Workshop Public Liability Insurance for Repairers, Makers, Fabricators and Mobile Trades

Repairers Restorers And Servicing Workshops

Workshop businesses may repair machinery, tools, electrical equipment, bicycles, furniture, instruments and other customer property.

The specialist broker should understand what is repaired, the maximum value held, whether products are dismantled or tested and whether completed work is collected, delivered or reinstalled. Cover for customer goods should be confirmed separately from protection for the workshop’s own stock.

Makers Fabricators And Manufacturers

Makers and manufacturers can produce components, furniture, textiles, signs, prototypes and finished consumer or commercial products.

Relevant exposures include raw materials, machinery, heat work, production, quality control, finished stock and defective products. Own-brand, wholesale, imported and exported goods should be declared.

Customer Goods Trade Counters And Visitors

Customers may visit a workshop to discuss repairs, leave goods, inspect samples, purchase parts or collect completed work.

Public areas, trade counters and showrooms should be separated from machinery and production areas where practical. The broker should know how frequently customers visit and whether they enter working areas.

Machinery Tools And Production Processes

Workshop equipment may include saws, lathes, milling machines, welders, sewing machines, compressors, extraction systems, spray equipment and lifting machinery.

The insurer may ask about guarding, maintenance, inspection, operator training, ventilation, combustible waste, battery charging and fire precautions.

Mobile Repairs Installation And Subcontractors

Some workshop businesses undertake repairs, installation and fitting at homes, commercial premises, factories and construction sites.

The enquiry should describe tools, vehicles, materials, subcontractors, maximum working heights and any heat work. Work affecting electrical, plumbing, structural or fire-safety systems must be disclosed accurately.

Premises Products And Potential Claims

Workshop businesses can operate from commercial units, industrial estates, shops, home garages, studios, factories, warehouses and multiple premises.

Potential claims can arise from visitor injuries, damaged customer goods, defective workmanship, faulty products, fire, employee accidents, deliveries and damage caused at customer premises.

Repair workshops

A repair workshop may accept goods directly from members of the public, commercial clients, retailers, manufacturers or contractors.

Activities can include inspection, diagnosis, dismantling, cleaning, component replacement, adjustment, testing and reassembly. The insurer should receive a clear description of the complete process rather than a general statement that the business undertakes repairs.

The maximum value of customer goods, number of items held and length of time they remain at the workshop can affect underwriting. High-value, rare or irreplaceable items should be identified separately.

Servicing and maintenance businesses

Servicing can include scheduled maintenance, lubrication, calibration, replacement of worn parts and safety checks.

The broker should know whether the workshop issues reports, certificates or service records and whether customers rely on these documents to decide if equipment is safe to use.

A service business may also undertake work at customer premises. The proportion of workshop and mobile turnover should be disclosed.

Engineering and machining workshops

Engineering workshops can undertake turning, milling, drilling, grinding, cutting, pressing, machining and assembly.

Machinery can create employee injury, fire, breakdown and third-party liability exposures. Guards, emergency stops, extraction, maintenance and operator competence may be important to insurers.

Components manufactured to a client’s drawings present a different professional exposure from parts designed and specified by the workshop itself.

Businesses carrying out substantial manufacturing should consider the approved Manufacturers Insurance page.

Metal fabrication workshops

Metal fabricators may produce gates, railings, frames, brackets, components, signs and bespoke structures.

The broker should know which metals are used, the maximum size of work, whether products are load-bearing and whether galvanising, powder coating or other finishing is completed internally or subcontracted.

A business that installs completed work at customer premises should disclose domestic, commercial, industrial and construction-site activities separately.

Welding cutting and hot work

Heat work can include welding, soldering, brazing, grinding, flame cutting and use of heat guns.

These activities create fire risks within the workshop and at customer premises. Insurers may apply requirements concerning designated hot-work areas, fire-resistant separation, extinguishers, fire watches and gas-cylinder storage.

Hot work away from the workshop should be declared specifically. Cover should not be assumed for heat work in occupied buildings, combustible premises or hazardous locations.

Woodworking joinery and cabinet making

Woodworking businesses may use saws, planers, sanders, routers, drills, extraction systems and spray-finishing equipment.

