You know how the old adage goes about a tradesman and his tools – they make all the difference between a job well done, or not done at all. To avoid any temptation of blaming the tools for the job, many tradesmen will use the best that money can buy. Tools – as they can readily tell you – do not come cheap. So, if you are concerned about protecting your tools and the investment in time and money that they represent, you will probably consider some form of tradesman tools cover.

As you go into it, there are a few things that might repay particular attention:

• What’s covered? – it might not be as straight forward as it sounds, so it is worth looking at the finer print of the policy. Some may include cover not only for your own hand and power tools and equipment, but anything that could be considered constructional plant or machinery, together with any trailers and site huts or caravans (including their contents);
• How much is covered? – once again, policies differ and you will probably want to be assured that you have adequate cover, without paying over the odds. In other words, you will aim to be neither under- nor over-insured. Policies will typically set limits on what can be claimed for any single item of plant, tools or equipment, together with an overall maximum sum insured;
• Where? – tradesman tools cover generally recognises that the job requires travelling from one contract to the next and from one site to another. Cover is typically for “all risks”, therefore, and maintains security of the tools, plant and equipment on the current job and in transit between jobs. If you travel abroad for your work, you might also wish to check whether the cover extends across Europe or is limited to the territorial UK only;
• Owned or hired – many policies cover loss, damage or theft to both those tools, plant and equipment that you personally own and those that have been hired in for a particular contract or contracts.

There is more to tradesman tools insurance, therefore, than immediately meets the eye. Using a specialist business insurance website may help you to decide what policies are available at the most suitable prices on the market and, more to the point, perhaps, which policies are especially suited to your own business.