Why do upholsterers need insurance?
An upholstery failure
Your clients trust you to protect their items and achieve an aesthetically pleasing result. Usually, they leave happy, with transformed furniture. But if someone asks you to cover their family heirloom wingchair, and you mistakenly reupholster it, they might try to claim for damages if this devalues the item.
Building professional indemnity insurance into your commercial upholsterer policy can help protect against complaints about your services or advice. If you need to go to court, it can support with legal fees and compensation.
A roadshow accident
You feel at home with fabric, padding and springs. But as an upholsterer, you might need to travel to meet people, to market your services or goods. You may decide to attend an antique furniture exhibition, where you set up a stall lined with sample patterns.
Unfortunately, an attendee trips on a display footstool and hits their head on the marquee pole. As a business owner or sole trader, you could be held liable for injuries that happen on your watch – if so, insurance may assist financially.
A studio theft
An upholsterer’s studio is where the magic happens. The place your skill and creativity combine with your materials, chisels and upholstery tack hammers to create objects of beauty.
But when a box of specialist tools goes missing, there may be delays in processing orders – and you’ll need to find the money to replace them. By tailoring your upholsterer insurance with tool cover, there’s help with the cost of replacing kit.
What insurance is available for an upholsterer?
Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance is a type of cover that may help an upholsterer to manage the risk of facing a third-party injury or property damage claim. It is there in the event someone from outside your business – a customer, supplier, or visitor – is injured, or their property damaged, because of your activities. Someone might trip on the step into your warehouse, or you may visit a client at home and knock over a valuable sculpture. Either way, this could help to cover fees and compensation.
Professional indemnity insurance
An upholsterer provides a professional service to clients, which can leave room for complaints. Professional indemnity insurance is designed to offer protection if a client claims your work didn’t meet the required standards or led to a financial loss. They may feel your upholstery work wasn’t hard-wearing enough or it didn’t fit with their instructions. You might give aftercare advice that causes damage to fabric. This insurance can help to fund compensation pay-outs and related fees.
Tool insurance
An upholsterer uses tools to tackle every stage of each job – from carefully preparing furniture to slicing foam and working on installation. Items such as your electric or pneumatic stapler can be integral to your business. Tool insurance can help to protect you against the impact of loss, damage, or theft, including when you’re on-the-go.
Some upholsterers also add cyber and data insurance – useful if you work online – legal protection cover and crime cover. There’s also specialist insurance for directors and officers.
These are just some of the business insurance types we offer upholsterers. We can provide other types of cover and add them to a policy tailored to your business.
Get your quoteInsurance for upholsterers: FAQs
What insurance do I need if I sell upholstered goods overseas?
Products liability insurance may help if your business sells upholstered goods overseas. Public and products liability cover from Hiscox, for example, includes overseas personal liability. Cover for brief trips outside of the UK is generally included, but limits may apply for claims relating to the USA and Canada.
Product liability insurance can also be key for upholsterers which operate solely in the UK, whether you sell upholstered goods or simply alter and repair them. This type of liability insurance can help if a product causes harm to people or property – for instance, if someone is injured by a misplaced staple.
How can I insure my upholstery workshop?
Deciding the best way to insure your upholstery workshop depends on whether you own or rent your business premises. Commercial buildings insurance is often a good fit if you own the building, whereas business contents insurance insures what’s inside, so could be better if you rent.
Commercial buildings insurance covers the building against risks such as fire, flood, or storm damage. Meanwhile, contents insurance can help to pay for the repair or replacement of items stored on the premises that are stolen, accidentally damaged or lost.
What if I install upholstery at different locations? Will business insurance cover this?
Yes, business insurance can cover your activities whether you operate from a set workshop or travel to your clients. Restaurants or hotels might contract you to reupholster their fixed lobby furniture – covers such as public liability and professional indemnity insurance could help to protect you against professional risks.
Tool insurance can also help to protect your upholstery kit as you move from place to place. Business contents insurance also includes cover for money while in and away from the business premises.
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