Business Insurance by Industry
Every industry has its own risks, so the insurance that fits a roofer looks different from what a consultant or a restaurant needs. Start with your industry to see which coverages are common, and why.
Find your industry
Each card lists the coverages businesses in that industry commonly carry. Guides for more industries are on the way.
- Protects against
- Damage to clients' property, injury on site, stolen tools and finished work that fails
- Commonly needed by
- General contractors, renovators, electricians, plumbers, roofers and other trades
- Protects against
- Claims that your advice or work cost a client money
- Commonly needed by
- Consultants, IT and marketing professionals, designers and bookkeepers
- Protects against
- Customer injuries, kitchen fires and spoiled stock
- Commonly needed by
- Restaurants, cafés, caterers, bakeries and food trucks
- Protects against
- Damage in clients' homes and offices, and lost keys or items
- Commonly needed by
- Residential and commercial cleaners, janitorial services
- Protects against
- Client injuries, and claims about the instruction or treatment you gave
- Commonly needed by
- Personal trainers, fitness instructors and massage therapists
- Protects against
- Customer slips and falls, theft and damage to stock
- Commonly needed by
- Shops, boutiques and other storefronts
Why your industry changes your insurance
Insurers group businesses by what they do, because the claims they see differ from one industry to the next. A contractor’s claims are mostly about damage on the job, a consultant’s are about advice that went wrong, and a restaurant’s are about customers on the premises and fires in the kitchen. Your industry commonly shapes:
- Which coverages you’re likely to need, and which you can usually skip
- What clients, landlords and contracts ask for, such as proof of insurance or a minimum limit
- How the price is worked out, since each industry is rated separately
It’s a starting point, not a rule. Two businesses in the same industry can need different cover, depending on their size, their contracts and the work they actually do.
Don’t see your industry?
The coverages are the same whatever you do. See business insurance for an overview of each one, or tell us about your business in the quote panel and we’ll refer you to licensed insurers who cover it.
Ready to compare?
Tell us about your business and we'll refer you to licensed insurers.