Body Shop Insurance

What does body repair insurance cover?

Body shop insurance can cover:

• Driving customer vehicles (with a road risks insurance policy)
• Business premises (with a traders’ combined policy)
• Vehicle paint spraying booths and paint ovens
• Specialist tools and equipment
• Public liability and employers’ liability
• Engineering inspection (a separate policy for the professional inspection of equipment, to ensure compliance with legislation)
• Portable hand tools
• Service indemnity (defective workmanship)
• Directors’ and officers’ insurance
• Business interruption

It’s essential to have the right cover in place. The risk of a claim following a faulty repair or misaligned body part, for example, is enough to lead to high legal and payout costs. That’s why insurance is vital to body shops like yours.

These are just some of the covers available. We can tailor your policy to ensure you get the auto body insurance you need.

We can also cover other motor trade activities, such as service and repair work or vehicle sales, with our range of motor trade insurance policies. Speak to us for a competitive quote from our range of body shop insurers.

Who needs body shop insurance?

Body shop insurance offers protection for anybody working in crash repair, vehicle restoration, replacing vehicle body parts, or otherwise working on the bodywork of vehicles.

If you have a specialist vehicle to carry out mobile bodywork repairs (such as dent removal or other SMART repairs), this can also be covered by your body shop insurance.

Expensive equipment used to perform vehicle body repair will need insurance, too. The risk of losing such equipment, and the impact it will have on your business, is enough to see why this cover is valuable.

Because of the nature of your work, liability insurance is also essential. If you employ staff, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement. Public liability is also strongly recommended to cover claims of alleged injury from members of the public. Additionally, service indemnity cover protects you for claims following the fitment of faulty parts, or incorrectly fitted parts, leading to an accident.

Auto body shop insurance can cover workers from the age of 21 upwards, though you usually need be at least 23 years old to be added to a road risks policy. We recommend that younger people wanting to start in the trade work in a body shop for an employer first, to gain experience.

How much does auto repair insurance cost?

The cost of cover for body shop and repair insurance varies depending on factors such as:

• Where you are located
• The number of vehicles you work on
• The type and value of vehicles you work on
• Your level of driving experience (for road risk policies)
• Your experience in vehicle body repair or restoration
• Your claims history
• The type of equipment you use for your job
• The value of portable hand tools
• The value of any business premises

No two body shops or body repairers are the same. So, while our road risks policies start from a very reasonable £8.73* a week, we will work with you to build the additional covers you need at a competitive price.

Benefits of body shop insurance

• Cover available for specialist equipment including spray guns and booths, lifting tables, compressors, sanders etc.
• Road risks insurance on a third party, third party fire and theft, or comprehensive basis
• No claims discount can be transferred or mirrored from a private motor policy
• Cover for multiple drivers and vehicles
• All types of vehicle and bodywork considered, including modifications
• Liability insurances and traders combined insurances available
• Repayment options available
• 24/7 claims service, working in your interests to resolve claims quickly and efficiently

Frequently Asked Questions