If you run a construction or civil engineering business, your plant is more than “equipment” — it’s your productivity, your margin, and often your ability to meet programme deadlines. Excavators, dumpers, rollers, telehandlers, generators, compressors, breakers, welfare units, and specialist engineering kit can represent tens (or hundreds) of thousands of pounds tied up on site.
The problem is that plant is exposed to loss every day:
Theft from site, compounds, and yards
Accidental damage during operation
Fire, flood, and storm events
Vandalism and malicious damage
Transit losses between sites
Damage while loading/unloading
Hired-in plant liabilities and contract penalties
Contractors’ plant insurance exists to protect those assets and keep your projects moving when the unexpected happens.
Contractors’ plant insurance (sometimes called “contractors plant and machinery insurance”) is a specialist policy designed to cover construction plant and equipment against physical loss or damage.
It typically covers:
Owned plant (your excavators, dumpers, tools, and machinery)
Hired-in plant (equipment you rent from a hire company)
Plant in use on site, in storage, or in transit (depending on policy wording)
It can be arranged as:
An annual policy listing items and values (best for businesses with ongoing projects)
A project-specific policy (useful for one-off contracts)
A hired-in plant extension to your main policy (common for firms that hire frequently)
Plant losses rarely stop at the repair bill. They create knock-on costs that can be far bigger:
Delay costs: missed milestones, liquidated damages, and rescheduling subcontractors
Replacement hire costs: short-notice hire can be expensive and limited in availability
Contractual disputes: arguments over responsibility for damage or security
Reputational damage: clients remember missed deadlines
For engineering contractors working on infrastructure, utilities, rail, or highways, plant is often specialist and hard to replace quickly. That makes robust cover even more important.
Cover varies by insurer and wording, but a strong policy often includes the following.
Plant theft is one of the most common claims drivers. Policies typically cover theft of:
Plant from a secured site or compound
Plant from a locked yard
Tools and small plant from locked containers/vehicles (subject to conditions)
Many policies include requirements around:
Immobilisers and trackers on high-value items
Key control procedures
Perimeter fencing and lighting
Locked cabins and removed keys
If security conditions aren’t met, claims can be reduced or declined — so it’s worth aligning your site security plan with your policy wording.
This covers sudden, unforeseen physical damage, such as:
Collisions and overturning
Impact damage (e.g., striking a structure)
Operator error
Damage during lifting operations (subject to terms)
Accidental damage is often where engineering firms see complex claims, especially when plant is used in tight environments or near third-party property.
Plant is exposed to weather and environmental events, including:
Fire (including arson)
Flooding (surface water, river, storm surge)
Storm damage
Lightning
If you work in flood-prone areas or near waterways, talk through how the insurer treats flood, where plant is stored, and what risk controls are expected.
Many contractors move plant daily. Transit cover can include:
Plant transported on your own vehicles
Plant moved by third-party hauliers
Loading and unloading risks
This is a key area to clarify, because some policies restrict cover unless:
Vehicles are attended
Loads are properly secured
The transporter meets certain standards
If you hire plant, you may be responsible for loss or damage under the hire agreement — even if the damage wasn’t your “fault” in a practical sense.
Hired-in plant cover can protect you for:
Repair costs
Replacement costs
Contractual hire charges while equipment is out of action (depending on wording)
This is especially important when you hire specialist items like suction excavators, MEWPs, or large telehandlers.
Some policies extend to:
Hand tools
Power tools
Surveying equipment
Small generators and compressors
These are often subject to:
Lower single-item limits
Higher theft excesses
Strict storage requirements (locked containers, alarms)
Depending on your operation, consider:
Plant hired out to others (if you rent out your own plant)
Own surrounding property (damage to your own property caused by plant)
Continuing hire charges (for hired-in plant)
Loss of hire (if you hire out plant and lose income following damage)
Breakdown cover (mechanical/electrical breakdown is often excluded unless added)
Again, wording matters, but common exclusions include:
Wear and tear, gradual deterioration, corrosion
Mechanical or electrical breakdown (unless specifically included)
Tyres, tracks and consumables (often limited)
Faulty workmanship or defective design
Confiscation or seizure
Unexplained disappearance (particularly for tools)
Theft where security conditions weren’t met
A good broker will help you spot the “gotchas” — especially around theft conditions and unattended vehicles.
These are related but not the same.
Contractors’ All Risks (CAR) typically covers contract works (the project) and may include some plant.
