Does my home insurance cover my motor trade business?

Usually not. Standard home buildings and contents policies generally exclude business activity. You need a motor trade policy, and you may want combined cover if you keep stock or vehicles on site.

Can I keep traded vehicles on my driveway?

Usually yes, but tell your insurer where vehicles are kept and how many. Where and how they are stored can affect your cover and premium.

Do I need premises to get motor trade insurance?

No. Many traders work from home with no commercial premises at all. Road risk covers your driving, and you add other cover only if you need it.

Motor trade

Can I get motor trade insurance working from home?

Home-based dealers, mobile mechanics and valeters can get motor trade insurance. Here is what insurers want to know when you trade from home.

Yes. Home-based traders, from online car dealers to mobile mechanics, can get motor trade insurance, and many policies are written specifically for people working from a home address.

How home-based cover works

Plenty of traders run their business from home, advertising online and keeping a few vehicles on the drive. Insurers are used to this and can treat your home address as your trading base.

A few things help when you work from home:

A clear record of your trading activity
Knowing where vehicles are kept and how many
The right road risk level for driving customers' or stock vehicles

Where vehicles are kept

Insurers will usually ask where vehicles are parked overnight, such as on a driveway, in a garage or on the street, and how many you have at any one time. This can affect both the cover and the price. If the number of vehicles changes a lot, tell your broker so the policy keeps up.

It is also worth checking any local rules, planning conditions or tenancy terms about running a business or keeping several vehicles at home.

Home insurance is not enough

Your home buildings and contents policy is unlikely to cover a motor trade business. If you store stock, tools or customers' vehicles at home, you may want a combined policy to cover them as well, or add-ons for tools and liability. Our home insurance page covers the personal side of protecting your property.

Who typically works from home

Online and part-time car dealers
Mobile mechanics and valeters
Vehicle transporters and trade plate drivers
Small body repair and detailing businesses

Whether you're an online dealer or a mobile trader, cover is available for home-run motor businesses.

Getting motor trade insurance quotes

With Kompare you fill in a short form about your trade and where you work from. A specialist FCA-authorised broker from our panel then contacts you about motor trade quotes. Read how we work, or start on our motor trade insurance page.