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Office insurance

A burst pipe shouldn't close the business.

Cover for your contents, your portable equipment and the income you lose if you can't trade.

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Provided byMarkel

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Online quote and buy, provided by Markel. No obligation.

What you get

  • A few questionsYour premises, your turnover, and what you want insured
  • Your price on screenIncluding Insurance Premium Tax at 12%
  • Documents by emailDocuments confirming your sums insured and excess
Start your quote

IGotCover introduces you to Markel. Markel runs the quote, sells the policy and underwrites it.

Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds

Three parts: property damage, portable equipment you take off-site, and business interruption for the income you lose. Take the parts you need, not all three.

Subject to the policy terms, exclusions, your excess and the insurer's underwriting.

  1. Something happensFire, flood, a break-in, damage to the premises next door
  2. Your kit is gone or unusableComputers, furniture, stock, the equipment you work with
  3. You can't trade normallyOr at all, until you are back up
  4. The policy respondsRepair or replacement, plus lost income, up to your sums insured
A studio owner standing beside equipment cases

Who is it for?

Typically suitable for businesses with a premises, and for plenty without one. Portable equipment cover follows the kit you carry, so it matters less whether you have an office or work out of the back of a van.

Usually a fit

  • Businesses with an office, studio, unit or shop
  • Anyone carrying laptops, phones, tablets or specialist equipment off-site
  • Businesses holding stock on the premises
  • Community halls, clubs and charities with a building to look after
  • Home-based businesses whose home insurance won't cover business equipment

What it doesn't do

  • A cyber attack or data breach. That's cyber insurance
  • Injury to staff or the public. That's employers' and public liability
  • A client says your advice cost them money. That's professional indemnity

Cover, limits and exclusions are set by the policy wording. Read the documents before you buy.

Why businesses buy it

  • Home insurance almost never covers business kit

    If you work from home, your home policy is unlikely to pay for business equipment and will not respond if a client or employee is hurt there.

  • The equipment goes where you go

    Portable equipment cover follows laptops, phones, tablets and specialist tools off-site, which is where most of them get lost, stolen or dropped.

  • Lost trading outlasts lost furniture

    Business interruption can cover income lost and extra costs incurred while you cannot work normally, including being locked out because of damage next door.

What to be aware of

  • A £250 excess applies to Markel's office insurance policies.
  • Underinsuring is the common mistake. Insure at current replacement value, not what you paid.
  • Wear and tear, cyber attacks and permanently unoccupied buildings are excluded.
  • If you hold stock, think about its value at the busiest point in your year, not the average.
  • Cover levels and exclusions vary by policy. Read the policy documents before you buy.

How much to insure for

There is no limit to pick on this one. You set the sums insured yourself, based on what you own, which is where most businesses get it wrong. This is general guidance, not a valuation.

  • Replacement value, not purchase price

    Insure what it would cost to replace the item today. Insuring at what you originally paid is the most common way to end up short.

  • Count everything, including the boring things

    IT equipment, furniture, phones, printers, and any specialist kit you rely on. Items forgotten at quote stage are items not covered.

  • Stock at its peak, not its average

    If you hold stock, use the value at your busiest point in the year rather than a typical month.

  • Portable equipment is a separate figure

    The quote asks separately about equipment you want covered outside the premises. Laptops, smartphones, tablets and projectors all count.

The three parts of the cover

  • Property damage: repairing, restoring or replacing damage to the premises and contents.
  • Portable equipment: loss, theft and accidental damage to kit you take off-site.
  • Business interruption: income lost and extra costs while you cannot operate normally.
  • A £250 excess applies. That is the amount you pay towards any claim.
  • You can take the parts you need. It does not have to be all three.

What it costs

Starting price

from£5a month

Available only for certain trades and business profiles. Individual premiums may be higher.

