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Everything you need to know about insurances for removal services
When you’re thinking of moving, whether it is a domestic home move or an office move, you should always consider the insurance available for your peace of mind. We have compiled this list of insurance available for anyone that would like to learn more about the type of removal-related insurance available in the UK.
Home removals insurances
Home insurance
Your home insurance may cover you for the duration of your move. However, these types of coverage will have detailed restrictions, such as items must be properly packaged or moved by an insurance policy recommend removals company.
DIY moving or using a Man & Van type move is usually not covered in home insurance policies. Be sure to get an approved and professional removal company if you want to take advantage of your home insurance policies.
What does it cover?
- Covers your property against damages caused by big events such as fires, storms or floods. It can cover accidental damages, theft, specific individual items, and legal costs. Some even cover damages during removals.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the owner of the home.
Who buys this insurance?
- The property owner, the customer using the removals service.
VanHelper says:
- Most homes should have home insurance to cover accidents. If you have a mortgage on your property, it is usually a requirement on the loan to have home insurance.
Vehicle insurance
Insurance-related to the specific vehicle that the removals company is operating.
What does it cover?
- Covers thefts or accidental damage against a vehicle and legal expenses that arise if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
Who does it cover?
- The owner of the vehicle
Who buys this insurance?
- The removals business should have this insurance for all their vehicles. However, vehicle insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK. Third-party insurance is a legal minimum in the UK that covers damage or injury to any other person, animal, vehicle or property in an accident with the vehicle.
VanHelper says:
- It is a given that a professional removal company will have this insurance. However, it does not hurt to ask just in case, as having this insurance shows the company cares about their fleet of vehicles as an investment and tool for its business.
Public Liability insurance
Public liability insurance is business insurance that covers specific damages to the body or property of third parties during the operation of the business. For example, suppose the movers damage your door during the move or the vehicle they are using knocks over a neighbour's fence. In that case, this will be covered under Public liability insurance.
What does it cover?
- Covers damages caused to third parties and liabilities such as bodily injury or damage to property that arises in the premise of the business or from the operations of the business.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the removals business against claims by members of the public for injury or property damage and the customer for injury or property damage.
Who buys this insurance?
- The professional removal business you hire should have this insurance.
VanHelper says:
- Any professional removal business should have this insurance to give their customers peace of mind.
Goods in Transit insurance
Goods in transit insurance, as the name suggests, will cover your goods up to a certain value once loaded on the vehicle. Always check with your removals agency to ensure that their Goods in Transit insurance can cover the value of your items for the removals.
What does it cover?
- Covers goods against damage or loss when it is being moved from one location to another.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the removals business against claims by the customer for the cost of damaged goods.
Who buys this insurance?
- The professional removal business you hire should have this insurance.
VanHelper says:
- Any professional removal business should have this insurance to give their customers peace of mind.
Professional Indemnity insurance
This insurance will cover any personal injury or items caused by the removal company. This insurance covers all aspects of a move to give the customer peace of mind.
What does it cover?
- Covers against professional negligence or mistake made in the work a business has done for a customer.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the removals business against claims by the customer for the cost to rectify the mistake or loss of income due to the mistake.
Who buys this insurance?
- The professional removal business you hire should have this insurance.
VanHelper says:
- A professional removals business with this insurance means they are completely prepared to protect a customer under all circumstances. This is a sign of a great removals business to work with.
International removals insurances
All risk insurance
This is the typical coverage an international removals coverage will opt for. It is a general policy to cover the most common issues, such as moisture, theft and damages during transit.
What does it cover?
- Covers any damage to the cargo from situations that may arise during the transit by ship.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the customer
Who buys this insurance?
- The customer that wants to move the goods.
VanHelper says:
- If you ship goods by sea, you should take out this insurance to cover your items. However, please note these insurances usually do not cover uncontrollable factors such as piracy, storms at sea and extreme conditions where a vessel’s captains need to sacrifice cargo to save the ship.
Named Perils
When you need to cover specific named events or risks due to the nature of your goods or specific concerns you may have on the route, you can add named perils to your insurance coverage. The insurers will evaluate the historical loss of the named peril and give you a premium quote.
What does it cover?
- Covers losses specific to the named event or risk on the plan. An example of this is piracy.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the customer
Who buys this insurance?
- The customer that wants to move the goods.
VanHelper says:
- If there are any specific risks you would like to cover but are not included in your risk insurance, then you may need to find a broker specifically for this insurance because it is tailored to your specific needs. The premiums for such insurance will be high.
Total loss coverage
When shipping by sea, this covers the unlikely scenario where the ship is “written off” along with its cargo.
What does it cover?
- Covers the loss when both the ship and the cargo are destroyed, including where the repair cost to damage exceeds the vessel's value.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the customer for this specific event.
Who buys this insurance?
- The customer that wants to move the goods.
VanHelper says:
- This is a personal preference type of insurance. Of course, it's good to be covered in such a scenario, but you need to balance out the likelihood of this occurring.
Warehouse to warehouse coverage
This is an insurance clause where the cargo coverage is from one warehouse to another. This clause kicks in when the cargo leaves a warehouse until it arrives at the destination.
This is point-to-point insurance. Although it is described as Warehouse to Warehouse, International removals coverage is from the pick-up location to the destination location in another country.
What does it cover?
- Covers your items from damage or loss from one location to another.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the customer from end to end.
Who buys this insurance?
- The customer that wants to move the goods.
VanHelper says:
- This is the most expensive insurance but provides comprehensive coverage from pick-up to drop-off in another country.
Office removals insurances
Full service
No specific insurances are usually provided for office removals as the Public Liability and Goods in Transit insurance cover the same areas. Some companies offer Full-service insurance within the UK, providing additional coverage on the amount covered and the expected service levels.
What does it cover?
- Covers all risks, including load and drive. This is the maximum protection for your office removals.
Who does it cover?
- Covers the client of the removal business.
Who buys this insurance?
- This is usually an option covered by the office removals company. As always, double-check with your office removals company on whether their insurance covers loading and driving.
VanHelper says:
- When purchasing office removals, you should opt for a Full service where the movers will cover all loading and driving.
Storage insurance
Within the UK, You can purchase Storage insurance if you put your items into a temporary storage facility such as a warehouse. The insurance premium increases as the value of the goods you want to store increases.
What does it cover?
- Covers the damage or theft of goods based on the value of the goods up to a certain amount, tiered premiums dependent on the value of goods.
Who does it cover?
- It covers the client in case it wants to claim against the storage facility.
Who buys this insurance?
- The party that wants to store their items in a storage facility.
VanHelper says:
- You need to consider how long you would want to store an item in a storage location and for what purpose. It is usually easier to dispose of an item and purchase new ones instead of storing them in a business environment.
TLDR
Removal companies should have both Goods in Transit and Public liability insurance so customers are covered when they choose to work with these companies. Your own insurance might also cover you if you have home insurance. International and Office removals have their own insurance, but it depends on how you want to move or store your items.
