Florist insurance: key facts
- Public liability is not a legal requirement for a sole-trader florist, but most wedding venues and markets ask for it, usually at £5 million.
- Employers' liability is compulsory once you employ anyone, including Saturday and seasonal staff: at least £5 million, with fines up to £2,500 a day.
- A home or market florist typically pays roughly £80 to £250 a year for public and product liability (rough guide, including 12% Insurance Premium Tax).
- Stock peaks at Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas and in wedding season, so your stock sum insured should allow for seasonal increases.
- Flowers lost to a chiller breakdown or power cut are usually only covered by deterioration of stock, often an optional extra.
- Home insurance usually excludes business use, so home florists need separate cover.
- Delivering flowers needs business use on your motor insurance.
What does florist insurance cover?
Florist insurance is usually a package built around public and product liability, which covers injury or damage to other people caused by your work or the goods you sell. Florists then add stock, chiller breakdown, shop, delivery and staff cover as needed.
| Cover | What it protects | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability | Injury or property damage to others, such as a slip on a wet shop floor or a vase knocked over at a venue. | Every florist. |
| Product liability | Injury or damage caused by flowers, plants, vases, candles or gifts you sold. | Every florist selling to the public. |
| Stock cover | Flowers, plants, sundries and gifts if damaged or stolen, ideally with a seasonal increase. | Shops and studios holding stock. |
| Deterioration of stock | Flowers spoiled by cold room or chiller breakdown, or a power cut. | Anyone with a chiller or cold room. |
| Shop contents and glass | Counters, chiller, fixtures, tools and shop front glass, including boarding up. | Florists with premises. |
| Business interruption | Lost profit if fire or flood closes your shop or studio. | Shop florists. |
| Goods in transit | Arrangements and wedding flowers in your vehicle. | Florists who deliver or work at venues. |
| Employers' liability | Claims from injured staff, such as knife cuts or back strain. | Required by law once you employ anyone. |
Is florist insurance a legal requirement?
Only employers' liability is required by law, once you employ anyone, with at least £5 million of cover under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. If you deliver, your motor insurance must include business use.
- Seasonal and casual staff count. The extra pair of hands for Mother's Day weekend or a school leaver doing Saturdays both need employers' liability. Fines can reach £2,500 a day. A narrow exemption for close family employees does not apply to limited companies, so check HSE guidance before relying on it. Northern Ireland has its own equivalent law.
- Deliveries. Social, domestic and pleasure motor cover is not enough. Tell your insurer you deliver.
- Public liability is optional in law, but venues, churches, hotels and markets commonly make it a condition of working there.
- Leases. Many shop leases make the tenant insure the shop front glass.
How much does florist insurance cost?
As a rough guide, a home or market florist pays about £80 to £250 a year for public and product liability, including 12% Insurance Premium Tax. A shop adding stock, contents and glass typically pays around £400 to £1,000, and a business with staff around £800 to £2,000.
| Typical set-up | Rough guide price per year |
|---|---|
| Home or market florist, public and product liability | £80 to £250 |
| Florist shop adding stock, contents and shop glass | £400 to £1,000 |
| Florist business with staff (adds employers' liability) | £800 to £2,000 |
Rough guide price per year for each set-up in the table above
What affects your price:
- Premises: a home studio costs less than a shop with a large glass frontage.
- Stock value and peaks: a bigger seasonal increase means a higher premium.
- Chillers: deterioration cover costs extra and insurers may ask about servicing.
- Event work: installations at height and candles push liability premiums up.
- Liability limit, staff wages, cash handled and claims history.
Your van's motor policy is separate and not included in these figures.
Florist stock insurance: seasonal peaks and chiller breakdown
Florist stock insurance should allow for seasonal increases, because stock can multiply before Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas and big weddings. Flowers lost to a chiller breakdown or power cut are usually only covered with deterioration of stock cover.
A florist holding £2,000 of stock in a quiet January week might hold four or five times that just before Valentine's Day. If a fire happens at the peak and you insured your average, the payout may fall short, and some policies cut claims in proportion to the underinsurance. Look for:
- An automatic seasonal increase for named periods. Check Mother's Day is included, as its date moves each year.
- Or insuring your true peak value all year.
Deterioration of stock is separate. Standard stock cover pays for fire or flood damage, not flowers wilting because a compressor failed overnight. Deterioration cover usually pays for breakdown of refrigeration and mains power failure, sometimes only after a set number of hours. Insurers often expect regular servicing and may want a temperature alarm, so keep service records.
Flower shop insurance and home florist insurance
Flower shop insurance adds premises cover: contents, stock, shop front glass and business interruption. Home florist insurance is simpler, but household policies rarely cover business stock, equipment or customers, so you need business cover alongside.
Shop florists should check:
- Buildings or contents. Owners insure the building. Tenants usually insure contents, stock and often the glass. Read the lease.
- Wet floors and leaves. Buckets, misting and dropped leaves cause slips, one of the commonest florist liability claims. Mop often and use a warning sign.
- Business interruption. A flood the week before Mother's Day can cost far more in lost sales than repairs. Choose an indemnity period long enough to reopen and recover.
- Cash. Money cover has different limits for the till, a safe and cash at home.
Home florists should tell their home insurer they run a business, as not doing so could affect claims on the house. A home florist policy typically covers liability (including customers collecting orders), stock, equipment such as stands and arches, and goods in transit. If you also sell at markets, see our market trader insurance guide.
