Liability insurance · Based in Macclesfield, serving the North West and beyond
Liability insurance for businesses across the North West and beyond
If a customer is injured, a member of staff has an accident or something you've supplied causes damage, the right liability cover helps protect your business.
- Public liability
- Employers' liability
- Products liability and sales and service indemnity
Speak to Steve and the team
01625 682 765Get a quick quote
Four quick details and we'll call you back promptly during office hours, or on the next working day.
What is liability insurance?
Liability insurance deals with claims made against your business by other people: a customer who trips in your shop, a neighbour whose wall you damage, an employee injured at work, or someone harmed by a product you supplied. These claims are unpredictable, and legal costs alone can be substantial even when the claim goes nowhere.
Employers' liability is the one cover most UK employers are legally required to hold. Public liability is not compulsory, but in practice a lot of work depends on it: councils, main contractors, landlords and event organisers regularly ask for evidence before they let you start.
How much cover you need is usually driven by the work you take on. One million pounds is common for small operators, but plenty of contracts specify five or ten million. We will look at what your customers ask for and make sure your certificate does not cost you a job.
Reviewed by Steve Milner, Cert CII · October 2026
A starting point for your cover
Which liability insurance cover do I need?
Question 1 of 4
This is a quick guide, not advice. We'll confirm the right cover when we speak to you.
Who we insure
The businesses we work with
Trades and contractors
Public and employers' liability at the limits your contracts ask for.
Shops and cafés
Cover if a customer is injured on your premises or by something you sell.
Event organisers and market traders
Public liability for events, stalls and pitches, with certificates ready when organisers ask.
Landlords
Property owners' liability if a tenant or visitor is injured at your property.
Offices and consultants
Public and employers' liability for office-based businesses and client visits.
Small manufacturers
Products liability for what you make, plus employers' liability for your team.
- Tradespeople and contractors
- Market traders
- Event organisers
- Offices
- Sole traders
Your cover
What can liability insurance cover?
Every policy is built around your business, so yours may include some of these and not others.
Core cover
Public liability
Covers compensation and legal costs if a member of the public is injured, or their property is damaged, because of your business activities.
Employers' liability
Covers claims from employees who are injured or become ill because of their work. Most UK employers must hold at least £5 million of cover.
Products liability
Protects you if something you have made, supplied, repaired or installed causes injury or damage after it has left your hands.
Sales and service indemnity
Sales indemnity protects your business if a product or vehicle you sell causes damage or loss after it leaves your premises. Service indemnity covers you if your work, maintenance or repairs on a customer's item cause problems or accidents after the job is done.
Contract works
Covers work in progress, materials on site and temporary buildings until the job is handed over.
Legal expenses
Helps with the cost of defending claims and dealing with disputes, including employment and contract matters.
Liability cover limits
£1m
- Small sole traders and many domestic customers
£2m
- Many trade customers and venues
£5m
- Councils and larger contractors
£10m
- Major contractors and public bodies
Your contracts decide this, so we check them with you.
Optional extras
- Contract works
- Legal expenses
- Hired-in plant
- Cyber
Not usually covered
- Injury to your own employees under public liability (that's employers' liability)
- Damage to your own property
- Financial loss from professional advice
- Deliberate acts
Cover is subject to the insurer's acceptance and policy terms.
How cover can help
Illustrative examples. Whether a claim is covered depends on your policy terms and the insurer's assessment.
Illustrative example
A trip in a shop
A customer trips over a cable in a shop.
Public liability can respond.
Illustrative example
Damage at a client’s home
A decorator spills paint on a client's new carpet.
Public liability can respond to the property damage claim.
Illustrative example
An employee is hurt
An employee injures their back lifting stock.
Employers' liability can respond.
How much does liability insurance cost?
Every quote is individual, so we don't publish prices. These are the main things insurers look at.
What affects the price
- Trade and activities
- Turnover
- Number of staff and wageroll
- Limit of cover
- Use of subcontractors
- Work at height or with heat
- Claims history
Ways to keep your premium down
- Documented risk assessments
- Training records
- An accurate trade description
- Accurate wageroll and turnover figures
What you'll need for a liability quote
- Trade description
- Turnover
- Number of employees and wageroll
- Limit your contracts require
- Use of subcontractors
- Claims history
Don't have everything? We can help fill in the gaps.
Call us now, or request a callback and we'll call you back promptly.
01625 682 765How it works
Getting insured with M&B is SO simple
- 1
Tell us about your business
Fill in a short form or give us a call. We only ask for what we actually need to get started.
- 2
We do the legwork
We approach insurers on our panel and compare cover, not just price. We'll call you back promptly, or on the next working day.
- 3
You choose, we sort the rest
We explain your options in plain English, arrange your policy and stay with you for renewals and claims.
Why M&B
Why choose M&B for liability insurance
We read the contract requirements with you
If a client is asking for £10 million and specific wordings, we make sure the policy we arrange actually meets it.
Cover that keeps up with the work
Take on staff, change trade or start working at height and your liability position changes. We check that at renewal, and in between.
Certificates when you need them
Employers' liability certificates and evidence of cover sent over quickly, so you are not held up on site.
Your broker
Steve Milner
Co-Founder & Director · Cert CII
Steve has over 20 years' experience in insurance, leading teams and departments at regional, national and global brokers. He's Cert CII qualified, started his career in Bollington and lives in Macclesfield with his family.
Steve leads a small team based together in our Macclesfield office, each with over 10 years' insurance experience.
“I want to build a broker that puts the customer at the heart of everything we do, with the personal touch and genuine service I feel is missing in the industry today.”
- Macclesfield local
- Over 20 years in insurance
- Cert CII qualified
FAQs
Liability insurance questions
Get your liability quote
Request a quote
Tell us a little about your business and we'll get to work.
Prefer to talk?
Call 01625 682 765, Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Related cover
Commercial insurance
Protect your business assets, premises and company vehicles against everyday trading liabilities and financial losses.
Get a quoteStill not sure which cover you need? Read our insurance FAQs or talk to the team.
Ready to make your insurance SO simple?
Speak to Steve and the team on 01625 682 765, or request a callback and we'll contact you promptly.