Public Liability Insurance for Painters and Decorators

Public liability insurance for painters and decorators is meant to pay claims if your work injures someone or damages property that is not yours, such as paint spilt on a client’s carpet or a passer by hit by a falling tin. Domestic clients, letting agents and main contractors may ask to see it before you start. If you take on staff, employers’ liability is a separate cover that the law requires most employers to hold.

What can go wrong in painting and decorating work?

Decorating looks low risk, but the jobs happen inside people’s homes and on busy streets, close to things that are expensive to replace. Typical situations that lead to a claim include:

• paint, stripper or varnish spilt onto carpets, wooden floors, sofas or a neighbour’s car;
• someone tripping over a dust sheet, a paint tray or the foot of a ladder in a hallway or on a pavement;
• scorching or fire damage from a heat gun or blowlamp used to strip old paint;
• overspray from a sprayer drifting onto cars, windows or brickwork next door;
• a ladder slipping and breaking a conservatory roof, a gutter or a window;
• disturbing hazardous material in an older property. HSE says asbestos may be part of any commercial or domestic building built or refurbished before 2000.

Example. A decorator is repainting the stairwell of a terraced house. A tin of gloss left on the top stair is knocked over and runs down the stair carpet and onto a rug in the hall. The carpet fitter says the stair carpet cannot be patched, so the client asks for both to be replaced. The decorator’s public liability policy is the cover that would be looked at for the carpet and the rug. Whether damage to the woodwork the decorator was actually painting is covered depends on the policy wording, which is why it is worth reading that section before you need it.

Which covers fit a painting and decorating business?

Most decorators start with public liability and add other covers as the business grows. The table below sets out the main options.

Cover	What it is for	When to consider it
Public liability	Injury to third parties or damage to their property caused by your work, subject to the policy wording	For almost any decorator working in other people’s homes or premises, and whenever a client asks for it
Employers’ liability	Claims from your employees for injury or disease caused by their work	As soon as you employ someone. GOV.UK says cover must be for at least £5 million from an authorised insurer
Tools and equipment	Theft of or damage to sprayers, ladders, sanders and hand tools	If losing them would stop you working for a week or more
Contract works	Damage to the work in progress before it is handed over	On larger refurbishment or new build jobs, or where the contract asks for it
Professional indemnity	Claims that your advice or specification was wrong	If you specify coatings or systems that a client relies on, for example on listed or specialist surfaces

For a plain English guide to the main cover, read what public liability insurance is. Clients and contractors may set a minimum limit of indemnity in their terms; our page on how much public liability insurance you need explains how to choose one.

Do I need employers’ liability insurance if I take on help?

GOV.UK says you must get employers’ liability insurance as soon as you become an employer, from an authorised insurer, with cover of at least £5 million. You can be fined £2,500 for every day you are not properly insured. You must also display your certificate where employees can access it, and you could be fined £1,000 if you do not. The only exemptions GOV.UK lists are employing a close family member or someone based outside England, Scotland and Wales.

Many decorators work with a regular second pair of hands who is paid by the day. GOV.UK notes that the rules differ for agency staff, freelancers and contractors, so how that person is engaged makes a difference. Tell us exactly who works with you and how they are paid, and read our guide to employers’ liability requirements.

What may clients, letting agents and main contractors ask for?

• Homeowners may ask to see your public liability certificate, particularly for exterior work or work in expensive rooms.
• Letting agents, housing associations and facilities managers may ask for evidence of public liability at a stated limit, and employers’ liability if you have staff, before adding you to an approved list.
• Main contractors may ask for public liability, employers’ liability and evidence of competence, and may require you to follow their site rules and method statements.
• Commercial clients may ask for their interest to be noted on your policy. Whether that can be done depends on the insurer.

On domestic jobs, HSE says that where there is a single contractor, the contractor must take on the legal duties of the client under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, in addition to their own.

Which health and safety risks affect cover for decorators?

Insurers ask about the risks that cause the most serious claims. For decorators those are mainly height and hazardous substances.

• Work at height. HSE says working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries, and that common cases include falls from ladders. Its guidance is to use ladders only for light work of short duration, a maximum of 30 minutes at a time.
• Asbestos. HSE says asbestos is responsible for over 5,000 deaths every year, and that tradesmen and maintenance workers who disturb the fabric of buildings are most at risk.
• Paint and dust. HSE identifies painters and decorators as a significant at risk group in construction, and says painting can expose you to asbestos, lead, solvents and construction dust.

Policies may set conditions on heat work, spraying or maximum working heights. These depend on the policy wording, so tell us how you work and check the conditions on your schedule.

What drives the price of cover for a decorator?

We will not quote a typical figure, because the price depends on your own business. The main factors are:

• your turnover and, if you have staff, your wageroll;
• the split between domestic, commercial and new build work;
• whether you work outside, the heights involved and whether you use scaffolding or access equipment;
• whether you use heat guns, blowlamps or spray equipment;
• the limit of indemnity you need and the excess you choose;
• your claims history and how long you have been trading.

What should I have ready when asking for a quote?

1. Your business name, whether you are a sole trader, partnership or limited company, and how long you have traded.
2. A short description of the work, including any specialist finishes, wallpapering, exterior work or floor sanding.
3. Your expected turnover for the next 12 months and any wageroll.
4. Who works with you, and whether they are employees or subcontractors.
5. The highest point you work at and the access equipment you use.
6. Any heat or spray methods.
7. The limit of indemnity your clients ask for.
8. Details of any claims or incidents in recent years.

Before a contract of insurance is entered into, the law requires the insured to make a fair presentation of the risk to the insurer. Our page on the duty of fair presentation explains what that means in practice. When you are ready, ask us for a quote or call 01795 841 310, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and we will look for cover. If you also do small repairs, our page on public liability for handymen may fit better, and joinery work is covered in our page on public liability for carpenters and joiners.

Frequently asked questions

Does public liability cover damage to the room I am decorating?

It depends on the policy wording. Policies can treat damage to the surface you are working on differently from damage to the rest of the client’s property. Our page on whether public liability covers damage to client property explains the difference.

Is public liability insurance a legal requirement for painters and decorators?

Employers’ liability is the cover GOV.UK says you must have once you employ someone. Public liability is a decision for you, but many clients and contractors may ask for it before they let you start.

Do I need cover if I only do small domestic jobs?

A single spill or fall can lead to a claim regardless of the size of the job. Small jobs in occupied homes put you close to carpets, furniture and family members, which is exactly where accidents happen.

Will my policy cover me if I use a heat gun or a sprayer?

That depends on the wording. Some policies apply conditions to heat work or spraying, so tell us at the start if you use either method and we will look for cover that reflects it.

Can I add cover for my tools?

Yes, we can look for tools cover alongside your liability cover. Tell us the value of your kit and whether it is left in a van overnight, as conditions on overnight storage depend on the policy.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Employers liability insurance
• HSE: Faq
• HSE: Painting
• HSE: Introduction
• HSE: Domestic clients
• legislation.gov.uk: 3

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 10 November 2026. Solar Protect is the trading name of Solar Insurance Services (Medway) Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This page is general information, not personal advice.