Introduction
A practical guide to insuring your pet grooming business, with verified pricing from UK providers.
This guide covers what cover you need, how much it costs, and where to get it - with all pricing information sourced directly from provider websites.
Is Pet Grooming Insurance a Legal Requirement?
Public liability insurance is not legally required for pet groomers in the UK. According to Ashburnham Insurance: "Whilst public liability insurance for dog grooming is not required by law, it is certainly recommended for your dog grooming business."
However, employers' liability insurance IS a legal requirement if you employ anyone. According to Suited: "Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement in the UK. Anyone who works under your control and supervision could be considered an employee."
What Insurance Do Pet Groomers Need?
1. Public Liability Insurance (Recommended)
Protects you if your business activities cause injury or damage to others.
What it covers (according to Superscript):
- Accidental injury or property damage to the public
- Death, harm to, or disease of any animal in the course of your business
What it covers (according to Simply Business):
- Accident and injury claims
- Property damage
- A customer tripping over another dog in your waiting room
Cover levels: Typically £1 million or £2 million. AXA offers up to £5 million as standard.
2. Employers' Liability Insurance (Legal Requirement If You Have Staff)
According to Simply Business: "If you do employ anyone, you're usually required by law to have employers' liability insurance too."
According to AXA: "This is a legal requirement for all businesses with employees, as it's there to protect your employees in case they get injured and fall ill as a result of working for you. We've got your back with up to £10m for compensation and legal costs."
3. Equipment/Tools Cover (Optional)
According to Superscript: "From adjustable tables to top-of-the-range clippers, professional dog grooming needs a lot of high-quality and specialist equipment. Business contents insurance is designed to cover the costs of replacement or repair if the things you use to run your business get lost, stolen or damaged."
According to Simply Business: This covers your grooming tools if they are "lost, stolen, or damaged."
4. Care, Custody and Control (Optional)
According to Protectivity: "If a dog you're grooming causes an injury to another dog in your care requiring treatment, you might be responsible for some large vet bills. Care, Custody, and Control cover protects you if an animal is lost, injured, becomes ill, or suffers a fatality while in your care."
5. Commercial Vehicle Insurance (For Mobile Groomers)
According to AXA: "This is important if you do house calls for your clients and need to move equipment between locations."
According to Superscript: "If you're mobile, our protection will also cover your insured contents and equipment in the UK."
How Much Does Pet Grooming Insurance Cost?
The following prices are from provider websites, dated 2024-2026:
Simply Business
"The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £59.34 or less annually between 1st Feb – 30th April 2026. Equivalent to £4.95 a month."
Protectivity
"At Protectivity our cover starts at £5.41 per month" (based on a quote from 1/10/2024). They note: "If your circumstances and cover needs differ, your quote may be more or less expensive."
Suited
"Public liability starts at £6.00 a month or £72.00 a year for £1,000,000 cover. Price varies based on factors such as the size of your operation, the level of dog grooming coverage you need, and the specific services you offer."
Superscript
Quotes from £6.73 per month.
What Affects the Price?
According to Superscript: "The cost of your dog grooming insurance depends on a number of factors, including turnover, number of employees and business structure."
According to Protectivity: "The cost of dog grooming insurance can vary depending on the type of business you operate, the size and additional factors. For instance, if you employ staff, it is a legal requirement to include employers' liability insurance. Adding this will increase the cost of your premium."
UK Pet Grooming Insurance Providers
The following providers offer pet grooming insurance in the UK. All websites verified January 2026.
