Insurance cover checker
A starting point for the minimum insurance cover to ask a supplier for, based on the work they do and the contract value. Adjust to your risk appetite before you send it.
Who this is for and what it solves
- Procurement, ops and compliance leads setting supplier requirements
- Contractors and consultants sanity-checking what a client is asking for
- Founders writing their first proper supplier onboarding pack
Every buyer picks insurance minimums out of thin air or copies a competitor's. This gives you sector- and value-appropriate PL, EL, PI and cyber figures grounded in typical UK client expectations, so your onboarding email lands as considered rather than arbitrary.
- Public liability (PL)£5m
Third-party injury or property damage caused by the supplier's work.
- Employers' liability (EL)£10m (UK statutory minimum £5m)
Legally required in the UK for anyone with employees. Ask for it even from small contractors.
- Contract works / all-riskMatch contract value
Covers the works themselves against damage before handover. Confirm the sum insured matches the project value.
Guide figures based on common UK client expectations. Not financial or legal advice - confirm with your broker for regulated or high-value work.
How it works
- Step 1Pick the sector
Construction, IT, professional services or general supplier - each has a different cover mix.
- Step 2Pick the contract value
Larger contracts usually mean higher public liability limits and, in construction, contract works cover.
- Step 3Copy the recommendation
Paste it into your supplier onboarding email or spec. Then check the certificate they send back matches.
Questions and answers
Knowing the number is easy. Proving it every day is not.
A rule of thumb tells you what cover to ask for - it can't tell you which of your live suppliers has actually got that cover in place, or when the policy lapses next month.
Credbase reads each supplier's certificate, checks the cover level against your rule and flags anyone who falls short or is about to expire.
This tool is a plain-English guide for teams handling third-party paperwork. It is not legal, insurance or compliance advice. Confirm specifics with the counterparty or your own adviser before you rely on any output.
Related free tools
- Subcontractor document checklist generator
Answer a few questions about the trade and the job, get the exact document list to request from a subcontractor, plus a request email and a reminder schedule.
- Supplier document checklist
A tidy starter list of the documents most teams should hold for a new supplier. Tick them off, copy or download.
- Expiry reminder calculator
Enter a document expiry date and get sensible reminder dates plus a calendar file you can drop into Outlook or Google.
Related reading
- Featured guideSubcontractor compliance management: the complete UK guide
Everything UK construction and field-services teams need to keep subcontractors site-ready, insurance, RAMS, training, right to work, in one live record.
- Featured guideCertificate of insurance (COI) tracking: the complete guide
How modern teams collect, verify and monitor certificates of insurance from suppliers and subcontractors, without spreadsheets or missed renewals.
- ExplainerWhat is a certificate of insurance (COI)?
A plain-English explainer of certificates of insurance, what they are, what to check and how to store them so you never miss a renewal.