Contractors’ plant insurance focuses on plant and equipment, often across multiple sites.
Many construction and engineering firms carry both:
CAR for the works in progress
Plant cover for owned/hired machinery
Public liability and employers’ liability for injury/property damage claims
Professional indemnity (for design, advice, or specification work)
Underinsurance is common, especially when businesses:
Add new plant mid-year
Use outdated purchase prices
Forget attachments and specialist tooling
Replacement as new (common for newer plant)
Indemnity value (market value at time of loss)
Be clear on which basis applies. For high-value items, consider:
Including attachments (buckets, breakers, grabs)
Including cabs and safety systems
Including specialist modifications
If you’re unsure, a practical approach is to create a plant schedule with:
Make/model
Serial/VIN
Year
Replacement cost
Security features (immobiliser, tracker)
Premiums are driven by a mix of exposure, claims history, and risk controls.
Key factors include:
Total sum insured (owned plant value)
Hired-in plant limit (maximum value hired at any one time)
Type of plant (high-theft items cost more)
Where you operate (theft hotspots, urban sites)
Security standards (trackers, compounds, key control)
Claims history (frequency matters as much as severity)
Excess levels (higher excess can reduce premium)
Transit exposure (how often and how far you move plant)
Insurers love evidence of control. These steps reduce losses and can improve terms.
Secure perimeter fencing and gated access
Lighting and CCTV where feasible
Lockable compounds for high-value plant
Lockable containers for tools
Keys stored in a locked cabinet
Sign-in/sign-out process
No keys left in cabins or vehicles
GPS trackers on high-value/high-theft plant
Immobilisers and PIN systems
Regular testing and documented maintenance
Approved operators for loading/unloading
Correct restraints and rated chains
Route planning and safe parking
Planned preventative maintenance
Daily/weekly checks logged
LOLER/PUWER compliance where applicable
The faster you act, the smoother the claim.
Make the site safe and prevent further damage
Report theft to the police and get a crime reference number
Notify your broker/insurer as soon as possible
Document everything: photos, witness statements, CCTV, delivery notes
Keep repair estimates and invoices
Preserve damaged parts if the insurer wants inspection
For hired-in plant, also notify the hire company and keep the hire agreement handy.
Engineering and infrastructure contracts often include insurance requirements such as:
Minimum plant cover limits
Hired-in plant liability
Specific endorsements or waiver of subrogation
Evidence of insurance before site access
If you work under NEC or similar frameworks, it’s worth checking:
Who is responsible for plant under the contract
Whether the client requires plant to be insured “in joint names”
Any special conditions for off-site storage or overnight parking
This cover is relevant for:
Groundworks and civil engineering contractors
Construction firms and principal contractors
Plant-intensive trades (demolition, surfacing, utilities)
Engineering contractors (mechanical, electrical, infrastructure)
Firms using specialist equipment (piling, drilling, rail, highways)
Even if you only own a small amount of plant, hired-in plant exposure can be significant.
Use this to sense-check your cover.
Do you need owned plant, hired-in plant, or both?
Are tools and small plant included, with realistic limits?
Is plant covered on site, in the yard, and in transit?
Are theft conditions achievable on your typical sites?
Is mechanical breakdown excluded — and do you need an extension?
Are attachments included in values?
Is the excess affordable for your cashflow?
Does the policy align with contract requirements?
No, it’s not legally required in the same way employers’ liability is. But it’s often contractually required and financially essential.
Usually yes, but theft cover often depends on meeting security conditions (locked compound, immobiliser, keys removed, etc.).
It can, if you add hired-in plant cover and set an appropriate hired-in limit.
Often not by default. If breakdown is a concern, ask for a mechanical/electrical breakdown extension.
Yes. Annual contractors’ plant policies are commonly written to cover plant across multiple sites, including transit.
Tool cover focuses on smaller portable items and usually has different theft conditions and limits. Plant insurance focuses on larger machinery and attachments.
If you’re using high-value plant — or hiring equipment regularly — contractors’ plant insurance is one of the most important protections you can put in place.
For a fast, UK-based review of your plant exposure (owned and hired-in), speak to Insure24. We can help you:
Build a clear plant schedule
Set realistic owned and hired-in limits
Align policy conditions with your real-world site security
Avoid gaps between plant, CAR, and liability covers
Call 0330 127 2333 or request a quote via insure24.co.uk.
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