Self-Employed Insurance
Specialist insurance for self-employed businesses from only £3.14 per month.*
- Public Liability included
- Join over 180,000 UK customers**
- Get an instant quote online
From £3.14* a month
What does Self‑Employed Insurance cover?
Working for yourself gives you flexibility and independence, but it also means taking full responsibility for protecting your income and livelihood. If something goes wrong, such as an accident, mistake, or claim, you could otherwise be left to pay legal fees, compensation, or replacement costs yourself.
Self-employed insurance is designed to protect you from these unexpected risks. While the exact cover you need depends on the work you do, most policies are built around essential liability protection, with the option to add extras that suit your business.
At Protectivity, all our freelancer policies include liability cover as standard, helping safeguard you if a claim is made against you. You can then tailor your policy with optional add-ons such as equipment cover, employers’ liability, and additional legal protection, ensuring your insurance fits the size, nature, and risks of your work.
Whether you’re a freelancer, therapist, pet care professional, hairdresser or work in the trades sector, we make sure you have the right protection in place, so you can focus on your work with confidence.
Cover may vary depending on your trade or profession. Get a quote to see the full range of options available for your business.
Make sure you have the correct insurance for your activities and be sure to check if any exclusions are relevant to what you have planned in policy documentation.
Public Liability
Employers' Liability
Professional Indemnity
Public Liability Insurance
- Protection from claims by a third-party who sustains injuries or has their property damaged, whereby you or your business is responsible.
Professional Indemnity Insurance
- This protects you from damages caused by your mistakes, errors, or negligence in your professional work, including those made by your employees, if you have the correct employers’ liability insurance.
Employers’ Liability Insurance
- Protection from claims against employee incidents if someone suffers a work-related injury and brings a claim against you.
Equipment Insurance
- Protection against theft, loss and accidental damage, allowing you to replace items to the value you select. For the tools and equipment, you rely on to earn a living.
Stock
- If your stock is lost, damaged or stolen, it can be covered up to the value you select.
Legal Expenses Insurance
- An option to include cover for employment, property and contract disputes, as well as health and safety appeals, jury service, court attendance and licence protection.
Cover may vary depending on your trade or profession. Get a quote to see the full range of options available for your business.
- We provide tailored policies service sectors including pet care, hair and beauty, manual trades, events, and fitness. That way, you only pay for cover that’s relevant to your work.
Public Liability for tradesman
Protection against claims from third parties (e.g., a member of the public) who suffer injuries or have items of their property damaged due to your actions. This does not include third-party property that forms part of the working contract site.
Claims for damage to property that is part of the construction or worksite itself are excluded under public liability. For instance, if the contractor is working on a site owned by someone else and the property forms part of the construction project, such damage would not be covered by this insurance. However, this can be included by adding Contract Works cover.
Cover may vary depending on your trade or profession. Get a quote to see the full range of options available for your business.
Employers’ Liability
- Up to £10 million available.
- If any employee suffered physical injury or a fatality because of the employer’s negligence. If that staff member sought compensation, the insurer would handle the cost of the claim.
- If you employ any staff members, Employers’ Liability is a legal requirement.
Contractors Works
- Up to £250,000 worth of cover
- This cover can protect you against loss or damage to any permanent or temporary works you’re responsible for, including all the materials.
Plant & tools hired
- Up to £50,000 worth of cover.
- Covers you for loss of or damage to, hired tools and equipment, temporary buildings, caravans, or similar that you have hired in connection with any contract works being undertaken by you.
- Cover also includes your legal liability for hiring charges following damage to any hired property.
Plant & tools owned
- Covers your tools and equipment, temporary buildings, caravans, or similar on-site that are owned by you and used in connection with any contract works being undertaken by you.
- Covers your tools and equipment off-site if locked in an unattended vehicle. This is only available as an extension of plant & tools owned cover and covers your own portable tools, including power driven portable tools and business equipment, when kept in a locked vehicle and left unattended.
Employees tools & personal effects
- This covers tools and personal items owned by your employees while on any site, or those you’re responsible for under a joint working agreement.
- It’s not available as a standalone cover but comes with either Contract Works or Owned or Hired Plant & Tools cover, with protection up to £500.
Financial Loss
- Protection from claims from other parties relating to financial losses not directly consequent upon bodily injury or damage.
- Cover for bona fide subcontractors, who should have their own insurance.
- Claims for financial losses relating to non or late delivery of products to third parties.
For information on exclusions in your cover please refer to policy documentation.
Why you need Self‑Employed Insurance?
When you’re self-employed, you are your business. That means any unexpected accident, mistake, or claim could directly impact your income and financial security. If a client, supplier, or member of the public is injured or their property is damaged because of your work, you could be held personally responsible.
Self-Employed Insurance protects you against these risks. One of the most common types is Public Liability Insurance, which covers claims made by third parties. With cover in place, you won’t need to worry about a single accident becoming a financial setback.
This typically covers:
- Injury to someone (not including your employees)
- Damage to someone else’s property
Here’s some further scenarios why you need sell employed insurance:
Public Liability Cover
When you’re self-employed, accidents can happen wherever you work — at home, on a client’s premises, or on-site. A client or member of the public could slip, trip over your equipment, or be injured by something you’re using, and you could be held personally responsible.
Public liability insurance helps protect you if a claim is made, covering legal costs and compensation so you’re not left paying out of your own pocket.
