Public Liability Insurance (2026): 10 UK and AU Providers

It's often the first business cover a sole trader gets asked about, usually by a client or venue that wants to see a certificate before work starts. And it's sold in more ways than the search results suggest.

The ten names below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Eight are UK insurers and brokers and two are Australian, and the Type column says which. Every description comes from each company's own website, as of Nov 2026. I've left monthly quotes out because they depend on your trade, turnover and the limit you choose.

Public liability insurers and brokers compared

Tool	Type	Good for
AAMI	Australian insurer	Australian business, home and car insurance
AXA	UK business insurer	Tailored UK business cover chosen piece by piece
BizCover	Australian online comparison service	Comparing small business insurance quotes in Australia
Bollington	UK insurance broker	Public, employers' and professional cover from one broker
Everywhen	UK insurance provider	One policy covering more than one trade
Hiscox UK	Specialist insurer in the UK	Cover wherever you work, from home to site
Howden	UK insurance broker	Small business cover through a local broker
Marsh Commercial	UK commercial broker	Business insurance plus risk management support
PolicyBee	UK online insurance broker	Quoting and buying public liability online
Protectivity	UK specialist insurer	Small business, event and landlord cover

Ten UK and Australian public liability providers

AAMI

Best for: Australian businesses wanting public liability from an insurer that also covers home, business and car.

AXA

Best for: UK firms that want to build a tailored policy online, choosing public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability and contents cover separately.

BizCover

Best for: Australian sole traders and small firms comparing quotes and buying online, with public liability listed next to professional indemnity.

Bollington

Best for: Businesses wanting a broker whose page lists professional indemnity, public liability and employers' liability among its business insurances.

Everywhen

Best for: Tradespeople and freelancers who work in more than one trade or profession and want them all on a single public liability policy.

Hiscox UK

Best for: Freelancers and small businesses wanting a specialist insurer's public liability policy, with a page that explains what the cover doesn't include as well as what it does.

Howden

Best for: Owners who'd like a local broker to find their cover, with public liability and professional indemnity on its small business page.

Marsh Commercial

Best for: Growing companies that want a commercial broker for business insurance and risk management, with a UK business risk report on its site.

PolicyBee

Best for: Small businesses and organisations that want to quote and buy public liability online against third-party injury or property damage claims.

Protectivity

Best for: Event organisers, landlords and small businesses that want to get a quote and buy online in minutes.

Stand-alone policy or part of a business pack?

Public liability is sold both as a stand-alone policy and as one part of a business pack, and the pages differ on who they're for.

Where and how you work. Hiscox UK's page says its public liability cover applies if you work from home, at a client's office, in customers' homes or on contract sites. Everywhen's page says you can add more than one trade or profession to a single policy. Marsh Commercial recommends public liability for businesses that interact with members of the public, and Protectivity says it insures small businesses, event organisers and landlords.

In Australia. AAMI describes public liability as cover if a business's activities, or the products it sells, accidentally cause property damage or injury to a third party. BizCover lists public liability next to professional indemnity and calls itself Australia's No. 1 online small business insurance service (its own claim).

Building a pack. AXA lets you tailor a policy online from separate covers, Bollington and Howden are brokers who list it among their business covers, and PolicyBee sells it to quote and buy online.

So match the seller to your trade, your premises and your country before you compare anything else.

What public liability does and doesn't protect

Public liability covers claims from third parties, such as members of the public, clients or customers, who say your business injured them or damaged their property. It isn't the same as employers' liability insurance, which deals with claims from your own staff, or professional indemnity insurance, which deals with claims that your advice or work caused someone a financial loss. Cover limits and exclusions come from each policy, so read the wording rather than the summary.

Who tends to look for public liability cover

• Tradespeople working in customers' homes or on building sites.
• Consultants and freelancers who visit clients' offices or run workshops.
• Shops, cafes and studios with customers coming through the door.
• Event organisers and market traders, who often need a certificate for the venue.
• Landlords with visitors, contractors or tenants on the property.

Seven questions to ask before you choose a policy

1. Is this a stand-alone policy, or part of a business pack?
2. Does it cover every place I work: my premises, clients' sites, customers' homes?
3. Can I add more than one trade or profession?
4. Which cover limits are offered, and which one do my clients or venues ask for?
5. What's excluded, especially for products I sell or work I subcontract?
6. Can I add employers' liability if I take on staff?
7. Do you insure businesses in my country?

Need more than public liability? My list of business insurance providers in the UK looks at wider packs.

Do you make a public liability insurance product or quote service? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on buying public liability

Start with where and how you work. If you're in customers' homes or on site, look for a policy that says it covers those places. If you work in more than one trade, look for one that lets you add them all. If you've got staff, employers' liability is a separate conversation. Then get two or three quotes, read the policy wording in full and check the limit your clients or venues ask for before you buy.

This isn't insurance advice. A broker is the right person to ask about your own business.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

What is public liability insurance?

It's business insurance that covers claims from third parties, such as customers, clients or members of the public, who say your business injured them or damaged their property.

Is public liability insurance a legal requirement?

In the UK it isn't generally a legal requirement on its own, though many clients, venues and councils ask for it. Rules differ by country and trade, so check the official guidance where you work.

What's the difference between public liability and employers' liability?

Public liability covers claims from people outside your business. Employers' liability covers claims from your own staff who are injured or made ill by their work.

Do sole traders need public liability insurance?

There's no single answer. Many sole traders take it out because they work with the public or on clients' premises, and some clients won't hire them without it.

Does public liability cover my own tools or premises?

No, it covers claims from third parties. Your own tools, stock and premises usually need separate cover, such as tools or contents insurance.

Can I get public liability cover for a one-off event?

Some insurers sell cover for events and event organisers, so check whether a provider offers short-term or event policies before you buy an annual one.