Digger Insurance
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Digger Insurance
Whether you operate a single mini digger, run a plant hire business, or manage a fleet of excavators and construction machinery, having suitable digger insurance in place can help protect your equipment, business and financial interests.
At 1st Choice Insurance, we help businesses across the UK arrange specialist digger insurance through a panel of insurers. We understand that plant machinery is a valuable business asset and that different operators have different insurance requirements.
Whether you use your equipment for construction, groundworks, landscaping, agriculture, excavation or plant hire, our experienced advisers can help you explore the insurance options available for your machinery and business activities.
Get a Digger Insurance Quote
Protect your plant machinery with specialist insurance designed around your business requirements.
Our team can discuss your digger, how it is used, and the types of cover available through our panel of insurers.
Call 03300 125600 or complete our quote form below.
What is Digger Insurance?
Digger insurance is a specialist type of plant and machinery insurance designed for businesses and individuals who own or operate excavators, mini diggers and other construction equipment.
Diggers can represent a significant investment, and damage, theft or accidents involving machinery can create unexpected costs and disruption for businesses.
Depending on the policy selected, digger insurance may provide cover for risks including:
Accidental Damage
Protection for damage to your digger or excavator following an insured incident.
Theft and Fire
Cover may be available for loss or damage caused by theft or fire, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.
Third-Party Liability
Provides protection where you become legally liable for injury to another person or damage to third-party property while operating your machinery.
Public Liability Insurance
Public Liability Insurance may be available to protect your business against certain claims involving members of the public or third parties.
Employers’ Liability Insurance
If you employ staff, Employers’ Liability Insurance is generally a legal requirement unless an exemption applies.
Hired-In Plant Insurance
If you hire machinery from another company, Hired-In Plant Insurance may be available to help protect equipment that is temporarily in your possession.
The cover available will depend on the insurer, your business activities and the policy selected.
Who Needs Digger Insurance?
Digger insurance may be suitable for any business or individual using excavators or plant machinery as part of their work.
This includes:
Construction Companies
Building contractors and construction businesses using excavators, mini diggers and other plant machinery on building sites.
Groundworks Contractors
Businesses carrying out excavation, drainage, foundations and groundwork projects.
Landscaping Businesses
Landscapers using mini diggers and excavators for domestic and commercial projects.
Plant Hire Companies
Businesses hiring diggers and excavators to customers for short-term or long-term use.
Agricultural Businesses
Farmers and agricultural contractors using machinery for land management and development work.
Civil Engineering Contractors
Companies operating larger excavators and specialist plant equipment for infrastructure projects.
Utilities Contractors
Businesses working on water, gas, electricity and telecommunications projects.
Whether you operate one machine or a larger fleet, insurance can often be arranged to reflect your machinery, usage and business requirements.
Types of Diggers and Plant Machinery We Can Help Insure
We can help businesses explore insurance options for a wide range of plant equipment, including:
- Mini diggers
- Micro excavators
- Midi excavators
- Tracked excavators
- Wheeled excavators
- Hydraulic excavators
- Long reach excavators
- Demolition excavators
- Compact loaders
- Backhoe loaders
- Telehandlers
- Plant machinery fleets
We can also help arrange insurance solutions for other specialist plant and commercial equipment.
What Can Digger Insurance Cover?
The cover available will depend on your insurer and policy requirements, but options may include:
Owned Plant Insurance
Cover for machinery that you own and use within your business.
Contractors Plant Insurance
Designed for contractors using their own plant machinery while carrying out work for customers.
Plant Machinery Insurance
A wider form of cover that can include various types of construction and commercial equipment.
Road Risks Cover
Where applicable, additional cover may be available for plant machinery that is required to travel on public roads.
Transit Cover
Some policies may provide protection while machinery is being transported between locations, depending on the insurer and policy wording.
Site-Based Cover
Insurance may be available for machinery used across different worksites, subject to the policy terms and conditions.
Benefits of Digger Insurance
Having suitable digger insurance in place can provide several benefits for plant operators and construction businesses.
Helps Protect Valuable Machinery
Excavators and plant equipment are important business assets. Insurance can help protect against certain insured events that could result in repair or replacement costs.
Helps Manage Business Risks
Operating heavy machinery involves risks including accidental damage, theft and third-party claims. Appropriate insurance can form part of your wider risk management approach.
Supports Business Continuity
If machinery is damaged following an insured incident, having suitable cover in place may help your business manage the disruption.