The insurer may ask about dust extraction, machinery guarding, waste removal and the storage of paints, stains, solvents and adhesives.

Products can include furniture, cabinets, fitted joinery, doors, display units and bespoke components. Structural or load-bearing work should be identified rather than included under general furniture making.

Furniture repair and restoration

Furniture workshops may repair, restore, refinish and modify customer-owned furniture and antiques.

A customer item’s market value, sentimental importance or provenance may be substantially greater than its ordinary replacement cost. The broker should understand the maximum value of any one item and how values are established.

Condition reports, photographs and written instructions can help record existing damage and the work authorised by the customer.

Upholstery and soft-furnishing workshops

Upholsterers may handle furniture frames, fabrics, foam, springs, adhesives, sewing equipment and cutting tools.

Businesses can work from a fixed workshop, collect furniture from customers or undertake fitting at homes and commercial premises.

Customer goods, flammable materials, spray adhesives, stock and transit should all be declared. The separate Upholstery Shop Insurance page may be more appropriate where upholstery is the principal trade.

Textile sewing and clothing-production workshops

Textile workshops may undertake sewing, alterations, embroidery, garment production, curtain making and other fabric work.

Relevant equipment can include industrial sewing machines, cutting tables, irons, presses and embroidery machinery. Stock can include fabrics, thread, fasteners, foam and finished garments.

The broker should know whether the business works on customer property, manufactures products under its own brand or sells through shops and online marketplaces.

Electrical and electronics repair workshops

Electronics repairers can work on computers, audiovisual equipment, appliances, control systems, power tools and specialist equipment.

Testing energised equipment, storing batteries and repairing safety-critical products may affect insurer appetite.

The business should describe diagnostic work, soldering, component replacement, electrical testing and whether repaired items are installed at customer premises.

Bicycle tool and equipment workshops

Bicycle, tool and equipment workshops can undertake servicing, component replacement, adjustment and safety checks.

The insurer should know whether the business works on electrically assisted bicycles, lithium batteries, powered machinery or equipment used for professional and safety-critical purposes.

Test rides, equipment demonstrations and collection or delivery services should also be disclosed.

Musical instrument and specialist repair workshops

Specialist workshops may repair musical instruments, clocks, cameras, scientific equipment, models and other valuable customer goods.

These businesses can hold items that are rare, bespoke or difficult to replace. Ordinary stock cover may not provide a suitable basis for customer property.

The broker should receive details of maximum values, security, transport arrangements and any work subcontracted to other specialists.

Commercial craft and maker workshops

Commercial makers may create pottery, sculpture, jewellery, models, props, prints, engraved products and decorative goods.

This page should address their production, products, premises and customer liability. It should not be used to target public teaching sessions where visitors actively participate in making activities.

Studios delivering classes, demonstrations or participatory workshops should disclose those activities and may require a more specific workshop or performer liability arrangement.

Product design prototypes and 3D printing

Prototype workshops can combine digital design with machining, fabrication, printing and product testing.

The broker should know whether products are experimental, used only as visual models or placed into operational use by customers.

The approved Professional Indemnity Insurance page is relevant where the workshop provides paid technical design, calculations, specifications or consultancy.

Production businesses using additive-manufacturing equipment may also have machinery, ventilation, raw-material and Product Liability exposures.

Small manufacturers

A workshop may manufacture limited quantities of products for direct sale, wholesale supply or online distribution.

Processes should be described from receipt of raw materials through production, testing, packaging and dispatch.

The broker may ask about batch records, quality control, product instructions, previous complaints and recall procedures. Safety-critical, load-bearing and electrical products should be identified clearly.

Larger production operations occupying dedicated factory premises may also require the wider information provided by Factory Insurance.

Own-brand products

A workshop can assume greater product responsibility when goods carry its name, even if some production is outsourced.

The business should explain who designs, manufactures, tests, labels and distributes each product.

Contracts with component suppliers or subcontractors should be retained, but their existence should not be treated as replacing the workshop’s own Product Liability Insurance.

Importing components and finished products

Workshop businesses may import machinery, raw materials, components or finished goods for assembly and resale.

