Roof work and what can go wrong
Solar installation can expose a business to damage involving roof penetrations, fixings, ballast or loading, as well as falls and dropped items. Describe roof types, maximum heights, scaffold or edge protection and any work involving asbestos-cement or fragile roofing; do not assume these activities are accepted.
Water ingress after fixing through a roof is a classic dispute: the cost of correcting the fixing may be treated as defective workmanship, while resulting internal damage may be a liability claim, subject to exclusions and policy limits.
- Pitched, flat, industrial and agricultural roof experience
- Maximum working height and access method
- Use of subcontract roofers or scaffolders
- Pre-install roof surveys and structural checks, and who is responsible for them
Electrical and fire exposure
DC cabling, connectors and isolation introduce electrical and fire exposures that need a clear work description. Prepare testing and inspection procedures, product specifications and commissioning responsibilities for review.
Ask specifically whether fire, roof work or commercial buildings are excluded, restricted or subject to an excess. Do not assume a generic electrical trade description includes every solar activity.
Design and sizing responsibility
If you size the array, choose inverters, calculate loading or produce yield estimates, you may carry a design duty. That is a professional indemnity question, normally written claims-made with a retroactive date, and typically separate from liability.
Yield estimates are forecasts. A contract that guarantees a minimum output or a payback period creates a performance guarantee that may not be covered by liability or PI. Wording such as 'estimated' and clear assumptions are commercially sensible whatever the insurance position.
Contract works and equipment
Panels, inverters and mounting kit are valuable and attractive to thieves. Contract works cover can protect materials on site and in progress, while tools and plant may need separate cover. Check storage and security conditions, and whether cover applies to goods in vans overnight or in transit.
Commercial installations and larger contracts
On commercial or industrial roofs, contracts often specify limits, indemnities and insurance evidence. Large contractor programmes are generally outside the small-business market, so we look at what is realistic for your size and say so plainly. Project owners and operators of solar farms have a different insurance pathway, which is not an installer cover.
Frequently asked questions
If a roof leaks after my install, am I covered?
Resulting damage to the building may fall within public liability depending on the wording, but the cost of redoing the work itself is commonly excluded. Exclusions for roof work or water ingress should be checked.
Are generation or savings guarantees insured?
Not automatically. They are performance promises, and many policies exclude them. Tell us if you give them.
Do I need contract works cover for each job?
Not always, but for higher-value materials or longer projects it is worth considering, and some contracts require it.
Is installer cover the same as cover for a solar farm?
No. Owner and operator or construction project cover for large sites is a different exposure and is arranged differently.
Does MCS registration prove I am insured?
No. Accreditation and insurance are separate. Customers may ask for evidence of cover alongside certification.
Practical insurance guides
Related Oak cover
- Trades and contractors insuranceThe core liability framework for installation and contracting work.
- Employers liability insuranceInjury or illness to employees and others treated as employees.
- Public liability insuranceInjury or property damage to third parties arising from your activities.
- Professional indemnity insuranceClaims-made cover for design, advice and specification errors.
- Commercial property insuranceBuildings, stock and equipment at premises you own or occupy.