What does property maintenance insurance cover?
Property maintenance insurance is designed for sole traders and small businesses carrying out light domestic maintenance, repairs and general upkeep in customers’ properties.
Because property maintenance can involve moving between different jobs and working around customers’ belongings, fixtures and furnishings, Public Liability Insurance is an important part of the cover. It can provide protection if someone is accidentally injured as a result of your work or you unintentionally damage property belonging to someone else.
You can also tailor your insurance to the way you run your maintenance business. Optional protection can include cover for the hand tools, power tools and other equipment you rely on, including additional protection for insured tools kept securely in a vehicle. Cover is also available for owned or hired plant and equipment, while Contractors Works can protect eligible materials and work while a job is underway.
If you have employees, you can add Employers’ Liability Insurance. Professional Indemnity can also be selected where your work includes providing professional advice or specifications.
Whether you work independently taking care of everyday jobs for homeowners or run a small property maintenance business with a team, you can select cover that reflects the services you provide.
Make sure you have the correct insurance for your trade and be sure to check if any exclusions are relevant to what you have planned in policy documentation.
Public Liability
Professional Indemnity
Employers' Liability
Contractors Works
Plant & Tools
Public Liability for property maintenance
- Cover of up to £5 million is available.
- Protects you against claims from third parties, such as customers or members of the public, who are injured or whose property is damaged because of your work.
- Does not cover damage to third-party property that forms part of the contract or construction site you are working on.
Public Liability Insurance excludes damage to property that forms part of the construction project or worksite.
For example, if you are working on a property owned by someone else and accidentally damage part of the project itself, this would not be covered under Public Liability Insurance.
This protection can be added through Contract Works cover.
Professional Indemnity
- Cover up to £500,000 is available.
- Protects you if a customer claims they have suffered a financial loss because of a professional mistake, such as incorrect advice, an error in a design or specification, or important information being missed.
- Covers claims arising from negligent acts, errors or omissions by you or your employees while providing professional services.
- Does not typically cover poor workmanship, faulty materials or the cost of correcting defective work. See full policy terms.
Employers’ Liability
- Cover of up to £10 million is available.
- Covers claims if an employee, labourer, apprentice or other member of staff is injured or dies because of the employer’s negligence.
- If they or their representative seek compensation, the insurer can handle the cost of the claim, provided terms have been complied with.
- Employers’ Liability Insurance is a legal requirement if you employ any staff members.
Contractors Works
- Cover of up to £250,000 is available.
- Covers loss of or damage to permanent and temporary building works you are responsible for.
- Includes materials being used as part of the job.
Hired plant & tools cover
- Cover of up to £50,000 is available.
- Covers loss of or damage to tools, equipment, temporary buildings, caravans or similar items you hire for your contract work.
- Also covers your legal liability for ongoing hire charges following damage to hired property.
Owned plant & tools cover
- Cover of up to £75,000 is available.
- Covers tools, equipment, temporary buildings, caravans or similar items you own and use on-site for your contract work.
Tools left in a vehicle
- Available as an extension to Owned plant and tools cover only.
- Covers your portable tools, including power tools and business equipment, when locked in an unattended vehicle away from the worksite.
Employees tools & personal effects
- Provides cover of up to £1000.
- Covers tools and personal belongings owned by your employees while they are working on-site.
- Also covers items belonging to people you are responsible for under a joint working agreement.
- This is not available as standalone cover. It must be included with Contract Works, Owned Plant and Tools or Hired Plant and Tools cover.
Financial Loss
- Provides up to £50,000 of cover, for accidental financial loss to another party that you are liable for.
- Covers you if a customer suffers a financial loss that is not caused by injury or property damage and you are legally liable.
- This does not include cover for financial losses relating to non-completion or late completion of works you are undertaking.
There are some situations where protection will not apply. This can include:
- Bona fide subcontractors who are expected to hold their own appropriate insurance.
- Any work undertaken over 15m from the surrounding ground level.
- Poor workmanship or the cost of correcting your own work.
- Work you are not qualified or legally permitted to carry out, where specific qualifications, registrations or regulatory requirements apply.
For information on exclusions in your cover please refer to policy documentation.
Why is insurance important for property maintenance?
Property maintenance can mean doing several different jobs in the course of a normal working week. You might be fixing minor defects, carrying out general repairs, replacing fittings or completing routine upkeep around a customer’s home.
The variety is part of the job, but it also means you can encounter different risks from one property to the next. Tools may be in use around occupied rooms, furniture and personal belongings can be close to the area you are working on, and even straightforward maintenance tasks can occasionally result in accidental damage or injury.
Suitable insurance provides financial protection if an unexpected incident leads to a claim against your business. It can also help protect the tools and equipment you depend on to keep your jobs moving.
Protection from claims if property is accidentally damaged.
When you’re working in a clients’ property or multiple properties, there are frequently hazards that could cause damage.
Various property damage incidents could occur to walls, carpets, expensive furntiure, for example, that could lead to claims.
If your business is held responsible, public liability insurance can help with eligible compensation and legal costs arising from the claim.
A member of your team is injured while working.
Even light maintenance work can involve lifting equipment, using hand and power tools, working in awkward positions and carrying materials around a property.
