Mobile Mechanic Insurance Comparison

Mobile mechanic insurance policies from UK-based insurance providers

If you’re a mobile car mechanic your customers rely on your professional skills and automotive expertise, but you could face a claim for compensation if you ever make a mistake or something goes wrong. And unfortunately this is a common occurrence even in situations when you aren’t at fault.

Fortunately mobile mechanic insurance can help to protect you from financial loss and keep your business moving if you are ever lumbered with a liability claim.

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What is mobile mechanic insurance?

It’s a type of motor trade insurance that helps protect you and your business if someone makes a claim against you. It covers the unique risks you face as a mobile mechanic. As a mobile mechanic you will be called out to various locations and will likely be required to operate customer vehicles on a regular basis. Motor trade insurance will cover you against the damages that may result to your vehicle whilst on route to one of these jobs, as well as covering you for client vehicles you need to operate. You will also likely carry expensive tools and equipment from call out to call such as jack stands, air compressors, Cordless Lithium-ion powered impact wrenches. Without the appropriate coverage you will be exposing your self to the risk of having to pay for damaged equipment. This means many mobile mechanics will add on content coverage for their equipment. 

What insurance does a mobile mechanic need?

All mobile mechanics will need a basic level of motor trade insurance in place in order to legally operate on the road. You will need to have a policy which at minimum covers you against damages to third parties. A motor trade insurance policy will cover you to drive both customer vehicles and company-owned vehicles. It will also cover you for damages and issues resulting from faulty work. You will also need employers’ liability insurance if you have employees for your mobile mechanic business. This will cover you against claims made by customers and members of the public in the event of an incident which causes damage or injury. 

The levels of coverage available for mobile mechanics are as follows:

• Third party only (TPO) – This will cover the cost of injury or damage done to other people and their property but it won’t pay to fix your vehicle in an at fault accident. This is usually the cheapest coverage option and the minimum you need by law to drive on UK roads.
• Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) – This coverage gives you everything TPO offers and will also pay out if your recovery vehicle is stolen or damaged by fire under insurable circumstances.
• Fully comprehensive – Provides TPFT and will also pay to repair or replace your recovery truck if it’s damaged in a road accident or because of another insured event (for example, if a tree fell on it). As you’d expect, this is usually the most expensive level of cover you can buy.

Without the appropriate coverage, you can leave yourself open to being liable for the costs of damages to vehicles in your care as well as your own. This means it is important you check the policy documentation directly to ensure you are covered against the relevant risks.

What types of cover are available?

Like other motor trade policies, you can tailor this type of cover to suit your specific needs. Some of the most important types of cover you might need include:

• Mechanic liability insurance – For any mobile mechanic, public liability insurance should be a priority. This covers compensation and legal fees if a customer or member of the public has an accident and blames your business – for example if they tripped over tools you left lying around.

Mobile mechanics can also buy other types of liability insurance like product liability, which would cover you if a part you fitted turned out to be faulty.

• Defective workmanship cover – also known as service indemnity insurance. This covers the cost if someone makes a claim for injury or damage because of poor workmanship.
• Road risk cover – This lets you drive cars that don’t belong to you. If you’re test driving customers’ cars on public roads then you must have third party road risk cover at the very least. Bear in mind that third party cover will only pay for damage done to other cars – not the one you’re driving.

Third party, fire and theft, on the other hand, will also pay out if cars in your care or control are stolen or damaged by fire.

For the greatest peace of mind, though, you might want to consider comprehensive cover. This pays for damage done to a vehicle in your care, such as a customer’s car.

• Mechanic tools insurance – Pays for the repair or replacement of tools and equipment if they are lost or stolen.
• Breakdown cover – If customers are relying on you to fix or service their cars the last thing you need to deal with is your own broken-down vehicle. A policy that provides emergency assistance or a courtesy van can help you get to a job instead of letting a customer down.
• Legal expenses – whether you’re a self-employed part-time motor mechanic, or you own a busy mobile mechanic business with several employees, if your business is ever sued by a customer or a member of the public the resulting legal fees could be eye-watering.

How much does mobile mechanic insurance cost?

The cost can vary dramatically, based on a wide range of variables relating to both you and your motor trade business, so it’s difficult to provide a typical average.

Most insurance providers will take some or all of the following into account when calculating your premiums:

• Your age – It’s a known fact that young drivers face higher insurance premiums, so if you’re under the age of 25 you can expect to pay more for your policy than an older, more experienced driver.
• Your claims history – The more claims you’ve made the higher your premium is likely to be.
• The type of cover you choose – Comprehensive cover is sometimes more expensive than third party only, for instance, but it could prove great value if you cause an accident while driving a customer’s car.
• Any extras you add – The more optional extras you add to your policy the pricier it will be.
• Where you store your tools and equipment – If you’ve added tools cover to your mobile mechanic insurance where you store those tools could have an impact – storing them in a locked garage is usually a better option than keeping them in a van that’s parked on the side of the road, for instance.

The work carried out by a mobile mechanic exposes your vehicle to more risk than what the typical driver is used to facing. This is because you will routinely be driving from one job to the next and working with other peoples vehicles. This means you will have a unique risk profile in the eyes of insurers so the cost of your insurance will also account for this. You will also have a duty of care for these vehicles, sometimes referred to as referred to as ‘care, custody or control’ in the motor trade industry. This means that it is your responsibility to ensure you are in a position to cover any potential damages caused to client vehicles.

How can I lower the cost of car mechanic insurance quotes?

If you can, pay for your insurance in one yearly lump sum rather than in monthly instalments. It might seem like a huge expense but it works out cheaper as you won’t have to pay extra admin or interest charges.

You can also lower your premium by increasing your voluntary excess. If you decide to do this make sure it’s still at a level that you can afford, because you’ll need to pay this excess before a claim can go ahead.

Of course, one of the easiest ways to find cheaper mobile mechanic insurance is to compare quotes from a wide range of providers – and that’s where Quotezone.co.uk’s insurance comparison website can come in very handy indeed.

• Only insure your business against the risks you are likely to face, For instance there’s no point including European Cover if you only ever operate in the UK.
• Ensuring that your drivers are at least 25 years old and have clean driving records.
• Improving security by investing in CCTV, vehicle immobilisers and dashcams for you vehicle.
• Pay your insurance on an annual basis rather than monthly, this can help you avoid interest charges.
• Transferring your personal no claims bonus to your traders policy – not all insurers will let you do this but it’s worth asking.
• Agreeing to a higher voluntary excess, this will reduce your risk in the eyes of the insurer and so lower your premiums

Can Quotezone.co.uk help me get cheaper recovery vehicle insurance?

At Quotezone.co.uk, we are insurance comparison experts. We help motorists and businesses find cheaper insurance by connecting them to quotes from a large panel of UK based specialist providers. This increases your chances of finding the cheapest mobile mechanic insurance policies, as you will have a greater selection of quotes to compare simply by filling in one quick form. By filling in a quick form with your fleet details we can offer you quotes from top UK based insurance providers so you can start comparing in moments.