The underwriter may ask about countries of origin, supplier checks, technical documentation, product testing and traceability.

Imported products altered, assembled or sold under the business’s own name can create additional responsibility. Overseas suppliers may not hold insurance capable of responding to a claim brought in the UK.

Wholesale and distribution

A workshop may supply retailers, contractors, manufacturers and commercial customers.

The business should divide turnover between repair, manufacturing, retail, installation, wholesale and export activities.

Large wholesale orders can increase stock values and the potential financial consequences of a defective batch. Products supplied for incorporation into other goods should be described accurately.

Exporting workshop products

Businesses selling products internationally should provide turnover by territory.

Sales into the United States or Canada require specific disclosure and should not be assumed to fall within standard territorial limits.

The broker may also ask whether products are sold directly, through distributors or via international marketplaces.

Trade counters shops and showrooms

A workshop can include a retail counter or showroom selling parts, tools, materials and completed products.

The approved Shop Insurance page may be relevant where retail activity is substantial.

Customers should not have unrestricted access to machinery, hazardous substances or production areas. Walkways, displays and loading areas should be managed appropriately.

Customer access to workshops

Customers may need to demonstrate a fault, inspect work or discuss a bespoke commission with a technician.

The workshop should have a clear process for escorting visitors and keeping them away from active machinery, welding, vehicle movements and stored materials.

Public Liability Insurance may respond to eligible claims involving accidental injury to customers or accidental damage to third-party property arising from declared activities.

Policy limits, exclusions and conditions should be checked before any activity is described as covered.

Customer goods in trust

Workshop businesses can hold equipment, furniture, instruments, machinery and components belonging to customers.

The broker should understand the maximum value of any one item, maximum total accumulation and whether goods are dismantled, moved, tested or stored overnight.

Customer property should not automatically be included within the workshop’s own stock sum insured. Specialist protection for goods in trust, custody or control may be required.

Condition reports and customer instructions

A condition report can record existing damage, missing parts and the customer’s authorised work.

Photographs, serial numbers and written estimates may help distinguish pre-existing damage from loss allegedly caused by the workshop.

Disclaimers should not be treated as substitutes for suitable insurance or responsible working procedures.

Workshop tools and portable equipment

Tools can include hand tools, portable power tools, diagnostic equipment, welding equipment, measuring devices and specialist installation equipment.

Protection may be required while tools are at the workshop, in a garage, in transit, at customer premises or inside a commercial vehicle.

Tools in Garage Insurance is relevant where business tools are stored in a garage. Tools in Van Insurance provides a supporting route for tools carried by mobile repairers and installers.

Unattended-vehicle restrictions and overnight security requirements should be reviewed.

Workshop machinery

Workshop machinery can include lathes, milling machines, saws, presses, sewing equipment, compressors, extraction systems and lifting devices.

Engineering Inspection Insurance may be relevant where machinery or lifting equipment requires inspection consideration.

The broker should know whether equipment is owned, leased or hired and whether breakdown protection is required. Maintenance records and statutory examinations should be retained where applicable.

Spray painting coatings and chemicals

Some workshops paint, spray, coat, polish or chemically treat products.

The insurer may require information about extraction, ventilation, fire separation, flammable-liquid storage and waste disposal.

Processes involving two-pack coatings, solvents, resins, adhesives or other hazardous substances should be identified specifically.

Environmental impairment or clean-up costs should not be assumed to form part of ordinary Public Liability Insurance.

Battery charging and electrical risks

Repairers and makers may charge cordless tools, equipment batteries and lithium battery packs.

The broker should know the battery types, maximum quantities, charging arrangements and whether damaged batteries are accepted for repair or disposal.

Charging areas, fire detection and overnight procedures may affect underwriting.

Mobile repairs and work at customer premises

A workshop business may send technicians to homes, shops, offices, factories and other customer locations.

The approved Tradesman Public Liability Insurance page is relevant where practical work away from the workshop forms a substantial activity.

The enquiry should explain what work is undertaken, who supervises it, which tools and materials are used and whether the customer continues operating around the technicians.

