Life Insurance for Builders

Q: Income protection for builders

Income protection is a form of cover that is designed to pay up to 70% of your regular income if you’re unable to work due to an illness or injury. For builders who rely on their physical ability to earn money, this can be an essential form of protection, especially if you’re self-employed or don’t have employer sick pay (or savings to fall back on during difficult times). In 2025, 16% of UK adults have no savings, which equates to around 8.4 million people [2], highlighting the necessity of having a financial safety net. Income protection could be arranged alongside a life insurance policy to provide the safety blanket needed, understanding that in the event of an accident, you will still be able to manage essential expenses.

Q: Critical illness for builders

Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness listed in the policy, such as cancer, heart attack or stroke. This is considered an important form of cover for builders additional to life insurance to help manage financial commitments if illness prevents you from working long term.

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Life insurance for builders

Life insurance quotes for builders
What is builders life insurance?
Why do builders need life insurance?
Can all builders qualify for life insurance?
How much life insurance does a builder need?
Why use Reassured to secure builders life insurance?
What’s the best life insurance for builders?
What will I be asked in the application?
How much is life insurance for builders?
How does your specific trade influence life insurance premiums?
Income protection for builders
Critical illness for builders

Life insurance quotes for builders

Being a builder usually means long hours of physical work, often in high risk or potentially hazardous environments.

Whether you’re working on site or managing a building business, having life cover in place provides a financial safety blanket for your loved ones.

As of 2025, there are reported to be approximately 2,423 housebuilders in the UK alone [1].

Having life insurance helps make sure that if the worst were to happen, your loved ones are financially protected.

Whether you’re self-employed, a sole trader or with an employer, having life insurance can provide you with the peace of mind that your family, mortgage and debts are covered.

Comparing quotes across the market can help ensure you’re finding a policy that offers suitable cover at a competitive price.

We have a full life insurance for self-employed guide for those who require additional information…

What is builders life insurance?

There isn’t a specific life policy called ‘builders life insurance’, this term simply is used to describe life insurance taken out by someone whose occupation is a builder or works in construction.

Life insurance is a product designed to pay out a lump sum if you pass away during the term of your cover. This is an important form of protection for builders due to the physical work and risk involved in the job.

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Why do builders need life insurance?

Careers in construction and building work are typically classified as high risk by insurers, which emphasise the importance of having the right cover even more

Life insurance can help cover costs if you were to pass away. It’s commonly used to:

Provide financial security for your family
Cover mortgage or rent costs
Cover any left-over debts
Cover funeral costs
Cover additional childcare costs

For builders without death in service benefits (which pays out if the employee passes away while in service with their employer), life insurance is often the best way to achieve a high level of protection.

Reassured can help you explore which types of cover may be suitable for you and your individual needs.

Can all builders qualify for life insurance?

Many builders could be able to secure life insurance; however, eligibility and premium costs depend on several factors.

Construction occupations are usually classed as high risk by insurers, so this will be assessed in the application based on your specific day to day tasks, rather than just job title.

For example, working from height and using heavy machinery in the workplace could influence whether cover is offered, on what terms and at what cost. In some cases, insurers may apply a higher premium or additional conditions.

How much life insurance does a builder need?

The amount of life insurance a builder needs will depend on personal and financial circumstances.

Choosing the right level of cover for you ensures your loved ones are financially supported in a time of need. Find out how much life insurance is suitable for you with our life insurance calculator:

Life insurance calculator

Calculate how much life insurance you may need by filling in the costs you’d like your policy to cover.

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Why use Reassured to secure builders life insurance?

Reassured has a specialised impaired risk team that can help people in high-risk occupations find a form of suitable cover
Service rated ‘Excellent’ by over 80,000 customer reviews on Trustpilot
We can compare quotes from a panel of leading UK insurers
Our friendly agents offer support throughout the entire application with no confusing jargon
Fee free, personalised, no obligation life insurance quotes

What’s the best life insurance for builders?

There is no ‘best life insurance’ for builders, the right policy for you will be down to your own needs.

