A client wants proof of insurance. Here's exactly what to send.

The email lands the day before the job. "Can you send over your certificate of insurance before we confirm?" Or the venue manager mentions it on the call, almost in passing, and now there's a box to tick before they'll let you set up. Either way the work is waiting on a document, and you are not sure what they want or where to find it.

This is one of the most common things a business gets asked for, and it's almost always simpler than it sounds. Let's walk through what a certificate of insurance actually is, what your client is usually really asking for, how to read the clause if it's buried in a contract, and how to get the proof into their inbox today.

What a certificate of insurance actually is

A certificate of insurance is a single document, usually a page or two, that confirms you hold a particular cover. It's not the full policy. It's the short, official summary that someone else can read to satisfy themselves you're insured.

A certificate typically shows:

• Who's insured. Your business name, as it appears on the policy.
• What's covered. The type of cover, for example public liability or employers' liability.
• The limit of indemnity. The most the policy will pay out for a claim, commonly £1m, £2m or £5m for public liability.
• The period of cover. The start and end dates, so they can see it's current.
• The insurer. Who actually stands behind the cover.

That's the whole purpose of the document. It's evidence, in a form a client, venue or contracts team can file away, that the cover they're asking about is genuinely in place.

What they're usually really asking for

"Proof of insurance" sounds vague, but in practice the request is nearly always one of two covers, and often both.

Most of the time, what a client or venue wants is proof of public liability at a stated limit. Public liability is the cover that pays out if your business accidentally injures someone or damages their property, and it's the one third parties care about because they're the ones exposed if something goes wrong. They'll usually name a figure, commonly £1m, £2m or £5m, and that figure is the level of cover they want to see.

If you employ anyone, they may also ask for proof of employers' liability. That's the cover the law requires the moment you take someone on, and a careful client checking your insurance will often want to see it too.

You may also hear the term "professional indemnity" if your work involves advice or deliverables that a client relies on. That's a different cover again, for claims that your work cost a client money rather than injured anyone. We'll be straight with you here. We don't offer professional indemnity yet. It's coming, and you can register your interest to be first to know when it lands.

So before you reply, work out which cover they actually mean. Nine times out of ten it's public liability at a named limit, and if you have staff, employers' liability alongside it.

How to read the insurance clause in a contract

Sometimes the request isn't a friendly email. It's a clause in a contract or a venue's terms, written in the kind of language that makes you reach for a coffee. The good news is that these clauses follow a pattern, and once you know what to look for, they're quick to decode.

You're scanning for three things.

The cover types they require. Look for the named covers: "public liability", "employers' liability", and occasionally "professional indemnity". These are the policies they expect you to hold. If a cover is named and you don't have it, that's the gap to close before you sign.

The limits. Next to each cover there's usually a figure, like "public liability insurance of not less than £5,000,000". That "not less than" matters. It's a floor, not a suggestion. The number they state is the minimum limit they'll accept, so your cover needs to meet or beat it.

The "evidence of cover" wording. Most clauses include a line asking you to provide evidence of the insurance on request, or before work starts. That's the part that means "send us your certificate". It's not asking for anything exotic, just the document that proves the cover above is in place.

One more phrase worth knowing is indemnity to principals. When a contract asks for this, it means your public liability cover should extend to the client or principal you're working for, covering them for liability that arises from your work. It's a common requirement on larger contracts, and it's a standard feature of good public liability cover rather than something unusual. If you see it in a clause, it's a fair thing to ask for.

If a clause uses a term you genuinely don't recognise, it's always reasonable to ask the client to clarify exactly what they need, or to check with whoever arranged your cover. Nobody sensible holds a clarifying question against you. They'd far rather you got it right.

How to actually get and send the certificate

Here's the part that catches people out: you might already have everything you need sitting in your account, and getting hold of the document is usually a matter of minutes, not days.

Once you're covered with careless™, a certificate or evidence of cover is available to you. You don't need to phone anyone, wait for the post, or sit on hold while someone digs out your policy number. You download the document and forward it on.

When you send it, a short, professional reply does the job:

• Attach the certificate as a PDF.
• Confirm the cover and the limit, so they can see at a glance it meets what they asked for.
• Note the dates, so it's clear the cover is current.

That's it. The client ticks their box, you start the work, and the whole thing took a few minutes. If you want to know what the document will show before you're covered, a quote walks you through the cover and the limit you're selecting, so there are no surprises when the certificate arrives.

What to do if the limit they want is higher than yours

This is the one that causes a flutter of panic, and it really shouldn't. You've got public liability at £1m, the contract asks for £5m, and you can picture the job slipping away over a number on a form.

It almost never is. The limit of indemnity is one of the things you choose when you arrange cover, and it can be set to match what a client requires. If you're asked for a higher limit than you currently hold, you adjust the cover to the level the contract names, get an updated certificate, and send that across. The figure they ask to see becomes the figure you carry.

The practical rule is simple. Check the specific limit the contract or venue states before you commit to the work, because the number they want is the number you need. It's far easier to set the right limit up front than to scramble the day before the job. When you get a quote with us, we'll suggest a sensible level for the work you describe, and if a particular client needs more, the cover flexes to meet it.

Where careless™ fits

When a client asks for proof of insurance, you don't need a lecture on policy schedules. You need the right cover in place and the document in their inbox today.

That's the whole idea. Cover is sold in plans, with a single £25 admin fee and the price shown before you commit. You can be covered the same day, your cover is arranged with Kovrilo and underwritten by established insurers, and a certificate or evidence of cover is available to you the moment you're covered, ready for the next contract that asks. caremate™ builds your quote in minutes, in plain English, and if a claim ever comes your way, a real in-house team handles it directly.

If you want to go deeper, here's the full public liability explainer and how limits work, the guide to employers' liability and when the law requires it, and an honest look at what business insurance actually costs.

When you're ready, see your price in a few minutes with no obligation: start with Public Liability cover.