Installation and fitting

Completed products may require installation, adjustment or connection at the customer’s property.

Contractors Insurance may be appropriate where installation at sites forms a substantial part of the business.

The broker should know whether work affects structural elements, electrical systems, plumbing, fire protection or other critical building systems.

Domestic, commercial, industrial and construction-site work should be divided where possible.

Working at height

Installation may involve ladders, towers, platforms or mobile access equipment.

The insurer may ask about maximum heights, work methods, employee training and whether work occurs indoors, outdoors or above members of the public.

Roof work, fragile surfaces and specialist access require explicit disclosure.

Subcontractors

Workshop businesses may subcontract design, machining, finishing, transport, specialist repairs or installation.

The broker should distinguish labour-only subcontractors from bona fide subcontractors operating independently with their own insurance.

The workshop may remain contractually responsible to its customer for subcontracted work. Evidence of subcontractor insurance should therefore be retained.

Workshop premises

A commercial workshop may occupy an industrial unit, converted retail premises, factory, shared workspace or purpose-built facility.

Commercial Property Insurance may be relevant where the business owns the building.

Construction, heating, electrical systems, security, flood exposure and neighbouring occupancies can affect underwriting. The insurer should know whether the premises contain heat work, spray areas, flammable materials or public retail space.

Shared workshops and rented spaces

Several independent businesses may share machinery, workspaces, entrances and storage areas.

The broker should understand who controls the premises, owns the equipment, admits visitors and manages common areas.

Each occupant should not assume that the landlord’s or workspace operator’s insurance covers its own products, liabilities, tools and customer goods.

Business contents and equipment

Contents can include workbenches, machinery, computers, extraction systems, shelving, diagnostic equipment and office furniture.

Business Contents Insurance may protect eligible contents at declared premises, subject to policy terms.

Leased, hired and portable equipment should be identified separately.

Business stock and materials

Stock can include raw materials, replacement components, packaging, work in progress and finished goods.

Business Stock Insurance may be relevant at declared workshops, warehouses and retail premises.

The sum insured should reflect the highest replacement value at risk rather than an average holding. Imported deliveries and large customer contracts can create temporary increases.

Home workshops

A business may operate from a residential garage, spare room, basement, shed or converted outbuilding.

Working From Home Insurance is relevant where household insurance may not adequately address commercial tools, machinery, stock, customer goods, employees or visitors.

Heat work, woodworking machinery, spray processes, noise and hazardous materials should be disclosed.

Studios and garden studios

Designers, makers, restorers and textile businesses may work from dedicated studios or garden buildings.

Studio Insurance provides a supporting route for creative and production spaces.

The broker should know the building’s construction, heating, security and electrical installations. Tools, raw materials, finished products and customer property should be valued separately.

Online sales and ecommerce

Workshop businesses can sell replacement parts, handmade goods, own-brand products and bespoke commissions online.

The Website and Online Business Insurance page supports ecommerce businesses exposed to products, stock, cyber incidents and digital interruption.

The enquiry should explain whether goods are made to order, held in stock, imported, dropshipped or dispatched by a fulfilment company.

Marketplace protection should not be confused with the business’s own liability and stock insurance.

Cyber and digital systems

Workshop businesses may depend on websites, cloud-based design files, customer records, card terminals, ordering systems and digitally controlled machinery.

Cyber Insurance may be relevant to data breaches, malicious attacks, fraudulent payment instructions and interruption to online trading.

Sensitive customer designs, manufacturing files and technical information may increase the consequences of a cyber incident.

Warehouses and external storage

Materials, tools and finished goods may be stored in warehouses, commercial units or facilities away from the main workshop.

Storage Insurance is relevant where business property is held in external storage.

Every address should be declared with the maximum value held there. Security, fire protections, construction, flood exposure and hazardous materials may affect the available terms.

Business goods in self storage

Small workshops and online makers may use self-storage units for materials, stock, tools and packaging.

Business Goods and Stock in Self Storage is the specific supporting page for commercial property kept in a self-storage facility.

Cover offered through the storage provider should not be assumed to protect every item or cause at full replacement value.

