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As a minimum, van insurance will cover the cost of any losses or damage you cause to other people and their property while driving. That’s third-party cover and it’s a legal requirement.
You can choose third party fire and theft or comprehensive insurance to cover more eventualities.
Exactly what’s covered by your policy will depend on the type of van insurance you buy.
If you’re unsure which type to choose, our guide will help you pick the right type of van insurance cover.
It’s a quick and easy process - we only need a few details to get your quotes:
A bit about you, where you live, your job and driving history
Reg plate, make, model and estimated value
Intended usage, yearly mileage and where it’ll be parked
Declare any changes you’ve made to your van
Our research showed that the average price paid for social-only van insurance is £328, while the average annual price for carriage of own goods is £382.*
The average price climbed considerably to £1,137 for hire and reward and £916 for haulage cover.
Your own quotes will depend on your own personal circumstances.
*The average purchase price for annual comprehensive van insurance policies purchased through GoCompare by drivers with a full driving licence in January 2023.
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Your type of van insurance is defined in more detail than for car insurance. You’ll need to work out whether you need commercial or private insurance first. Then, the type of cover you need depending on how you use your van.
This is cover for delivering large loads over long distances. With this type of insurance, your goods in transit will be covered too.
Haulage cover is for single destinations though, so if you make multiple drops, you’ll need courier insurance instead.
You’ll also have cover for social use included.
You'll see this called ‘carriage of goods for hire and reward’. It’s cover for delivering other people’s goods or property - and getting paid for it.
It’s usually for deliveries in a localised area and provides additional cover for the goods that you transport.
Social use is included too.
If you use your van to get to work, you’ll need this cover. You can get cover for your tools or goods too if you need it.
You’ll need to let the insurer know what you carry in your van. If you don’t specify it, it won’t be covered.
Social use is included as standard.
For private use, like visiting friends and family and doing the shopping.
You can't commute - even to a single place of work.
There are three levels of van insurance to choose from. Legally, you only need to have third party cover, but it won’t offer you, or your van, any protection. Compare different types of policies to find the level of cover you feel most comfortable with.
This is the highest level of cover you can get.
Fully comp insures your van against theft and fire, as well as covering you, your van and third parties involved in motoring incidents.
Third party, fire and theft is the middle ground between comprehensive and third party only cover.
You’ll be covered for damage or injury to third parties and for fire damage, or theft, of your van.
This only covers injuries or damages to third parties – legally, you need it to drive your van.
Just because it’s the most basic cover, don’t assume it’ll be the cheapest.
Five ways you could make your van insurance cheaper:
If you can afford it, it’s always cheaper to pay for your insurance in one go
Try to avoid modifying your van. Modified vans usually cost more to insure
Alarms, trackers and immobilisers can lower your premiums. Park your van securely in a garage or driveway if you can too
The longer you go without making a claim, the bigger the discount you’ll get
Generally, if you increase the amount you’re prepared to pay towards the cost of a claim, you’ll get cheaper quotes. Keep it affordable though, in case you need to pay it
There are plenty of extras you can bolt on to your van insurance. Some you’ll pay extra for, while others are included as standard, depending on the insurer.
They all add up, so only add the bits you really want or need. If you pay monthly for your insurance, you’ll pay interest on the extra cover too.
It can be cheaper to buy your breakdown cover separately from your van insurance, so make sure you’re getting value for money by comparing it on its own.
Motor legal protection helps you claim from the person responsible if you’re involved in an accident and it’s not your fault. It’ll also help to pay to defend a claim brought against you.
If your van’s damaged because of an accident, your insurer can provide a courtesy van while it’s being repaired.
For every year you drive claim-free, you’ll get a no claims discount on your van insurance. It’s valuable and has such an impact on the price of your insurance that you can protect it. That way, if you need to claim, it won’t reduce your no claims history.
Covers the costs of draining and cleaning your tank if you’ve put in the wrong type of fuel. It probably won’t cover the costs of damage to your engine if you drive away.
Public liability insurance can help cover the cost of paying compensation if a member of the public claims against your business for personal injury, damage to their property in your workplace, or injury or damage caused during the day-to-day running of your business.
Employer' liability cover protects you against the cost of compensation claims due to employee illness or injury because of their work for you. It’s a legal requirement if your business employs one or more people.
Tools in transit insurance will cover your tools and equipment while it’s being driven around, loaded and unloaded. You’re also usually covered if your tools are kept in the vehicle overnight, as long as it’s alarmed and parked securely.
The type of cover and van insurance you can get are varied. You’ll still need to tell insurers how you use your van – whether that's commercial or private use, and with or without goods in transit.
But there are other types of policies that might work out better for you or your business.
If you run a business with more than one vehicle, this cover could be for you. It usually works out cheaper than insuring your workforce and each van or car separately.
Make sure you’ve got the right protection for your prized motor. Lower mileage discounts are typical for private use and commercial classics can get cover too.
The type of cover you’ll need for a minibus or MPV depends on the vehicle and usage, just like any van.
If your car has a front cab and an open cargo area, you’ll usually need van insurance. They’re very rarely classed as cars by insurers.
You can also get telematics insurance – commonly called black box policies – for your van, where the cost of your premium is based on how well you, or your employees, drive.
One-day, short-term or temporary van insurance for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) is handy if you only need cover for a short while.
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Page last reviewed: 12 August 2023
Page reviewed by: Holly Thomas
[1]As of September 2023, there are 49 active van insurers on the panel at Go.Compare.
[2]Customers who bought van insurance and provided their van insurance renewal price saved up to £106 with Go.Compare. Excludes all renewal prices where the price given falls above the the top 2.5% of all purchase prices for van insurance in the given time period.
[3]Based on Trustpilot: Our average rating of 4.6 out of 5 is from 619 people who left a review for van insurance comparison only. Last checked 17 July 2023.