Direct Line for Business vs Hiscox UK

Aviva-owned direct insurer selling tradesperson cover online and by phone, with covers you choose

Direct Line for Business is the business insurance brand of Direct Line, whose group has been owned by Aviva since July 2025. It sells tradesperson insurance direct, online and by phone, and says it has over 500,000 business policies. You build a policy from public liability (£1 million to £10 million), employers' liability (up to £10 million as standard), tools, stock, plant and contract works, with add-ons such as overnight tools, personal accident, professional indemnity and legal expenses.

Pros

• + Employers' liability up to £10 million as standard, Direct Line says
• + Choose the covers you need, including tools, stock, plant and contract works
• + No admin fees for policy changes and 0% APR on monthly payments, Direct Line says
• + Offers to beat another insurer's quote on equivalent cover for new policies, with conditions

Cons

• − No published prices; premiums by quote
• − Tools cover has a £1,500 single-item limit and overnight tools cover costs extra
• − Direct Line is proposing to move insurance business from U K Insurance Limited to Aviva Insurance Limited
• − The price-beat offer needs proof of the other quote and excludes some policy types

UK specialist insurer selling public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability and tools cover to tradespeople online and by phone

Hiscox sells business insurance direct to UK tradespeople online and by phone, and says it has over 100 years of industry experience. Its UK companies, Hiscox Underwriting Ltd and the insurer Hiscox Insurance Company Limited, are based at 22 Bishopsgate, London and authorised by the FCA, the insurer also by the PRA. For trades it offers public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability and tool insurance, plus cyber, legal protection, property and equipment breakdown cover, though Hiscox says not every cover is available for every trade.

Pros

• + Public liability from £5.20 a month, by Hiscox's own figure
• + Professional indemnity available alongside public liability
• + Quote online or by phone, with proof of insurance in minutes, Hiscox says
• + UK insurer authorised by the FCA and PRA

Cons

• − Employers' liability is sold only with public liability
• − Builders are referred to a partner insurer
• − Not every cover is available for every trade
• − Only a 'from' price is published; your premium comes from a quote