Combined Motor Trade Insurance

Often not, because the landlord insures the structure. You still need contents, stock, tools and the liability sections, and it is worth checking what the lease actually requires of you.

It varies with the stock value, but gates or barriers, lighting, an alarm and a locked key store come up on almost every quote. Higher values bring cameras and monitoring into the conversation.

If a fire would stop you trading for months, it is the section that keeps the business alive. Choose an indemnity period long enough to rebuild and reopen, not just to clear up.

Usually up to a total, with a limit on any single item. Diagnostic equipment and ramps can exceed the single item figure, so list the expensive things rather than relying on the total.

Yes, it is built around the road risk section rather than replacing it. You get the driving cover plus everything else, on one schedule with one renewal date.

You carry the difference. It is a common shortfall after a fire or a theft of several vehicles, and it is avoided simply by reviewing the figure through the year.

Yes, with each location listed and its own security described. Insurers rate sites separately, so a well-protected unit is not penalised by a weaker second yard.

Because it insures your vehicle rather than vehicles in your charge. The moment the business turns on handling somebody else’s car, a trade policy is the arrangement that responds.

The premises, the contents, stock held for sale and the liabilities that come with having people on site. It is one policy rather than several, with one renewal date.

Normally, as soon as you employ anybody, with some exceptions for certain family-only businesses. It usually sits inside a combined policy rather than being bought separately.

It is one of the main rating factors, because it describes the scale of the business better than the number of vehicles does. Give a realistic figure; it is reviewed at renewal.

Some policies limit how many may be kept outside, or require them behind a barrier. It is worth checking, because it is a condition rather than a preference.

In a locked cabinet away from the vehicles, and out of sight from any window. Key security is where trade theft claims are usually decided.

Policies generally set a maximum value for any single vehicle driven. A high-value car arriving for work can sit above it, so check the figure before the keys change hands.

Usually within a day, and often the same afternoon. Delays almost always come from incomplete driver details rather than from the underwriting itself, so gather licence numbers and dates of birth before you start.