Two different covers answer two different accidents. Public liability responds when your work injures someone or damages their property. Workmanship cover responds when your own faulty work has to be put right. An installer can hold either without the other — and discover the gap only when the wrong accident happens.
Key Takeaways
- Public liability answers for harm to people and their property; workmanship cover answers for putting your own faulty work right. They are different accidents.
- A defective charger is neither — it belongs to the manufacturer’s warranty, a third document to keep separate.
- Cover is priced on declared work: state your real job mix, including subcontracted work, and update it when the mix changes.
- Required amounts come from client contracts and your broker’s advice — there is no universal figure to carry in advance.
Two Covers, Two Different Accidents
| Cover | What it answers | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability | Claims from third parties: injury to a person, or damage to their property, arising from your work | It does not pay to redo your own defective work; the loss it answers is someone else’s |
| Workmanship cover | The cost of rectifying your own faulty installation work. Insurers sell it under several product names and structures — confirm the exact form with your broker | It does not answer for a defective charger (that is the manufacturer’s warranty), nor substitute for liability cover when someone is harmed |
The third document is not insurance at all: the product warranty. A defectively made charger is the manufacturer’s half — our comparison of what charger warranties cover sets that half out. Trouble starts when the three documents blur: a claim sent to the liability insurer that belongs to the warranty, or a workmanship problem the installer expected liability cover to absorb.
What a Broker Will Ask You
Cover is priced on declared work, so the broker conversation is an inventory of your actual job mix:
- The work itself. Domestic wallboxes, commercial sites, DC installations — the mix, stated plainly, including subcontracted work.
- Where and how you work. Groundworks, working at height, roof-adjacent mounting — because undeclared work is where claims are disputed.
- Who does the work. Employees and any labour-only subcontractors — and whether those subcontractors carry their own cover, which your broker will want evidenced, not assumed.
Answer exactly, and update the declaration when the mix changes. Adding commercial DC work mid-year on a domestic-only declaration does not extend the business; it opens a gap in it.
Where Cover Meets the Contract
A commercial client may ask for certificates of cover, and may name amounts in its contract terms. There is no universal figure: the amount is set by that contract, and whether you can meet it is a question for your broker — asked before you sign, not after. Two practical checks follow. First, read your own customer guarantee and your policy side by side: a workmanship promise wider than your cover is an uninsured promise. Second, where subcontractors work under your name, confirm in writing whose policy answers for their work before they are on site. What is legally required, as opposed to commercially expected, varies by jurisdiction — confirm it with your broker or insurer for the places you work.
Fitting Certified Hardware Is Part of the Risk Picture
Insurers and commercial clients both ask what hardware you fit. Listed, certified product is the easier conversation — see our guide to UL and ETL listing for EV chargers. EVDANCE, a Shenzhen manufacturer founded in 2011 and exporting to more than 30 countries, states each model’s marks on its product page — the EV-ACT5006T is listed as ETL/FCC/CE — and carries a 3-year standard warranty. Installer supply runs through the reseller and distributor programme; documentation questions go via contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is insurance legally required for EV charger installers?
It depends on the jurisdiction and on the contracts you sign — some cover is a legal requirement in some places, and commercial clients commonly require evidence of cover regardless. Treat the legal minimum where you work as a confirmation to obtain from your broker or insurer, and read each client’s terms before quoting.
Does public liability cover a faulty charger I installed?
Not the charger itself. A defectively made unit is the manufacturer’s warranty half. Liability cover concerns harm — injury to people or damage to their property. A single incident can touch both documents, so keep the warranty paperwork and the policy where you can reach both.
A client asks for a specific amount of cover. Where do I check it?
The client’s contract sets the ask; your broker sets out whether your current policy meets it and what arranging the difference involves. Have that conversation before signing, not after an incident.
Related Reading
- How to Become an EV Charger Installer (and Get Certified)
- UL and ETL Listing for EV Chargers: How NRTL Certification Works
- Which EV Charger Has the Best Warranty?
