What insurance should a UK AV integrator carry?

A UK commercial AV integrator should carry Public Liability, Employers' Liability, Professional Indemnity and Product Liability as a minimum, with Cyber Insurance increasingly expected where the integrator touches client networks. Lower-tier cover is a procurement red flag, especially Professional Indemnity, which is often missing on resellers who do not design.

• Public Liability (PL): typically £5 million to £10 million. Covers site damage and third-party injury during installation (dropped display, damaged ceiling, slip from a cable run). Most corporate clients require a £5 million minimum, and £10 million is standard for City fit-outs.
• Employers' Liability (EL): £10 million typical. The UK statutory minimum is £5 million; £10 million is the practical norm. Covers engineer injury at work. A current EL certificate must be visibly displayed at the integrator's premises by law.
• Professional Indemnity (PI): £1 million to £5 million. Covers design or specification errors that cause client loss (wrong DSP for the room size, undersized network, incorrect mic coverage). Critical when the integrator also designs, which is the case for any consultative engagement. Resellers who simply quote off a kit list often do not carry PI.
• Product Liability: usually rolled into PL. Covers defective products supplied (a display catches fire, a power amplifier shorts). Manufacturer warranty passes through, but the integrator is on the hook for the install.
• Cyber Insurance: £1 million to £5 million. Required where the integrator programs control systems, holds admin credentials to client AV networks, or manages remote monitoring. Increasingly mandated by enterprise procurement in 2026.

Why this matters in vendor selection. £1 million PL alone is insufficient for most corporate fit-outs and signals a one-person operation. PI gaps mean the client carries the design risk personally if a £200,000 boardroom does not work as briefed. Ask for the current Certificate of Insurance with renewal date listed, and re-check at every annual contract review.

Strive AV publishes current insurance levels on the about page and provides up-to-date certificates on request as part of the consultation and design process. A vendor reluctant to evidence cover levels is telling you something useful before you sign.

Quick reference: PL £5-10M, EL £10M, PI £1-5M, Product Liability rolled into PL, Cyber £1-5M; lower-tier cover is a red flag, PI especially is often missing on non-design resellers.