples for appliance repair and installation:
Scratching or cracking floors while moving appliances
Damaging kitchen units, plinths, or worktops
Breaking tiles, splashbacks, or plasterboard
Damaging pipework, valves, or electrical circuits
Water damage from a leak after installation
Fire/smoke damage from faulty wiring or overheating
What it isn’t (and where people get caught out):
Poor workmanship that needs redoing (often excluded under public liability)
The cost of correcting your own work (usually excluded)
Damage to the appliance you’re working on (often excluded unless you have specific “treatment risk” extensions)
Contractual penalties (liquidated damages, delay damages) unless specifically insured
Wear and tear or pre-existing defects
This distinction matters because many disputes start as “you damaged my kitchen” but end up being argued as “your workmanship was faulty”. Your policy wording and how the incident is evidenced can decide whether it’s covered.
For appliance repair businesses, public liability is usually the main protection for customer property damage.
Accidental damage to third-party property
Third-party bodily injury (e.g., customer trips over your tools)
Legal defence costs (subject to policy terms)
Common limits include £1m, £2m, £5m, or £10m. Domestic-only work may sit at the lower end; commercial contracts and site work often require £5m or £10m.
“Working away” / off-site cover: you need cover while working in customers’ homes and premises.
Heat work / hot works: if you use heat guns, soldering, or blow torches.
“Care, custody and control”: can restrict cover for items you’re working on or temporarily responsible for.
“Treatment risk”: relevant if the appliance itself is damaged while you’re repairing it.
Property damage excess: often higher than injury excess.
A common shock for repairers is discovering that public liability may not cover damage to the item being worked on.
Treatment risk is the risk of damaging property while you’re:
repairing it
servicing it
installing it
working on it
For appliance repair, this can be crucial. If you’re dismantling a boiler casing, replacing a PCB in a tumble dryer, or pressure testing a dishwasher, you may be “treating” the item.
Some policies include treatment risk automatically; others exclude it or limit it. If your business model includes high-value appliances (premium ovens, integrated refrigeration, commercial kitchen kit), this is a must-check.
If you diagnose faults, recommend parts, or provide written reports (for landlords, insurers, or warranty providers), professional indemnity (PI) can matter.
PI is designed for:
negligence in advice, design, or specification
errors in diagnosis
financial loss caused by professional services
Example: You advise a landlord that an appliance is safe to use after a repair, but a fault remains and causes damage later. The claim may be framed as negligence in professional services rather than a simple accidental knock.
Some trades can operate without PI; others find it essential for commercial clients.
If you supply and fit parts—heating elements, hoses, pumps, thermostats, seals—product liability is often included with public liability, but you should confirm.
This helps if:
a supplied part fails and causes damage
a replacement hose bursts and floods a kitchen
a fitted component overheats and causes smoke damage
Insurers may ask about:
where parts are sourced
whether they are OEM or third-party
quality control and record keeping
Appliance repair is tool-heavy: meters, PAT testers, leak detectors, hand tools, power tools, and sometimes diagnostic devices.
Tools cover can be arranged as:
All-risks tools cover (loss, theft, accidental damage)
Tools in vehicle (often with strict security conditions)
Hired-in plant cover (if you hire specialist kit)
Common exclusions/conditions:
unattended vehicles must be locked, alarmed, and tools out of sight
forced entry evidence required
overnight storage requirements
If you employ anyone (including apprentices and many labour-only subcontractors), employers’ liability (EL) is usually legally required in the UK, commonly at £10m.
Even if you’re small, EL is often requested by commercial clients and principal contractors.
If you only do domestic repairs, you may not think construction insurance applies. But it can, especially if you:
install appliances as part of kitchen/bathroom refurbishments
work on new-builds or commercial fit-outs
subcontract for builders, developers, or facilities management firms
work on sites with a principal contractor
In these cases, you may need construction-specific covers and compliance.
“Construction insurance” is a broad label. The main covers include:
Contractors’ All Risks (CAR) / Contract Works
Public Liability (often higher limits)
Employers’ Liability
Plant and Tools
Professional Indemnity (if design/spec is involved)
JCT/contractual liability considerations
This covers the works in progress—materials and completed work on site—against risks like fire, flood, theft, vandalism, and accidental damage.
