Insurance for a building contractor

That depends on the client's policy. If you are named on it as a co-insured party, you are covered for that project, although the excess often still falls to you. Always ask for the policy schedule and the clauses. If you work for several clients, an annual CAR policy is usually more practical than relying on cover per project.

Care, custody and control concerns property you have in your keeping: the building you are working in, the machine you are repairing. An AVB normally excludes damage to that property, because you have control over it. A care, custody and control clause brings such damage back into cover up to a limited amount. For a contractor working in existing buildings, this is usually the most important part of the policy.

Only with separate tools cover, and almost always subject to conditions. Insurers generally require a sound lock or an approved alarm, and exclude theft if the vehicle was parked on the street overnight. Purchase invoices also matter: without proof of ownership and value, the loss is hard to substantiate. Read the security requirements before you need the policy.

You remain responsible to your client for the whole job. A subcontractor needs their own AVB. Without one, your insurer may pass the loss back to you or restrict cover. Set out in the contract what cover you require and ask for a copy of the policy schedule each year. Also tell your own insurer that you engage third parties.