Home Baker Insurance

Home Baker Insurance 

If you run a home baking business from your own home it would be a very good idea to take out home baking insurance, which can protect your business from legal fees and compensation claims if an accident occurs and you’re held liable.  

Compare public liability insurance for home bakers now 

Is public liability insurance a legal requirement for my home baking business? 

No, unlike some other types of policies public liability insurance isn’t a legal requirement in the UK. Still, it’s worth considering because if you should face a public liability claim, it could put you out of business if you don’t have the right insurance in place. 

But if I run my baking business from my home surely I’ll be covered by my home insurance? 

No, home insurance usually won’t cover you for a business you’re running from your home, and definitely won’t cover any public liability claims your home baking business might face. 

If customers never enter my home then am I right in thinking I don’t need home baking insurance? 

Although this type of insurance does protect you from liability claims brought by your own customers, those customers aren’t the only people who are classed as members of the public when it comes to PLI. 

For instance, couriers and delivery drivers that are delivering baking equipment for your business would be classed as members of the public too, and if you ever deliver baked goods to other locations this type of policy will likely cover if you cause an accident at that other location. 

In addition, if your baking business damages your neighbour’s property (a fire that spreads from your kitchen to your neighbour’s house, for instance) you would need public liability insurance for that incident as well because your home insurance won’t cover damage caused by your business. 

What level of coverage do I need for my home baking business? 

Most public liability insurance companies will offer four levels of coverage when you’re taking out home baking insurance: 

• £1 million of public liability coverage 
• £2 million of coverage 
• £5 million of coverage 

• £10 million of coverage 

Most home bakers won’t need £10 million of coverage, but it might be worth comparing quotes for £2 million of coverage even if your home baking business is very small because this level of coverage often doesn’t cost much more than £1 million of coverage. 

What types of risks does public liability insurance for a home baker actually insure me against? 

Home baker public liability insurance will cover your home baking business against a number of different “insurable events”. These are typical incidents that could occur in this type of business that might result in a public liability claim. These insurable events can vary slightly from one insurance provider to the next, but the three standard ones are: 

• If a member of the public is physically injured due to your business 
• If a member of the public’s property is damaged or destroyed and your business is held liable 
• If a member of the public’s valuables are lost, stolen or damaged, and your baking business is held liable. 

Is it true I need separate legal cover? 

Most of the time your legal fees should be taken care of by your PLI for home bakers if your home baking business is sued for damages by a member of the public. You will have to pay an excess if you ever claim on this insurance though, which is the amount you have to pay yourself before your public liability insurance provider pays out. 

How much is the excess on a home bakers insurance policy? 

The excess can vary quite a bit from one insurance provider to the next, so you’ll need to double-check the policy’s terms and conditions to confirm what excess you’ll be expected to cover yourself in the event of a claim. 

How much does this type of home baking insurance policy tend to cost? 

The cost of a public liability insurance policy for home bakers can vary quite a lot from one baker to the next. This is because insurance providers usually take a wide range of different risk factors into consideration when they’re calculating your insurance premium. Each individual factor will add a different weighting to the final outcome of your quote.  

For instance, the size and scale of your baking business, the location of your business, whether or not customers visit you at that location, any other locations you might visit during the course of your business, and the type of baking equipment can all influence the cost of your home baker liability insurance. 

In addition, the level of public liability cover you opt for will also influence the cost of your policy.  

A very good way to find the cheapest insurance for your baking business is to compare public liability insurance quotes from a wide range of insurance providers. You can quickly assess who will give you the offer with the best coverage and at the most competitive price too.  

Can I take out temporary home bakers insurance? 

Yes, it is possible to take out temporary home bakers insurance, which might be worth considering if your home baking business will only be trading for a relatively short amount of time. 

However, if you trade on a part-time basis but throughout the whole year then you should take out part-time public liability insurance rather than a short-term policy. 

Does home bakers’ public liability insurance cover claims by employees? 

No, as the name suggests public liability insurance will generally only cover your business against liability claims from members of the public. The definition of members of the public is fairly broad and can include customers, visitors, couriers, delivery people, tradespeople and neighbours. 

However, it specifically doesn’t include your own employees – you would need a separate employers’ liability insurance policy for those types of liability claims. In fact, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you do employ staff in your business.  

If my home baking business exhibits at fairs or markets will this be covered by my home baking insurance? 

Yes, public liability insurance policies will usually cover you if you exhibit at fairs or markets, provided you let the insurance provider know about this on the quote form when you’re taking out the policy.