Blog · 19 October 2026 · 7 min read

Chimney Sweep Insurance: What Cover a UK Sweep Business Needs

Most of a chimney sweep's insurance isn't set by law. Public liability insurance isn't usually a legal requirement in the UK (Hiscox), but HETAS and the main trade associations ask for it before they take you on, and it's the cover that pays if a job goes wrong in someone's home. The law steps in twice: employers' liability as soon as you take someone on, and motor insurance for your van.

This guide covers the insurance a UK chimney sweep business needs in 2026: what each cover is for, who asks for it and at what level, what it costs, and what to ask before you buy. It's about insuring your business. For what homeowners and their insurers expect from you, see what a sweeping certificate must include.

The short answer

Cover	Required by law?	Who asks, and how much
Public liability	No	HETAS and the trade associations: £2m to £5m
Employers' liability	Yes, once you employ anyone	The law: at least £5m
Professional indemnity	No	HETAS and Sweep Safe, if you do CCTV or give advice
Van	Yes, third party at least	The law, and your insurer for business use
Tools and kit	No	Nobody, but your kit is worth over £2,000
Income protection	No	Nobody: it's your choice

All sources were checked on 19 October 2026 and are linked below.

Public liability insurance

Public liability covers claims from customers and the public if your work injures someone or damages their property: a visitor trips over your rods, say, or soot ends up on a customer's sofa. HETAS and the trade associations below all expect you to have it.

How much cover you need

The level is set by the scheme or association you belong to:

HETAS: at least £2 million. HETAS checks that your policy schedule covers your business activities (HETAS).
The Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps: at least £2 million before a new sweep's final assessment (the Guild).
APICS: £5 million (APICS training agreement), and a copy of your policy to complete the membership assessment (APICS).
NACS: members must hold public liability insurance, checked before they join. NACS doesn't publish a minimum (NACS).
Sweep Safe: at least £2 million, specifically for chimney sweeping (Sweep Safe).
The ICS advertises its members as public liability insured (ICS).

If you belong to more than one, insure to the highest level. If you work for letting agents or commercial clients, ask what level they need before you quote.

What it costs

Caunce O'Hara, a broker, publishes a starting price of £84.80 a year for £1 million of cover, including Insurance Premium Tax, for a sweep with one employee, five or more years' trading and no claims in the last three years. £1 million is below what HETAS, the Guild, APICS and Sweep Safe ask for, so get your quotes at your scheme's level.

HETAS also offers registered sweeps discounted cover through Rhino Trade Insurance (HETAS).

Questions to ask before you buy

Does it name everything you do? HETAS checks that your schedule covers your business activities, so make sure sweeping is listed, along with anything else you offer, such as CCTV surveys, bird nest removal or fitting cowls.
Does it cover the chimney, fireplace and room you're working in, as well as the rest of the house? Ask the insurer directly.
Does it cover products you supply or fit? If you sell and fit cowls, bird guards or carbon monoxide alarms, ask about product liability. The ABI explains that it covers compensation for people injured by a faulty product a business supplies, and that it may not cover faults caused by bad workmanship.
Is the level right for every scheme you belong to?

Employers' liability insurance

This is the cover the law requires. As soon as you become an employer, you must have employers' liability insurance from an authorised insurer, covering you for at least £5 million. GOV.UK sets out the penalties:

you can be fined £2,500 for every day you're not properly insured
you can be fined £1,000 if you don't display the certificate where employees can see it, or don't show it to an inspector who asks

(GOV.UK)

There are exceptions, such as only employing a family member, so check GOV.UK's list before you go without. A limited company whose only employee owns half or more of its shares is exempt too (the regulations). A sole trader with no staff doesn't need it at all.

Taking on a helper or an apprentice? Ask your insurer whether they count as your employee for this cover before their first day, not after an accident.

Professional indemnity

Public liability covers injury and damage. Professional indemnity covers a different risk: a claim that your advice or your report was wrong, for example that a CCTV survey missed a defect.

HETAS requires it if you offer an investigation service such as CCTV or give professional advice (HETAS conditions of registration). Sweep Safe asks for a copy of your policy before it lists you for camera inspections or pressure testing (Sweep Safe).

Your van

Third party insurance is the legal minimum for driving on UK roads (GOV.UK), but the class of use matters as much as the level of cover. A sweep's van carries tools to customers' homes all day, so it needs cover for business use. Ageas's guide to driving for work warns that the wrong class of use can invalidate your insurance (Ageas). Tell your insurer it's a work van before your first job, not after a claim.

Your tools and kit

A sweep's core kit costs over £2,000; see the cost table in our guide to starting a chimney sweep business. Tools cover can be added to a sweep's policy: Caunce O'Hara, for one, lists tools insurance among its optional covers. Ask how the policy treats tools left in the van, and in particular what it expects overnight.

Cover for you

If you're self-employed and can't work, nobody pays you sick pay. Self-employed people aren't eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (GOV.UK). You may be able to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance if you've paid enough National Insurance (GOV.UK).

Personal accident and income protection insurance can fill the gap. Caunce O'Hara is one broker that offers personal accident cover alongside a sweep's policy.

Keep the records that back you up

If a customer ever claims against you, the records from the job are your evidence:

Photos of the fireplace and room before you start and after you finish.
A certificate for each flue, recording what you found, including the smoke test.
A written warning when something is unsafe, so there's no doubt you told the customer.

HETAS asks registered sweeps to keep their certificate records for six years (HETAS conditions of registration), so keep everything else from the job that long too.

Where We Sweep fits

We Sweep doesn't sell insurance, but it records the evidence you'd want if a customer complains or claims. The field app:

takes up to five photos before and five after each visit
issues a certificate for every flue
records the reason and the remedial action when a flue fails, and emails the customer: "Please don't use the appliance until the issues below have been resolved by a qualified professional."

You pay We Sweep nothing; your customers pay a £1.95 online booking fee, which you can subsidise, and standard card processing of 1.5% + 20p applies to card payments. See pricing, or apply here.

Frequently asked questions

Is public liability insurance a legal requirement for chimney sweeps?

No. Public liability insurance isn't usually a legal requirement in the UK, but HETAS and the trade associations require it. HETAS, the Guild and Sweep Safe ask for at least £2 million, and APICS for £5 million. Employers' liability is the cover the law requires, as soon as you employ anyone.

How much public liability insurance does a chimney sweep need?

At least £2 million for HETAS, the Guild and Sweep Safe, and £5 million for APICS. NACS requires cover but publishes no minimum. If you belong to more than one, insure to the highest level.

How much does chimney sweep insurance cost?

One broker publishes a starting price of £84.80 a year for £1 million of public liability, including Insurance Premium Tax, for an established sweep with no recent claims. Most schemes ask for £2 million or more, so get your quotes at that level.

Do I need employers' liability insurance for a helper?

If they're your employee, yes: GOV.UK says you need it as soon as you become an employer. Ask your insurer whether a helper you pay by the job counts as an employee for this cover.

Does my insurance cover CCTV surveys?

You need professional indemnity as well as public liability. HETAS requires it if you offer an investigation service such as CCTV or give professional advice, and Sweep Safe asks for proof of it before listing you for camera inspections.