Suitable for Different Businesses
Digger insurance can be arranged for sole traders, contractors, plant hire companies and larger construction businesses.
Flexible Cover Options
Policies can often be tailored depending on factors such as:
- Type of machinery
- Value of equipment
- Business activities
- Operating locations
- Whether machinery is owned or hired
Frequently Asked Questions about Digger Insurance
What is digger insurance?
Digger insurance is a specialist type of plant and machinery insurance designed to protect excavators, mini diggers and other digging equipment used for construction, groundwork, landscaping, agricultural and plant hire activities.
A policy can be tailored to cover risks such as accidental damage, theft, fire, and third-party liability, depending on the level of cover selected and the insurer’s terms and conditions.
Do I need insurance for a mini digger?
If you own, operate, hire out or use a mini digger for business purposes, having suitable insurance in place is strongly recommended.
Even smaller excavators can cause significant damage if involved in an accident, and specialist digger insurance can help protect your machinery, your business and your financial interests against certain insured risks.
Is digger insurance a legal requirement in the UK?
There is no single legal requirement that every digger owner must have a specific digger insurance policy. However, certain types of cover may be required depending on your circumstances.
For example, if you employ staff, Employers’ Liability Insurance is generally required by law unless an exemption applies. Public Liability Insurance may also be required by some contracts, sites or clients.
The cover you need will depend on how your digger is used and your business activities.
What does digger insurance cover?
Digger insurance can be tailored depending on your requirements and may include:
- Accidental damage to your digger
- Theft and attempted theft
- Fire damage
- Third-party liability
- Public Liability Insurance
- Employers’ Liability Insurance
- Hired-in plant cover
- Transit cover
- Cover for attachments and accessories
The exact cover available will depend on the insurer, policy terms, conditions and any exclusions that apply.
Can I insure a mini digger?
Specialist digger insurance can often cover mini diggers as well as larger excavators.
Whether you operate a small mini excavator for landscaping work or larger machinery for construction projects, cover can be arranged based on the type of equipment, how it is used and your business requirements.
Does digger insurance cover theft?
Many digger insurance policies can include protection against theft, subject to the policy terms and conditions.
Plant machinery can be a target for theft due to its value and portability, so businesses should consider suitable security measures such as tracking devices, secure storage and site security.
Does digger insurance cover accidental damage?
Accidental damage cover may be available as part of a comprehensive digger insurance policy.
This can help protect against certain unexpected incidents, such as accidental damage occurring during operation or while the machinery is being used, subject to the terms of the policy.
Can I insure more than one digger?
Businesses operating multiple excavators or plant machines may be able to arrange fleet or plant machinery insurance to cover several items under one policy.
This can help simplify insurance management and provide consistent protection across your machinery.
Does digger insurance cover hired-in plant?
Hired-in plant insurance may be available for businesses that hire equipment from another company.
This type of cover can help protect your business if hired machinery is damaged, lost or stolen while in your possession, subject to the policy conditions.
Does digger insurance cover equipment attachments?
Some policies may allow additional equipment and attachments to be included, such as buckets, breakers and other specialist attachments.
It is important to discuss all machinery and accessories you use when arranging cover to ensure they are correctly included where required.
Is my digger covered while being transported?
Some digger insurance policies can include cover while machinery is being transported between locations.
The level of protection available will depend on the policy selected, the method of transportation and the insurer’s requirements.
Can I use my digger on multiple sites?
Many digger insurance policies can provide cover for machinery used across different locations, including construction sites, agricultural land and customer premises.
You should provide accurate details about where and how your machinery is used so the insurer can assess the risk correctly.
Does digger insurance cover mechanical breakdown?
Standard digger insurance usually focuses on risks such as accidental damage, theft and other insured events rather than mechanical failure caused by wear and tear.
Some insurers may offer additional options for machinery breakdown or maintenance-related risks.
Can plant hire companies get digger insurance?
Plant hire businesses can arrange specialist insurance designed around their operations, including protection for machinery hired out to customers.
The type of cover required will depend on factors such as the equipment being hired, customer use, hire agreements and business activities.
Can contractors get digger insurance?
Yes. Digger insurance is commonly arranged by contractors working in industries such as:
- Groundworks
- Excavation
- Construction
- Landscaping
- Drainage
- Agriculture
- Civil engineering
Cover can be tailored around the machinery you operate and the work you carry out.
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