For appliance installers on refurb projects, contract works can be relevant if you’re responsible for:
appliances before handover
materials stored on site
part-completed installations
Public liability: damage you cause to someone else’s property.
Contract works: damage to the project/works you’re responsible for.
If you accidentally damage newly installed units that are part of your scope, the claim may sit under contract works rather than public liability, depending on ownership and contract terms.
Construction sites add complexity: multiple trades, shared responsibility, and strict programme timelines.
Typical property damage scenarios:
Water damage after isolations/refits
Damage to finished surfaces during installation
Accidental drilling into hidden services
Fire damage from hot works
Damage to neighbouring properties (e.g., flats, attached buildings)
In construction, insurers also look closely at:
risk assessments and method statements (RAMS)
hot works permits
site security
supervision and competence
No one loves reading policy wordings, but these are the areas that most often cause problems.
Many policies exclude the cost of redoing your work but may cover resulting damage.
Example: A poorly fitted seal causes a leak.
Replacing the seal itself may be excluded.
Water damage to flooring and units may be covered.
If a leak is slow and discovered weeks later, insurers may question:
when it started
whether it was reported promptly
whether there were warning signs
If you use heat, soldering, or any form of hot works, ensure:
the policy allows it
you follow permit and fire watch requirements
Ladders through ceilings happen. Ensure:
your working-at-height activities are declared
you use appropriate access equipment
If you sign a contract that makes you responsible for more than negligence (e.g., “we’ll pay for any damage regardless of fault”), your insurance may not respond.
Insurers love evidence of good process. This also helps you win disputes.
Practical steps:
Pre-work photos/video: show existing damage and condition.
Protective coverings: floor protection, corner guards, dust sheets.
Isolation checklists: water, electric, gas (where relevant).
Leak testing protocol: document pressure/leak checks before leaving.
Sign-off forms: customer confirms work completed and area checked.
Parts traceability: keep invoices, batch numbers where possible.
Clear scope notes: what you will and won’t do (e.g., cabinetry adjustments).
These steps don’t just reduce claims—they reduce arguments.
To arrange the right cover, you’ll usually be asked:
turnover and split (domestic vs commercial)
number of employees and subcontractors
typical job types (repair vs installation)
maximum contract value (construction projects)
whether you do hot works
whether you work at height
whether you work on high-value appliances
claims history
tool values and storage/security
The more precise you are, the less likely you’ll face exclusions or disputes later.
Every business is different, but these are common starting points:
Public liability: £2m–£5m (domestic-heavy) or £5m–£10m (commercial/site work)
Employers’ liability: £10m (standard)
Tools cover: replacement cost of your kit (don’t underinsure)
Contract works: based on maximum value you’re responsible for at any one time
Professional indemnity: depends on whether you provide reports/specification
Scenario: You remove an integrated dishwasher. The unit catches and cracks a stone worktop edge. The customer demands replacement.
Public liability may respond (third-party property damage).
The insurer will likely ask for photos, invoices, and details of how the damage occurred.
If the customer claims the worktop was already chipped, your pre-work photos can protect you.
Scenario: You fit a new hose. Two days later it leaks and damages flooring.
Replacing the hose may be excluded as faulty workmanship.
Resulting water damage may be covered.
Scenario: You damage the appliance itself while repairing it.
This may be excluded unless treatment risk is included.
Often yes, if it’s accidental and you were negligent. But check exclusions, the property damage excess, and whether the damage relates to faulty workmanship.
Not always. You may need treatment risk or a specific extension.
You may need higher public liability limits, employers’ liability, and potentially contract works cover depending on your contract and responsibilities.
It depends on the nature of the relationship (labour-only vs bona fide subcontractors). Many contractors choose EL because it’s often required by clients and reduces risk.
Contract works covers the project/works you’re responsible for. Public liability covers injury or damage you cause to third parties.
Appliance repair and installation work looks straightforward—until something goes wrong in a customer’s home or on a busy site. The right insurance isn’t just a tick-box; it’s protection against expensive property damage claims, disputes about workmanship, and the knock-on costs of delays.
If you want, tell me:
whether you’re mainly repair, installation, or both
domestic vs commercial split
whether you work on sites/new builds
…and I’ll tailor the blog angle (and the CTA) to match your ideal customers.
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