Decorator insurance, banking and accounting — built into one app.
Decorators handle the customer's most visible finishes — and the highest expectation gap. Onsite's PL covers paint splatter on a neighbour's car, spray-mist drift onto windows and lead-paint disturbance in pre-1992 buildings. PDA-aware and bundled with banking, accounting and CIS.
Powered by Admiral. Authorised and regulated by the FCA. 14-day cooling-off on every policy. Cancel anything any time.
What insurance does a UK decorator actually need?
Decorating premiums are the lowest of the building trades — the claim severity is usually lower than construction. But two specific exposures push decorators into more cover than they expect: lead paint disturbance and spray-mist drift.
- Employers' liability — legally compulsory. Required from your first apprentice or labourer. £10m of cover.
- Public liability — contractually required. £2m is the standard ask from letting agents, housing associations and main contractors. £5m for listed buildings and any sprayed exterior work. Most letting agents won't add you to their schedule without £2m PL evidence.
- Lead paint — CLAW Regs 2002. Pre-1992 UK paint frequently contains lead, especially exterior gloss. CLAW (Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002) imposes specific duties when disturbing lead paint. Onsite's lead endorsement covers the additional PL exposure.
- Spray-mist drift — the underestimated claim. Exterior spray painting is fast, but a 2mph crosswind drops mist on cars, windows and neighbouring properties. Onsite specifically covers spray-mist drift with no contributing-cause excess dispute.
- CDM 2015 — decorator duties. Decorators on construction sites have CDM duties as contractors. RAMS, competent supervision, asbestos awareness. Onsite stores the documents on the project file.
Every cover a UK decorator needs — in one place
Tick what you need. Skip what you don't. The bundle saves more than buying each cover from a different insurer, and you get one renewal date, one login and one team to call.
Build your decorator bundle in 60 seconds
Real Admiral and partner panel quotes. No broker shuffle. Certificate of insurance in your dashboard the same day.
How to get decorator insurance with Onsite
Four steps. Two minutes. Certificate same day.
Tell us what you paint
Interior decorating, exterior, sprayed, wallpaper, heritage, commercial. Add typical contract value.
Pick your cover levels
£1m, £2m or £5m PL; tools; van; EL. Lead paint endorsement toggles automatically if you declare pre-1992 work.
Get a quote in 60 seconds
Admiral and partner quotes return instantly. Spray work and lead exposure are priced fairly rather than over-loaded.
Bind it and download certificates
PL, EL and lead endorsement in your dashboard. Letting agents and main contractors take the standard Onsite cert without question.
Real decorator claims Onsite settled this year
Anonymised but representative — the claims that pay back the policy in a single incident.
Why Onsite beats a traditional broker for decorators
Brokers sell you cover and walk away. Onsite is the platform you live in between renewals — banking, accounting, expense capture, CIS handling, an AI assistant that knows your business. The insurance pricing is competitive on its own. The platform is the differentiator.
| What you get | Traditional broker | Onsite |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability, tools, van, EL | Yes | Yes |
| One login for all policies | No — separate insurers | Yes |
| Business bank account + Mastercard | No | Free with bundle |
| Live expense categorisation | No | Yes |
| CIS scheme registration + filing | No | Yes (£39/mo) |
| Mid-term changes (add a labourer, lift a tools limit) | Via email + admin fee | In-app, instant |
| Certificate of insurance issuance | 1-3 working days | Within 60 seconds |
| Powered by Admiral | No | Yes |
UK-specific regs and risks every decorator should price into a policy
These are the bits a generic broker policy gets wrong. Onsite quotes around them on purpose.
Lead paint disturbance — CLAW 2002
UK paint pre-1992 frequently contains lead. CLAW (Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002) imposes duties on assessment, control, monitoring and health surveillance. PL claim defence depends on the assessment being on file.
Spray-mist drift
Exterior spray is the fastest way to cover masonry — and the easiest way to land a £5-10k claim from a neighbour's car. Onsite covers it specifically without contributing-cause excess disputes.
Listed building paint specification
Listed buildings often require specific historic paints (limewash, distemper) and conservation officer approval for any visible exterior change. PL claim defence depends on the approval being on file.
PDA — Painting & Decorating Association
PDA scheme membership is valued by housing associations and main contractors. Onsite recognises PDA membership for premium discount on PL.
Asbestos awareness — UKATA / IATP
Pre-2000 textured coatings (Artex, Wondertex) commonly contain asbestos. UKATA / IATP awareness training is required before any abrasive removal. Onsite asks the question at quote time.