Wedding florist insurance: installs, venues and candles
Wedding florist insurance centres on public liability for venue work. Venues often ask for £5 million cover and sometimes a risk assessment or method statement, especially for arches, hanging installs, ceiling work and candles.
| Job | Main risk | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Flower arches | Toppling onto a guest, marking floors. | Weighted bases. |
| Hanging and ceiling installs | Falling items, ceiling damage, ladder falls. | Work at height is declared. Venue rigging rules. |
| Candles | Fire, scorched tables and linen. | Venue allows naked flames. Candle use declared. |
| Churches and historic venues | Damage to stonework, pews and antiques. | No unapproved fixings. Water spills. |
If you have workers, ladder work falls under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, so plan it. Also check goods in transit pays if the van is stolen or crashes en route, leaving hours to replace bouquets.
What to check before buying public liability insurance for florists
Check the limit meets what venues ask for, that installs, candles and workshops are declared, and that stock cover includes seasonal peaks and deterioration.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Liability limit | Many venues want £5 million. A lower limit can cost bookings. |
| Activities declared | Undeclared hanging installs, candles or workshops could mean a refused claim. |
| Seasonal increase | Dates and uplift should match your real peaks. |
| Deterioration exclusions | Watch for short power cuts, equipment age limits and servicing conditions. |
| Transit conditions | Check the per-vehicle limit and rules on unattended vans during drops. |
| Cover away from base | Arches and urns spend weekends at venues. |
Rules and regulations florists should know
No licence is needed to be a florist, but you must keep staff and customers safe under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, can be liable for defective products under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, and must protect customer data.
- Health and safety. Think knives and thorn strippers, heavy buckets, ladders, wet floors and chiller electrics. Employers with five or more workers must write down their risk assessment.
- Product liability. Producers of defective products can be liable without proof of negligence. Importers, and sellers who can't name their supplier, can be treated the same, so keep invoices for vases, candles and gifts.
- Toxic and irritant plants. Lilies are highly toxic to cats, including their pollen. Some plant sap, such as euphorbia, can irritate skin and eyes. A care card warning and removing lily anthers are sensible practice.
- Food and drink. Selling hampers or chocolates may mean registering as a food business. Selling alcohol may need a licence.
- Online orders. Customer and recipient details are personal data under UK GDPR. Check if you must pay the ICO data protection fee.
Common florist insurance claims
Typical florist claims involve slips on wet shop floors, stock lost to chiller failures, damage at wedding venues, smashed shop windows, delivery accidents and staff cuts.
| What happened | Cover that may pay |
|---|---|
| A customer slips on water by the door and breaks a wrist. | Public liability |
| The cold room fails overnight, ruining flowers for two weddings. | Deterioration of stock |
| A suspended floral cloud falls onto a top table and cuts a guest. | Public liability |
| A centrepiece candle scorches a hotel's antique table. | Public liability, if candles were declared |
| A driver knocks a mirror off a recipient's wall with a large bouquet. | Public liability |
| A cracked vase you sold floods a customer's sideboard. | Product liability |
| Funeral tributes are stolen from the van on a delivery round. | Goods in transit, if conditions were met |
| The shop window is smashed two days before Valentine's Day. | Glass, plus business interruption if you closed |
| A seasonal helper cuts a tendon with a florist's knife. | Employers' liability |
Starting a florist business: checklist
Register your business, get public and product liability, add business use to your vehicle, insure stock for peaks, and arrange employers' liability before anyone helps.
- Register with HMRC as self-employed or set up a company.
- Choose your base: home studio, market, shop or events only.
- Tell your home insurer if you work from home.
- Get public and product liability, usually at £5 million.
- Add business use to your motor policy before your first delivery.
- Insure stock with a seasonal increase, plus deterioration if you have a chiller.
- Prepare a wedding risk assessment and a method statement for installs.
- Arrange employers' liability before Valentine's or Christmas helpers start.
Florist insurance: use a broker or buy online?
Buying florist insurance online suits a simple home or market setup. A broker is often more useful for shops, cold rooms, wedding installs, staff and big seasonal peaks.
Online policies use set activity lists that may not fit suspended installs or large stock peaks. A broker who arranges cover for florists can compare insurers and explain exclusions. See our small business insurance guide for every type of cover.
Related guides
Florist insurance: frequently asked questions
Is florist insurance a legal requirement in the UK?
Only employers' liability is required by law, once you employ anyone. Public and product liability are optional but most venues and markets ask for them.
How much does florist insurance cost?
As a rough guide, a home or market florist pays about £80 to £250 a year for public and product liability, including 12% Insurance Premium Tax. Shops typically pay £400 to £1,000, and businesses with staff £800 to £2,000.
Do I need public liability insurance as a florist?
It isn't required by law, but it covers the claims florists face most, such as shop slips, venue damage and guests hurt by installations.
How much public liability do wedding venues ask florists for?
Usually £5 million. Some large hotels and historic venues ask for £10 million.
Does my insurance cover flowers lost when my chiller breaks down?
Only with deterioration of stock cover, often an optional extra. It may require regular servicing.
How do I insure extra stock for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day?
Choose a policy with a seasonal increase for those dates, or insure your peak stock value all year.
Do I need insurance as a home florist?
Usually yes. Home insurance rarely covers business stock, equipment or customers, so you need business cover and should tell your home insurer.
Do I need employers' liability for seasonal or Saturday staff?
Yes. It applies to part-time, temporary and casual staff, including Valentine's and Christmas helpers.
Am I liable if a lily I sold makes a customer's cat ill?
You could face a claim, which product liability is designed to handle. Lilies are highly toxic to cats, so add a warning to care cards.
Is my car insurance enough for delivering flowers?
Not unless it includes business use. Add goods in transit if you want the arrangements insured too.
Are flower arranging workshops covered?
Only if declared. Tell your insurer you run workshops so guests using knives and wire are covered.