Specialist Pet Business Insurers
Cliverton
- Website: cliverton.co.uk
- "Specialist dog, cat and small pet groomers deserve care and attention from a specialist insurance broker"
- "Our friendly team of insurance professionals has over 50 years' experience"
- Cover for both premises-based and mobile grooming services
- Phone: 01328 857921
Protectivity
- Website: protectivity.com
- Cover starts from £5.41 per month
- "Our cover includes 11 different pet care activities at no extra cost: dog walking, dog grooming, cat grooming, mobile dog grooming, mobile cat grooming, dog training, dog hydrotherapy, pet behaviourist, pet home boarding, pet microchipping and pet minding"
Pet Business Insurance
- Website: petbusinessinsurance.co.uk
- Specialist pet business insurance
- Feefo Trusted Service Award 2022
Petplan Sanctuary
- Website: petplansanctuary.co.uk
- "Cover can be arranged for both pet mobile groomers and those with salon premises"
- Includes equipment cover, veterinary fees, animals in transit, employers' and public liability, professional indemnity
British Pet Insurance / Petcover Group
- Website: britishpetinsurance.co.uk
- Up to £5,000,000 in public liability
- £30,000 care, custody, and control cover
General Business Insurers
Simply Business
- Website: simplybusiness.co.uk
- Prices from £4.95 per month for £2M public liability
- "Join over nearly a million customers"
- Comparison quotes from multiple insurers
AXA
- Website: axa.co.uk
- Up to £5 million public liability as standard
- Up to £10 million employers' liability
- Equipment cover available
- Van insurance for mobile groomers
Superscript
- Website: gosuperscript.com
- Quotes from £6.73 per month
- Public liability, employers' liability, business contents, cyber insurance
Ashburnham Insurance
- Website: ashburnham-insurance.co.uk
- Public liability for self-employed dog groomers
- Tools cover available
Suited
- Website: suited.insure
- Public liability from £72 per year for £1M cover
- Professional indemnity, employers' liability, equipment cover
What Cover Levels Are Available?
Public Liability:
- £1 million (basic)
- £2 million (standard)
- £5 million (AXA standard, others available)
Employers' Liability:
- £5 million minimum (legal requirement)
- £10 million (AXA standard)
Care, Custody and Control (Petplan Sanctuary):
- Veterinary Fees: Maximum £1,250 per animal
- Death of Animal: Maximum £1,250 per animal
- Loss by Theft or Straying: Maximum £1,250 per animal
How to Get Insured
1. Decide what cover you need
- Public liability (recommended for all)
- Employers' liability (required if you have staff)
- Equipment cover (if you have expensive tools)
- Care, custody and control (for added protection)
2. Get quotes from multiple providers
- Use Simply Business for comparison quotes
- Get direct quotes from specialists like Cliverton or Protectivity
- Compare like-for-like cover levels
3. Check policy details before buying
- Confirm it specifically covers pet grooming
- Check the excess (amount you pay per claim)
- Read the exclusions
4. Keep your certificate accessible
- Save a copy on your phone
- Keep a printed copy in your salon
- Note the renewal date
Get Verified on FindPetGroomers
Once you have public liability insurance and a grooming qualification (Level 2 or higher), you can get verified on FindPetGroomers. Verified groomers get a badge on their profile, priority placement in search results, and are included in "verified only" filters.
Current offer: First 30 groomers to verify get 3 months free Featured listing (normally £15/month).
Get Verified
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pet grooming insurance a legal requirement?
Public liability insurance is not legally required for pet groomers in the UK. However, employers' liability insurance IS a legal requirement if you employ anyone. Anyone who works under your control and supervision could be considered an employee.
How much does pet grooming insurance cost?
Basic pet grooming insurance starts from around £60-80 per year. According to Simply Business, 10% of their customers paid £59.34 or less annually for up to £2 million public liability cover (February-April 2026). Protectivity quotes start from £5.41 per month. The cost varies depending on coverage level, business size, and other factors.
What does public liability insurance cover for pet groomers?
Public liability insurance covers accidental injury or property damage to the public, death, harm to, or disease of any animal in the course of your business. This includes accident and injury claims, property damage, and incidents like a customer tripping over another dog in your waiting room.
Do I need employers' liability insurance as a pet groomer?
Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement in the UK if you employ anyone. This includes part-time, casual, or apprentice staff. You can be fined for operating without it if you have employees. Most policies offer £10 million cover as standard, though the legal minimum is £5 million.
About the Author
FindPetGroomers.co.uk Editorial Team
Our editorial team researches and verifies grooming industry standards, qualifications, and pricing to help UK pet owners and groomers make informed decisions. We manually verify insurance and qualifications for Featured and Premium listings.
Note: This guide is for informational purposes and doesn't constitute financial or legal advice. Pricing information sourced from provider websites (verified January 2026). Prices may change - always get a current quote directly from providers.