Transparent pricing — no broker fees, no admin uplift
Below are the standard monthly starting points for decorators on Onsite. Final quote depends on cover levels, postcode and underwriter answers. Bundle two or more covers and the bundle discount applies automatically.
| Cover | Starting price | Typical decorator | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public liability insurance | from £12/mo | £12 – £36/mo | £1m, £2m or £5m. Covers paint splatter, spray drift, drips, dust, damage to existing finishes and third-party injury.… |
| Tools insurance | from £6/mo | £6 – £18/mo | Up to £10,000 new-for-old. Graco / Wagner sprayers scheduled, towers, ladders, hand tools. Overnight van theft included.… |
| Van insurance | from £45/mo | £45 – £135/mo | Goods in transit for paint, wallpaper, customer-supplied finishes. UK cover. Multi-van discount. Powered by Admiral.… |
| Employer's liability | from £10/mo | £10 – £30/mo | £10m of cover. Decorating EL premiums are among the lowest of the trades.… |
| Professional indemnity | from £14/mo | £14 – £42/mo | Covers colour-matching errors and listed-building paint specification. Useful for heritage specialists and interior desi… |
Decorators insurance — frequently asked questions
The 12 questions UK decorators ask us most often. Each answer is referenced into the FAQPage schema on this page so AI assistants and voice search can cite directly.
Do UK decorators need insurance by law?
Employers' liability is legally compulsory once you pay anyone. Public liability isn't legally required for a sole-trader decorator but is contractually required by virtually every letting agent, housing association and main contractor. Van insurance is legally required to drive.
How much does decorator insurance cost per month in the UK?
Self-employed UK decorators typically pay £12–£22/mo for £2m public liability, £6/mo for tools, and £45/mo+ for van. Bundled through Onsite, all-in for the standard decorator bundle is £75–£110/mo — around £300-£450/yr cheaper than buying covers separately.
What public liability cover do I need?
£2m is the standard ask from letting agents and housing associations. £5m for sprayed exterior work, listed buildings, scaffold-required jobs and any contract over £20k value. Onsite asks the right questions at quote time.
Are my Graco and Wagner sprayers covered if stolen?
Yes, scheduled separately on the tools policy by serial number. Replacements new-for-old, including the warranty registration. Standard tools cover from non-trade insurers often pays market value, which is useless for high-value sprayers.
Does Onsite cover lead paint work in old buildings?
Yes — declare pre-1992 work at quote time and the lead paint endorsement is added automatically. CLAW 2002 compliance evidence (assessment, control measures, health surveillance) is stored on your dashboard for claim defence.
What about spray-mist drift onto neighbour's car?
Covered as standard on every Onsite PL policy. Most decorator policies fight this with contributing-cause excess disputes — Onsite specifies the cover and pays without dispute, provided you ran a wind check before spraying and didn't exceed the manufacturer's wind limit.
Do I need professional indemnity as a decorator?
If you offer colour consultation, specify heritage paints or design murals, yes. Production decorators working to a client's brief can usually skip it.
Can I do wallpaper and feature walls under this policy?
Yes — wallpaper is included in the standard scope of decorating work. The most common wallpaper claim is damage to existing wall finishes during prep — Onsite's PL specifically covers this.
What about asbestos in pre-2000 textured coatings?
Artex and similar pre-2000 textured coatings commonly contain asbestos. UKATA / IATP awareness is required before abrasive removal; HSE-licensed contractor is required for higher-risk removal. Onsite asks at quote time and refers to a specialist if your job needs it.
How does Onsite handle CIS for decorators?
If you sub-contract painting work to another self-employed person, CIS applies. Onsite Accounting registers you, verifies subbies, deducts at source and files the monthly contractor return.
Does Onsite work for me if I do scaffolding-required exterior work?
Yes — declare scaffold use at quote time. PL extends to working at height as long as scaffold or MEWP is the primary fall protection. Onsite stores your scaffold tag inspection records on the project file.
How does Onsite compare to Direct Line or Hiscox for decorators?
Direct Line for Business and Hiscox both quote competitively for decorators. Onsite is competitive on premium pricing (we benchmark monthly) and adds banking, accounting, CIS handling and expense tracking — usually 4-6 hours of admin saved per week.
Get your decorator insurance + bundle in 60 seconds
Real quotes from Admiral and our panel. Certificate of insurance, EL poster and schedule of cover land in your dashboard the same day.