Removals Insurance

Insurance for a removals business combines van cover for carrying goods for payment with protection for the belongings you move and the people around you. Hire and reward use on the van is the legal minimum, and most operators also add goods in transit and public liability.

Removal van insurance on its own covers the vehicle and other road users. What else you need depends on whether you work alone, hire helpers or store goods overnight.

Which removals business are you?

What removals insurance usually covers, and the gaps to watch

Removals firms build cover from several parts. This table shows which part does what.

Removal van insurance: licence, weight and operator rules

A category B licence covers petrol and diesel vans up to 3,500kg. Larger vehicles up to 7,500kg need category C1 (GOV.UK).

Over 3,500kg gross plated weight, you also need a goods vehicle operator’s licence (GOV.UK). Check the plate on a Luton or box van before you book a job.

Lifting, staff and safety duties for removals firms

The Health and Safety Executive says employers must avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable. Where they cannot, they must assess the risk and reduce it as far as practicable (HSE).

If you employ people, you must hold employers’ liability cover of at least £5 million. You can be fined £2,500 for each day you are not properly insured (GOV.UK).

Rubbish removal and house clearance jobs

Clearing waste is a different line of work from moving belongings. In England a business that transports waste must register as a waste carrier, and you can get an unlimited fine if you do not. There is a separate process in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (GOV.UK).

Tell your insurer you do clearances, as some removals policies only cover household goods being moved.

One package or separate policies for a removals firm?

Some insurers sell removal insurance as a single package of van, goods and liability cover. Others let you buy each part on its own, often from different providers.

Pros of one package

• One renewal date and one set of documents to keep track of
• Fewer gaps between policies when something goes wrong

Cons of one package

• Goods or liability limits may be lower than a standalone policy
• Changing one part can mean reworking the whole package

Firms with several vans or staff often find a package easier to manage. A sole trader may prefer to pick each part separately and compare limits.

Your removals quote checklist

• Van registration, gross plated weight and body type
• Whether you work alone or with helpers, and if they are employed
• The highest value load you usually carry
• Whether goods are ever stored or left in the van overnight
• Any house clearance or waste work
• Claims and convictions from the last five years

Seopa Ltd runs the comparison on Tiger.co.uk under FCA firm reference 313860, and the insurers on its panel are FCA-authorised. More than three million people have used it, and you can compare hire and reward van quotes in one go.

Ian Wilson, Managing Director at Tiger.co.uk, says: “Moving firms get caught out by the load, not the van. Check the goods in transit limit covers the most valuable thing you will carry this month.”

For a one-off move with a borrowed van, look at temporary van insurance. Back to the courier insurance hub, or see courier van cover for parcel work.

Do I need special insurance to do removals in my van?

Yes. Moving other people’s belongings for payment needs hire and reward use on your van policy. Most removals firms also add goods in transit and public liability cover.

Does removals cover protect the furniture I move?

Only if you add goods in transit cover. Motor insurance protects the van and other road users, not the load. Check the limit per item and per load.

Start a removals quote on Tiger.co.uk with your van and load details. Limits and exclusions vary, so check the goods in transit limit on each quote.