Does Van Insurance Cover Tools?
Caeva O'Callaghan | April 14th, 2023
If you’re a builder or a tradesman, you might need to transport expensive equipment and materials with you on the road. But will your van insurance cover what you bring with you?
No. No matter if they belong to the owner of the van or a third party, any tools and equipment stored in the van are not covered under a van insurance policy.
If you want to cover the tools, equipment or materials you need while out and about on a job, you will need extra insurance.
In this article, we’ll go over:
- What van insurance do I need?
- Does van insurance cover tools stolen from my van?
- How do I get van insurance?
Vans are all too often a target for opportunistic thieves. Make sure you purchase the level of insurance coverage you need to protect your business.
What van insurance do I need?
Third party, or third party only car insurance, is the minimum level of motor insurance you need to legally drive in Ireland and in the UK. This means that every driver on the road has, at a minimum, third party cover. If they do not, then they are breaking the law.
Third party car insurance covers you if somebody else makes a claim against you. So, if you cause an accident or any damage to a person or other vehicle while driving, your third party cover will pay for how much it costs.
If your van is damaged and you only have third party insurance, you will have to pay out of pocket to repair your van. The other party will be taken care of by the insurance claim, but if there are any costs arising from personal injuries to yourself, you will also have to pay for these.
If you have an accident while driving the van listed on your policy, third-party insurance will cover you for:
● Third party injury to a passenger or a person in another car/vehicle
● Damage to another person’s car/vehicle
● Damage to another person’s property, including driving into their wall
As long as you have any type of van insurance in place, you will have TPO (third party only) as a minimum.
Does van insurance cover tools stolen from my van?
Not unless you have more comprehensive cover than third party only. As third party van insurance is the minimum insurance cover you need to get on the road, it might not cover everything you need.
Again, third party cover is for the benefit of the other driver, not for yourself. It’s there to minimise the damage you cause when you have an accident. It also won’t pay for any medical or legal costs for your own injuries, like physiotherapy or business interruption.
The good news is that you can protect your tools (and other contents) either as an add-on to your van insurance, or as a separate policy. This will protect you not only if they’re stolen, but also if they’re damaged in a vehicle collision. Get in touch with us to arrange extra cover – no two policies are the same, and you’ll want one that fits your needs.
For example, many policies won’t cover your tools if they’re left in the van overnight. You may find it’s not practical to unload and lock up your tools every night, in which case you’ll want to pay extra for overnight cover. That way you’ll be covered not just if your tools are left in the van overnight, but also if you park your van outside.
How do I get van insurance?
It’s simple – just give us a call. Our friendly experts can help you find comprehensive commercial vehicle insurance. No matter if you have one van or a fleet, we have experts on hand who will be able to advise you on the kind of cover you need as well as arrange the most reasonable price.
All van owners are different, and you will need a different level of cover than your colleagues or partners. Carefully read your policy terms to make sure you have adequate cover – or ask us, and we’ll be happy to help.
And keep in mind that, if you are a business, you may get a better deal by buying more than one policy at once. If you would like extra insurance for your tools or materials, now’s the time to make sure you have all the cover you need. Talk to us today on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051.