If an employee, apprentice or temporary worker is injured while carrying out work for your business and brings a claim against you, Employers’ Liability Insurance can provide protection for the associated costs.
For most businesses employing staff, employers’ liability insurance is also a legal requirement.
Your maintenance tools are stolen or damaged.
For a property maintenance business, being without the right tools can mean rearranging jobs and losing valuable working time.
Your equipment could include drills, screwdrivers, hand tools, measuring equipment and other portable tools used for everyday domestic maintenance.
Tools and equipment cover can help towards repairing or replacing insured items if they are lost or damaged by an insured event. Additional protection can also be selected for insured tools securely stored in your vehicle.
Our experts explain why...
“Property maintenance often means turning your hand to a variety of everyday jobs in customers’ homes, and no two working days are exactly the same. Even with experience and careful working practices, accidents can happen — from damaging something in a customer’s property to someone being injured around the area you’re working in or essential tools being stolen.
For sole traders and small maintenance businesses, the right insurance can help prevent an unexpected incident from becoming a larger financial problem. Our cover allows you to select protection around the light domestic work you carry out, the tools you use and the way your business operates.”
Chris Trotman – Head of Sales & Underwriting – Protectivity

How much does property maintenance insurance cost?
Property Maintenance Insurance starts from just £2.89* a month.
The price of property maintenance insurance will vary according to your business and the cover you decide to include.
A self-employed maintenance worker completing occasional domestic jobs may have different insurance requirements from a small business employing several people and carrying out a higher volume of work.
Your premium can be affected by factors such as your turnover, the light domestic maintenance activities you undertake, how many people work for the business and the level of Public Liability Insurance you require.
Optional cover will also be reflected in the cost. For instance, the amount of tools and equipment you want to insure, whether you use hired equipment and the level of Contractors Works protection selected can all influence the premium.
Choosing insurance around the work you actually undertake helps you put suitable protection in place without automatically including cover that may not be relevant to your property maintenance business.
Prices from
£2.89* a month
Explainer Quote
Policy cost
£2.89* a month
Policy type
Tradesman
Activity
Property Maintenance
Duration
Annual
Turnover
Up to £150,000
Public Liability
Up to £1,000,000
This example is based on a real quote from our website on 19/08/2026. If your circumstances and cover needs differ, your quote may be more or less expensive than the above example. The quote you receive will reflect the information you share about your event. The quoted price may vary from those displayed here.
Have a question?
For further information on your policy, renewals, making a claim and contacting us, you’ll find an extensive list of FAQs on our Help & Support page.
Why choose Protectivity for your property maintenance insurance policy?
Let the reviews of over 3,500 customers explain why you should choose us.¹
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Frequently
Asked Questions
Am I covered if I’m contracted by a letting agency or housing association?
Yes. You can be covered when carrying out insured property maintenance work on behalf of a letting agency, housing association or similar organisation.
The important point is that the activity you have been contracted to perform falls within the work insured under your policy.
Does my insurance cover working at height, like guttering or roof repairs?
Yes, property maintenance activities can be covered when working at heights of up to 15 metres, as long as you adhere to the conditions applied, including but not limited to the “Safety Harness Condition” which applies to working at heights above 5 metres from the surrounding ground. Please ensure you read through all policy terms and any relevant conditions and exclusions.
Am I covered if I take on staff or subcontractors to help with jobs?
If you employ staff, Employers’ Liability Insurance can be added to protect against claims if an employee is injured while working for your business. In most cases, Employers’ Liability is also a legal requirement where you have employees.
Bona fide subcontractors would normally be expected to hold their own appropriate insurance, so you should check the policy terms where you use subcontractors.
Does my property maintenance insurance cover work on both residential and commercial properties?
You are covered to provide property maintenance to private dwelling houses, shops, shopping centres, supermarkets, offices. Surgeries, public houses, restaurants, takeaways and private hotels only. The policy is designed around light property maintenance work, so you should check that the specific job and activity fall within the insured scope before starting work.
Am I covered if my tools and equipment are stolen from a job site?
Tools and equipment cover can protect insured items if they are stolen from a job site, subject to the policy terms and security requirements.
You can also select additional cover for insured tools kept securely in a vehicle, where this extension is included.
Does my insurance cover a wide range of trades, like painting, gardening and minor repairs?
The policy is intended for a range of light domestic property maintenance activities, including eligible tasks such as painting, gardening and minor household repairs.
Cover only applies to the activities shown as insured under your policy, so it’s important to check that the type of work you carry out is included.
Am I covered if I accidentally damage a client’s property while carrying out repairs?
Public Liability Insurance can help if you accidentally damage a customer’s property while carrying out an insured property maintenance activity.
For example, if you damage furniture, flooring or another part of the home that you are not directly working on, a resulting claim may be covered, subject to the policy terms and exclusions.
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This page content has been created for general information and should not be taken as advice.
*Prices quoted refer to a quote raised from our website 19/08/2026. Prices will differ depending on requirements. Make sure you have the correct level of cover for what you need. For the most accurate pricing, please get a quote and for full details on what is covered refer to our policy documentation with your quote.
** Based on Protectivity sales data from 2007 to present
¹Based on live Feefo data