Professional Indemnity Cover
If you provide advice, designs, plans, or specialist services, there’s always a chance a client could say your work caused them a financial loss. They might question your advice, challenge the accuracy of your work, or claim the service didn’t meet their expectations.
Professional indemnity insurance is there to protect you in these situations, helping cover legal defence costs and compensation, and safeguarding both your income and your professional reputation.
Employers’ Liability Cover
If you employ anyone, even on a part-time, casual, or temporary basis, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement. It protects you if an employee is injured or becomes ill as a result of their work for you.
Having this cover in place keeps you compliant with the law and protects you from potentially significant fines and claims.
Equipment Cover
As a sole trader, your equipment is often essential to keeping your business running, whether that’s tools, machinery, laptops, creative equipment, or specialist devices. If your kit is stolen, damaged while working, or broken in transit, it could bring your work to a halt.
Equipment cover helps you repair or replace vital items, often on a new-for-old basis, so you can get back to work quickly with minimal disruption.
Our experts explain why...
“Self-employed insurance gives you vital protection against the risks of working for yourself – from accidental injury or property damage claims to unexpected legal costs. Even a small mishap could lead to significant expenses, but with the right cover in place, you can focus on running your business with confidence, knowing you’re protected if the unexpected happens.”
Chris Trotman, Protectivity Underwriting Manager
How much does self‑employed insurance cost?
At Protectivity policies start at just £3.14* a month.
Your liability insurance cost will be based on several factors and in particular the level of cover you require. For example, you can select £1 million to £10 million worth of cover, depending on your business activity.
Prices will also be affected by the size of your business, how many people work for you and things like your annual turnover. Follow the quote process to receive the most suitable quote.
At Protectivity public liability is typically included as standard. We have also designed specialist policies that take into account specific activities and allow you to easily add extras such as equipment cover, legal expenses, professional indemnity, employers’ liability etc.
Prices from
£3.14* a month
Explainer quote
Policy cost
£3.14* a month
Policy type
Therapist Insurance
Duration
Annual
Turnover
£50,000
Public Liability
£1,000,000
Professional Indemnity
£1,000,000
Third Party Property Damage
£750
This example is based on a real quote from our website on 05/01/2026. 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.
Who needs Self‑Employed Insurance?
Any self-employed professional or sole trader should consider insurance. Whether you’re a freelancer, a mobile therapist, a tradesperson, or someone running your business from home, having the right protection is essential.
Many clients, landlords, and trade bodies also require proof of insurance before they’ll hire you or let you work on their premises. Insurance doesn’t just protect your finances – it can also help you win work and build trust with clients.
Protectivity can provide cover for the following professionals and more:
Tradespeople and contractors
Builders, plumbers, electricians, and others who carry out work in clients’ homes or on site.
Personal service providers
Pet sitters, dog walkers, cleaners, caterers, crafters, and similar businesses working directly with customers.
Health, beauty, and wellbeing professionals
Therapists, fitness instructors, personal trainers, hairdressers, beauticians, and other specialists providing one-to-one services.
Event organisers and stallholders
Selling at markets, running a stall at a festival, or organising community events.
Freelancers, consultants, and creatives
Designers and photographers to business consultants, especially when working in client offices or shared workspaces.
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 self-employed insurance policy?
Let the reviews of over 3,500 customers explain why you should choose us.¹
Trusted by over 180,000 customers.
Experienced insurance providers for over 30 years.
Over 3,500 highly rated reviews.
Proof of our excellent customer service.
Experienced Claims Handling
A smooth and efficient claims process.
UK Based Customer Support
Our UK sales team are here to help.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Do I need business insurance if I’m self-employed?
Yes — even if you work alone, business insurance can protect you financially if something goes wrong. For example, if a client or member of the public is injured, or their property is damaged because of your work, you could be held personally responsible for compensation costs. Insurance ensures you won’t have to pay out of your own pocket.
Is self-employed insurance mandatory in the UK?
Some types of insurance are optional, while others may be required depending on how you work. For example:
- Employers’ Liability Insurance is a legal requirement if you hire anyone, even part-time or temporary staff.
- Other covers like Public Liability aren’t required by law but are strongly recommended — and often demanded by clients, landlords, or trade associations.
What’s the difference between public liability and professional indemnity?
- Public Liability Insurance protects you if someone is injured or their property is damaged because of your work.
- Professional Indemnity Insurance protects you if a client claims they lost money due to mistakes, poor advice, or negligence in your services.
Many self-employed professionals’ benefit from having both, as they cover different but equally important risks.
Do I need employers’ liability if I’m self-employed?
If you’re a sole trader or the only person in your business, you don’t usually need Employers’ Liability Insurance. However, the moment you hire someone, even a part-time assistant or temporary worker, the law requires you to have it in place.
Does self-employed insurance cover my tools and equipment?
Yes, if you add Equipment Insurance to your policy. This covers the cost of repairing or replacing your tools, kit, or stock if they’re lost, stolen, or damaged. For many self-employed people, this protection is vital, as equipment is often essential to keeping your business running.
Is there a difference between sole trader and self-employed insurance?
The terms are often used interchangeably. A sole trader is a specific type of self-employed business structure, but the insurance needs are broadly the same. What matters most is the type of work you do and the risks involved, rather than the label you operate under.
At Protectivity, our self-employed policies are designed to be flexible enough to suit both sole traders and other self-employed professionals.
Discover more from Protectivity
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 05/01/2026. 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