In construction and property development, equipment downtime or damage can lead to serious financial setbacks. Whether you operate your own plant or hire from a third party, plant hire insurance is essential to protect your operations against theft, accidental damage, breakdowns, and legal liability.
At Fraser Bond, we support developers and commercial clients throughout the project lifecycle—including helping them secure the right insurance for plant hire through a network of trusted brokers. Here’s what you need to know before requesting a plant hire insurance quote.
Plant hire insurance covers physical loss, damage, or third-party liability associated with plant and machinery used on construction or development sites. It protects equipment that is hired in, hired out, or owned, and ensures business continuity in the event of theft, fire, vandalism, or operator error.
There are typically two main categories of cover:
Protects equipment you’ve hired from a supplier. Most hire contracts require you to insure the plant during the hire period. This cover usually includes:
Theft or accidental damage
Fire and flood
Cover during transit or on-site use
Legal liability for damage to the hired item
Protects your own equipment that you rent out to third parties. Often includes:
Damage caused by negligent or unqualified users
Loss of revenue during repair/replacement
Third-party liability and legal costs
Optional: cover for equipment in transit or overseas use
Excavators, dumpers, cranes, and forklifts
Cherry pickers, rollers, and tower lights
Generators and compressors
Skid-steer loaders and trenchers
Tools and attachments
Associated plant equipment (trailers, containers)
You likely do if you:
Hire in plant or equipment under CPA (Construction Plant-hire Association) terms
Operate your own fleet and rent it to third parties
Work in construction, development, infrastructure, or groundworks
Manage a building site with high-value plant assets
Many plant hire agreements place the insurance responsibility on the hirer, making this cover a contractual requirement, not just a best practice.
When requesting a quote, insurers will consider:
Value and type of equipment being hired
Duration and frequency of hire
Site security measures (e.g. fencing, CCTV, immobilisers)
Location of the site and exposure to risk
Claims history and risk management procedures
Whether the plant is operated by you or the hirer
You’ll typically need to provide:
An itemised list of equipment
Hire agreements or CPA contract terms
Site address(es)
Security arrangements and risk controls
Fraser Bond works with property developers, builders, and contractors to ensure all project risks are effectively managed, including:
Connecting clients with FCA-authorised insurance brokers
Reviewing policy wording to ensure alignment with CPA or hire agreements
Coordinating plant hire insurance alongside other covers like:
Contractors’ All Risks
Public and Employers’ Liability
Project Insurance / Latent Defects Insurance
We simplify the process of getting plant hire insurance quotes and help ensure full compliance with industry standards and lender requirements.
Plant hire insurance isn’t just a compliance step—it’s critical protection for your business, equipment, and contractual obligations. Whether you're hiring in plant for a construction site or renting out your own machinery, securing the right cover at the right price is essential.
Fraser Bond ensures our clients are supported with reliable brokers, competitive quotes, and risk-aware policy structuring—so your projects stay on track, no matter what.
