Professional indemnity insurance

In case your client claims you’ve been negligent, or made a mistake in your work.

What’s typically covered by professional indemnity insurance for garden designers?

Claims against your business for professional negligence or breach of contract that causes your client a financial loss. This might include:

• gardening or design advice which turns out to be incorrect
• errors in your work that cost others money to fix

For example:

• you agree on a budget with your client, but end up exceeding this due to mistakes on a stock order, causing them a loss
• the client is disappointed with their garden at the end of the project, claiming it doesn’t fulfil the original design objectives, which will take further paid work

Read more about professional indemnity insurance

Public liability insurance

In case someone is injured or their property gets damaged because of your garden design business.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance for garden designers?

Claims against your business for:

• damage you’ve caused to someone’s property, while working
• injuries suffered because of your business
• accidental damage or injury caused by your employee, if you have one (remember, if you employ people you must have employers’ liability insurance – it’s a legal requirement)

For example:

• you leave your laptop cable plugged in while presenting designs and a customer trips and breaks their ankle
• you place a plant against an old wall, which begins to fall down into the pavement
• you hit the door of a neighbour’s car with your spade, causing significant damage

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case something happens to an employee while they’re working for you.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• your garden design business causing an employee’s injury or ill health

**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:

• during a site visit your casual labourer drops a bag of aggregate on their foot, causing a fracture
• your employee traps their hand in your car door while travelling between sites, breaking two fingers

Business and office equipment insurance

In case things like your phone or laptop are lost, stolen or damaged.

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

• theft, flood, fire or accidental damage to the equipment you use to run your business
• operational equipment like your laptop, rather than specialist garden or design tools

For example:

• someone steals your laptop and phone from your office, during your lunch break
• you drop your phone in running water, damaging it and delaying your work for the day

Read more about business and office equipment insurance

Legal expenses insurance

In case you’re faced with legal costs as the owner of your garden design business.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

• legal expenses resulting from your day-to-day business activities, like employee disputes
• the cost of legal claims relating to property damage, nuisance or trespass
• HMRC investigations, or tax and compliance issues
• includes a tax advice helpline, a 24/7 confidential legal helpline, and crisis support to help protect your reputation as a trusted designer

For example:

• a client disputes your contract, claiming you haven’t fulfilled your obligations and refusing to pay an invoice
• an employee sues you for unfair dismissal

Read more about legal expenses insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at or outside of work.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• injury or death at work or outside of work, for anyone covered on the policy
• lost income, medical costs and hospitalisation benefit

For example:

• you lose a finger while working on a client’s garden
• your new employee breaks their leg at a wedding

Read more about personal accident insurance

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Does garden design insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider garden maint ex tree felling or gardening insurance?

Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Private tutor insurance
• Handyman insurance
• Garden equipment
• Garden shop
• Builders insurance
• Painter and decorator insurance
• Carpenter insurance
• Joinery insurance
• Roofers insurance
• Plumbers insurance

Other types of insurance

• Limited company insurance
• Self-employed insurance
• Freelance insurance
• Consultant insurance
• Contractors insurance
• Sole trader insurance

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.