Public Liability Insurance

Depends how long you have been working as a Plumber for etc.

I use Gladiator I think, good company.

 

Hi, i have just starded on my own this week and found zurich a really good quote at £245.00 pa with 1m cover and £250 excess, they even let me pay monthly. other quotes i got was as much as £600

 

Apart from when something goes dramatically wrong, and heaven forbid it does happen, insurance is not really worth the money. Yes, it protects you against some claims, but my point, is not others.
I doubt very much whether every plumbers regular nightmare - leaks-are covered.When I rang my insurer 'this would be faulty workmanship and not covered for damage to fixture and fittings'.
Have I misunderstood or misread the smallprint?

 

As i understand it, the point of public liabilty insurance is to cover the damage caused by accident or error on your part. It doesn't however cover any cost to put right the offending error.
I will have a word with my brother who is in insurance, and will pass on anything worth knowing.
Also, 2m worth of cover is what i have been advised is the minimum, you should be able to get this amount of cover for no more than £250 per year.
In fact mine cost £158.

 

insurance companies work like this,,here is an umbrella you may have it now the sun is out, and when the rain falls they want it back,, how do they get so rich ? cos soft people pay them and expect to be covered, the reality is when you try to claim, they have an investigator who will find a reason not to pay you, i speak from personal experiance, and i can bet there are many more out there who have been ripped by the insurers.

 

So, my original question still stands. Are we insured plumbers covered against water leaks - ie will our insurers pay if the 22mm compression fitting under the bath leaks and brings the ceiling down? Someone must know -we pay enough insurance )

 

in that senorio tightnit, it will be cheaper to pay for the ceiling your self as the access is usually £500,

 

Honestly? I don't know, I have not had a claim made against me to give you the benefit of my experience. I have just sat and read the small print in my policy and it is clear as mud. I suspect that what would happen in the case you have just outlined is that it would become a squabble between the customers buildings insurer and your public liability insurer.My policy excludes things like Faulty goods and materials and sub-standard workmanship - surely these are the cause of most leaks?? Anyone had a claim made against them? how did it go?

 

I use NFU mutual. Around £300 i think

 

it something you HAVE to have, imagine this senerio, you burn a house down, you will be liable and the insurers will do their best to wriggle out, but at leasst you will have hope and a prayer, with no insurance you are in trouble for the rest of your life.

 

Plumbers' are the biggest risk any insurance company will take on, PL wise. If you get cover for £2M at anything under £800, it's worthless. You'll not be covered for anything and the insurance company will wriggle out of any claim and I mean any claim.

Ask yourself this, has the insurer asked about your 'Hot Work' working methods, H&S policy or testing etc. If not you are not covered for anything!! Like a lot of you so-called Plumbers, there's 1000's of cowboy insurance companies/brokers, ready to take your money.

If you torch a house, it's poor 'Hot Work' control. Flood a house, it's bad workmanship. So if you are self employed be prepared to loose your house, car....all your assets, cause you and only you are liable. Have fun cowboys and sleep well at night thinking about that smoldering hair felt............Is the wife ready to move into some council high rise flat, oh well the kids can always play with the needles in the lift!

 

Im a builder not a plumber - but had to say that DP is dead right. You absolutely must have insurance.

To be honest burning a house down is a bad scenario - but not the worst. The worst is if someone was in it and ended up with injuries requiring a lifetime of care. Thats why you need at least 2m of cover.

The scenario of losing your house only applies if you are a sole trader or partnership - its different if you are a limited company. But lets face it - most of us are sole traders.

Get decent insurance - surely one of the definitions of a cowboy is someone working without it!

 

No, fortunately I'm not talking from experience. I do know of Plumbers', good Plumbers', just through bad luck that have lost everything they own, by what I've stated above.
When you get into court and some high flying defense Q.C. gets hold of you, they or the Jury are not going to be very impressed by your 6-8 week Plumbing course and worthless pieces of paper. So think on smart a.se. '' Oh well, M'lud I've been working as a Plumber for two week, when the accident happened'. Q.C. ''would you say you were a skilled Plumber Mr Ivadacourse''??...........lol

 

Plumbers' are the biggest risk any insurance company
will take on >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Says it all. High risk because a lot of them are as thick as ****

 

I think half the insurance is a con, but I have it and have the details in my quote, makes customers feel at ease.
However, I do not think it would cover me for burning down Mr Jones' house.

Thats why the house and all assets cars etc are in Mrs Bigplumber's name as they can't touch her.

This was what a solicitor suggested.

 

LOL........Thanks Damian for your concern, I'm getting my 'leg over' on a regular basis. No m8 I'm not bitter, I just hate 'course cowboys', they make my skin crawl. Hope you get sorted out with your insurance and remember be careful, these insurance cowboys can shaft you big style.