Goods in transit

Customer goods, raw materials, tools and completed products can be transported between suppliers, workshops, storage locations and customer premises.

Goods in Transit Insurance may be relevant where goods are carried by the business, employees, couriers or haulage companies.

Maximum loads, fragile or high-value items, overnight vehicle storage and carrier compensation limits should be reviewed.

Commercial vehicles

Vans may be used for mobile repairs, installations, customer collections, deliveries and transport of tools.

Commercial Vehicle Insurance is relevant to vehicles used for business purposes.

Motor insurance should not be assumed to protect tools, stock or customer goods carried inside the vehicle.

Employers’ liability insurance

Employers’ Liability Insurance is generally a legal requirement where a business employs people, subject to limited exemptions.

Technicians, machinists, welders, makers, installers, apprentices, warehouse workers and temporary staff should be declared.

Employee injuries can involve machinery, lifting, noise, dust, heat, chemicals, repetitive work and falls from height.

Product liability insurance

Product Liability Insurance can be relevant where the workshop manufactures, repairs, alters, imports, installs or supplies products.

The broker should understand whether products are electrical, load-bearing, safety-critical or incorporated into other goods.

Completed work can create liability after the product leaves the premises, even if no customers visit the workshop.

Commercial combined insurance

A workshop requiring property, contents, stock and several liability sections may consider Commercial Combined Insurance.

The sections, sums insured, excesses and extensions will depend on the business and should be confirmed before cover is described as suitable.

Business interruption insurance

Fire, flood, theft or other insured damage can close the workshop and prevent machinery from operating.

Business Interruption Insurance may help protect eligible income or additional costs following insured property damage.

The selected indemnity period should account for rebuilding, replacing specialist machinery, restoring utilities and recovering customer contracts.

Customer trips in the collection area

A customer trips over packaging while collecting repaired equipment. Public Liability Insurance could be relevant, subject to responsibility and policy terms.

Visitor is injured by falling stock

Materials stored above a trade counter fall and injure a visitor. Storage methods and inspection procedures may be considered.

Workshop damages customer furniture

A customer’s antique cabinet is damaged during restoration. Any response would depend on suitable protection for customer goods and the agreed valuation.

Repaired electrical equipment causes a fire

A customer alleges that faulty repair work caused an electrical fire after the equipment was returned. Product Liability and completed-work terms could be relevant.

Incorrectly manufactured component fails

A component made by the workshop allegedly fails and damages a customer’s machinery. The investigation could consider the specification, materials, manufacturing and quality control.

Employee is injured using machinery

An employee suffers a hand injury while operating a cutting machine. Employers’ Liability Insurance may respond to an eligible claim.

Welding sparks cause a workshop fire

Sparks ignite nearby combustible materials and damage the workshop and stock. Property, contents, stock and interruption sections could be relevant if suitably arranged.

Hot work damages a customer’s property

A fire starts while a technician undertakes heat work at commercial premises. Cover would depend on the activity being declared and compliance with relevant policy conditions.

Installer damages a water pipe

A workshop installer drills into a concealed pipe while fitting a completed product. Public Liability Insurance could be relevant, subject to the work and policy wording.

Customer falls in an unfinished fitting area

A customer enters a restricted production area and trips over materials. Access controls and responsibility for supervising the visitor may be examined.

Tools are stolen from a van

Portable equipment is stolen from a workshop vehicle overnight. Any response would depend on the tools cover, security requirements and unattended-vehicle conditions.

Customer goods are damaged in transit

A repaired item is damaged while being returned to the customer. Goods in Transit Insurance may be relevant according to who carried it and the policy terms.

Stock is stolen from self storage

Finished products are stolen from an external unit. Cover would depend on whether the location was declared and the required security protections were in place.

Defective imported component causes damage

An imported component assembled into the workshop’s product allegedly fails. The workshop’s responsibility as importer, assembler and supplier may be considered.

Cyberattack stops production

A malicious attack encrypts design files and prevents access to the order system. Cyber Insurance may be relevant if suitable protection was arranged.

Fire interrupts workshop trading

Serious fire damage closes the workshop and destroys specialist machinery. Business Interruption Insurance could help with eligible losses following insured damage, subject to the arranged indemnity period.