However, the most common options include:

Level term life insurance – a form of cover that provides protection for a set period of time (the term) and pays out a fixed lump sum if you pass away during the policy term. The pay out remains the same throughout, which is often used to help protect interest only mortgages, large debts or provide financial support for loved ones.

Decreasing term life insurance – a form of cover that provides protection for a set period (the term) and pays out if you pass away during the policy term, with the pay out reducing over time. The sum assured typically mirrors a repayment mortgage and decreases alongside the outstanding balance, it’s often the most cost-effective option for mortgage protection.

Whole of life insurance – a form of cover that provides protection for the rest of your life and pays out when you pass away, rather than if. It’s often used to help cover funeral costs, leave an inheritance, or support inheritance tax planning, although premiums are usually payable for life and can be higher over the long term.

Family income benefit - an alternative form of life insurance that pays out a fixed monthly income, rather than a lump sum, if you pass away during the policy term. It’s often used by main or sole earners to help replace lost income, with payments continuing for the remainder of the term, which can be aligned to your working life.

Reassured can provide quotes across all the cover options above. Get in touch today to explore what may be right for you.

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What will I be asked in the application?

When applying for life insurance, you will be asked a series of questions to help the insurer determine the cost of your premiums or eligibility based on level of risk.

You will typically be asked about:

Age
BMI
Medical history
Current health and wellbeing
Smoking status
Occupation and lifestyle

As a builder you may be asked further questions surrounding your occupation. This can include questions such as:

Your job title and day to day duties
Whether you work from height, if so, how high
What tools, machinery or hazardous equipment you are using on a regular basis
Employment status (employed, self-employed, contractor)

It’s important to answer all questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge, as this allows the insurer to assess your application fairly and helps avoid issues with your policy later on.

How much is life insurance for builders?

There’s no set cost for life insurance policies for builders. The cost will depend on various factors, including the questions asked by the insurer and the duration and amount of your coverage.

Although premiums may be higher compared to those for lower-risk jobs, many builders could still obtain affordable cover if they are in good health.

The table below shows example pricing for a builder (with a low-risk occupation), who is a non-smoker in good health. Quotes are based on a level term life insurance policy with a 20-year term for £150,000 of cover:

Age	Price per month
20	£4.22
25	£5.09
30	£6.33
35	£9.04
40	£12.46
45	£18.30
50	£28.87

Here at Reassured, we can help you compare quotes from leading providers and specialist insurers, through our advised team, to secure the best options for you.

How does your specific trade influence life insurance premiums?

Not all construction occupations will be viewed the same by insurers as different tasks will be involved depending on your title.

Your premiums can vary not only on personal factors but also depending on if you’re a general builder, bricklayer, roofer, groundworker, carpenter or scaffolder.

Trades involving frequently working at tall heights or using specialist dangerous equipment may face higher premiums, while lower risk construction roles may be assessed as a standard application.

Income protection for builders

Income protection is a form of cover that is designed to pay up to 70% of your regular income if you’re unable to work due to an illness or injury.

For builders who rely on their physical ability to earn money, this can be an essential form of protection, especially if you’re self-employed or don’t have employer sick pay (or savings to fall back on during difficult times).

In 2025, 16% of UK adults have no savings, which equates to around 8.4 million people [2], highlighting the necessity of having a financial safety net.

Income protection could be arranged alongside a life insurance policy to provide the safety blanket needed, understanding that in the event of an accident, you will still be able to manage essential expenses.

Critical illness for builders

Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness listed in the policy, such as cancer, heart attack or stroke.

This is considered an important form of cover for builders additional to life insurance to help manage financial commitments if illness prevents you from working long term.

Reassured can help you explore adding critical illness cover to your life insurance policy, based on your needs and circumstances.

Compare life insurance quotes for builders

By comparing life insurance quotes, builders can understand how different insurers assess their occupation and associated risk.

Comparing policies can help you find cover that offers the right level of protection at a price that could suit your budget.

At Reassured, we are here to ‘help you compare quotes from some of the UK’s best insurers to identify policies that are ideal for builders and construction professionals.

Get in touch today to become a step closer to financial protection.

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