£10,000 of property damage cover

Markel's indicative quotes, cover bundled
  • Community hall, 10 volunteers: £20.16 a month
  • Pilates instructor, £42k turnover: £34.72 a month

Markel's published price. The monthly figure is an average equivalent monthly of the annual premium. A higher first payment applies and individual premiums vary. Source: Markel Direct, September 2026. Markel's basis for the £5 figure is a property damage policy at a £10,000 level of cover. Only available for certain trades and risk profiles.

Every price in the quote includes Insurance Premium Tax at 12%.

A photographer holding a camera and a kit bag

How it works in practice

An illustrative example, not a real claim. Names and figures are invented to show the mechanics.

Aisha, 43Runs a four-person design studio from a first-floor unit. Owns the fit-out, not the building.
The situation

A pipe bursts in the flat above over a bank holiday weekend. Four workstations, a large-format printer and the studio furniture are written off, and the unit needs three weeks to dry out.

What it meant

Assuming the claim falls within the scope of cover, the insurer may cover replacing the equipment and furniture, and the business interruption section may cover the income lost and the cost of renting desk space while the unit dries.

  • Contents sum insured£40,000
  • Excess£250

Whether and how much a policy pays depends on the policy terms, the excess and the circumstances of the claim.

Who you're dealing with

Two parties, and it's worth knowing which is which.

  • Introduces you to MarkelIGotCover

    A trading name of Caspian Assured Ltd, authorised and regulated by the FCA. We explain the cover and point you to Markel's quote.

  • MarkelSells and underwrites the policyMarkel Direct

    The quote journey you're taken to, the policy you buy and the insurer named on your certificate. Markel Direct is a trading name of Markel International Insurance Company Limited. Claims are handled by Markel.

Protecting the people the business relies on

Office insurance covers the things the business owns. Business protection covers the people it depends on.

  • Directors

    Relevant life insurance

    Life cover for a director, paid for by the business.

    Explore
  • Key people

    Key person insurance

    A lump sum to the business if someone it depends on dies or is seriously ill.

    Explore
  • Ownership

    Shareholder protection

    Funds for the other owners to buy a shareholder's stake.

    Explore
  • Staff

    Employee benefits

    Cover arranged across your staff rather than one at a time.

    Explore

These are separate products, not part of the quote above. Advice is provided by IGotCover advisers. Cover is subject to eligibility, underwriting and the policy terms.

Common questions

Something not covered here? Email us at [email protected].

I run my business from home. Do I need it?

Probably, yes. Home insurance is unlikely to cover business equipment to its full value, and it will not respond if an employee or client has an accident at your house. Check your home policy before you assume you are covered, because trading from home can breach its terms.

Can you cover equipment I take out of the office?

Yes. Portable equipment cover applies to kit you take with you while working, including laptops, smartphones, tablets and projectors. The quote asks for that value separately.

Do the prices include tax?

Yes. Every price you see includes Insurance Premium Tax at 12%. The price you pay depends on your premises, the sums you insure and the insurer's underwriting.

Get your contents cover sorted today.

A few questions, your price, then documents by email. No obligation to buy.

Questions for us? Email [email protected]. Help with the quote itself is Markel's team on 0800 640 6600.

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Quote journey provided by Markel.

This page is information only and not personal advice. IGotCover is a trading name of Caspian Assured Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA reference [FRN]). Registered in England and Wales, company number 07011592. Registered office: Tower 12, Level 2, Bridge Street, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3BZ. IGotCover introduces customers to Markel for this product. It does not provide advice or a personal recommendation, and does not recommend a level of cover. You choose the cover and limits that suit your business.

The online quote-and-buy journey is provided by Markel. Markel Direct is a trading name of Markel International Insurance Company Limited, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Policies are underwritten by Markel International Insurance Company Limited. Prices include Insurance Premium Tax at 12%. Cover levels, limits and exclusions vary by policy and are subject to eligibility and underwriting. Read the policy documents before you buy. Last reviewed 14 September 2026.

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