Business Legal Expenses Insurance

May provide support for certain eligible employment, property, contract or regulatory legal disputes affecting a workshop business.

Directors and Officers Insurance

Relevant to potential personal claims against directors and officers arising from decisions made while managing a company.

Office Insurance

For workshops and manufacturers operating from separate administrative, sales, design or ecommerce offices.

Group Personal Accident Insurance

Accident protection that may be considered for eligible groups of workshop, warehouse or installation employees.

Personal Accident Insurance

Information about financial protection following certain accidental injuries to an insured individual.

Commercial Property Owners Insurance

For landlords owning workshops, factories, warehouses and other buildings occupied by commercial tenants.

Warehouse Insurance

Relevant where materials, components and finished workshop products are held in a dedicated warehouse.

Motor Fleet Insurance

A potential route for workshop businesses operating several cars or vans for installations, collections and deliveries.

Commercial Trailer Insurance

For commercial trailers used to transport tools, machinery, materials and completed products.

Terrorism Insurance

Additional property and interruption protection that commercial tenants, building owners and larger businesses may consider.

Plant and Machinery Insurance

For businesses owning or operating declared plant, machinery and specialist equipment.

Equipment Hire Business Insurance

For businesses supplying tools, machinery and commercial equipment to customers on a hire basis.

3D Printer Insurance

For 3D printing businesses, product makers, manufacturers, studios and online sellers using additive-manufacturing equipment.

Powder Coater Insurance

For industrial coaters, metal finishers, workshops and manufacturers applying specialist finishes to products and components.

Steel Fabricator Public Liability Insurance

For steel fabricators undertaking workshop production, welding, cutting and work at customer premises.

Car Interior Upholsterer Insurance

For vehicle trimmers, seat repairers and restorers handling customer vehicles, materials and specialist equipment.

Vacuum Cleaner Repair Shop Insurance

For appliance repair workshops, mobile technicians and retailers supplying machines, parts and servicing.

Photographic Equipment Shop Insurance

For camera and photographic-equipment retailers, repairers and online sellers handling valuable customer goods.

Washing Machine Repairs Shop Insurance

For appliance repair workshops, mobile engineers, servicing businesses and retailers supplying machines and parts.

TV and Radio Shop Insurance

For electronics retailers, workshops, mobile repairers and online sellers handling televisions and audio equipment.

Sculpture Shop Insurance

For sculptors, commercial artists, galleries, makers, restorers and online sellers handling artworks and materials.

Picture Shop Insurance

For picture framers, retailers and workshops handling customer artwork, frames, tools and finished products.

Craft Shop Insurance

For craft retailers, makers and online businesses supplying creative products, materials and equipment.

Textile Shop Insurance

For fabric retailers, textile suppliers, makers and ecommerce businesses holding materials and finished stock.

Maternity Shop Insurance

For maternity boutiques, nursing-wear retailers, ecommerce brands, makers, importers and wholesalers.

Marine Shop Insurance

For chandlers, marine retailers, online sellers, repairers, installers, makers and importers.

Restaurant Insurance

For restaurants and dining businesses requiring protection around premises, customers, employees, food and equipment.

Converted Prison Insurance

Insurance information for former prison buildings converted to residential, commercial or mixed alternative uses.

Watermill Museum Insurance

For historic watermills operating as museums, working heritage sites and visitor attractions.

Livery Yard Insurance

For commercial livery yards providing declared horse accommodation, facilities and associated services.

Rural Landowners Insurance

For owners of fields, woodland, tracks and other rural land requiring liability information.

Scissor Lift Insurance

For owners, operators, hire businesses and contractors using mobile elevated work platforms.

Vending Machine Hire Business Insurance

For businesses supplying, installing, servicing and hiring vending machines at customer premises.

Stove Shop Insurance

For stove retailers, showrooms, suppliers and installers handling products, stock and customer work.

Stationery Shop Insurance

For stationery retailers, online sellers and business-supply shops holding stock and serving customers.

Canoe Hire Business Insurance

For businesses hiring canoes and associated equipment to customers for declared recreational use.