Your hands and tools are your livelihood — and self-employed chippies get no sick pay. We find carpenters income protection that pays out when you can't work.
Carpenters and joiners usually get own-occupation income protection on a three-month minimum wait, and the construction-trade critical-illness benefit is often restricted. The exact terms hinge on how much site and machinery work you do.
INCOME PROTECTION — YOUR #1 PRIORITY
A hand injury can stop a carpenter instantly
Saws, chisels and power tools mean hand injury is a real risk — and your income depends on precise hand function. Income protection replaces your earnings while you recover.
Up to ~70% of earnings replaced, tax-free
Covers hand, back and tool-related injury
Based on real self-employed or limited company earnings
Carpentry depends on fine hand skill and physical work, with no employer safety net for the self-employed.
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Hand & tool injury
Power tools and blades make hand injury a leading risk for carpenters.
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Back & repetitive strain
Lifting timber and kneeling all day takes a toll over a career.
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No sick pay
Self-employed chippies have no income if they can't work.
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Site hazards
Falls, dust and machinery are everyday on-site risks.
Recommended Cover
The Right Protection for Carpenters
Based on the specific risks of your profession, here's what we typically recommend — ranked by priority.
TOP PRIORITY
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Income Protection
★ Top priority for carpenters
Replaces up to ~70% of your income if injury or illness stops you working.
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Life Insurance
Family & mortgage cover
A lump sum to clear the mortgage and protect your family.
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Critical Illness Cover
Lump sum on diagnosis
A tax-free sum on diagnosis of a serious illness.
Why Your Job Is Different
How We Get Carpenters a Better Deal
Mainstream insurers often misprice or misunderstand your profession. Here's how we fix that.
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Hand-injury cover
Income protection pays for any injury that stops you working, including hand injuries.
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Real-earnings based
Cover calculated from your actual self-employed take-home.
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Fast-paying policies
Short deferred periods get you paid quickly after an accident.
Already covered?
Two policies at the same price can pay out very differently
If you already have life insurance, critical illness or income protection, get a free plain-English review — what it does well, where it's weak, and what switching would gain and lose you.
Income protection pays a monthly benefit while you recover, replacing lost earnings.
Can I cover dividends if I run a limited company?
Yes — we base cover on salary plus dividends so you're not under-insured.
Is income protection worth it for a sole trader chippy?
Absolutely — with no sick pay it's the single most valuable policy you can hold.
How fast can it pay out?
You choose the deferred period — as short as a day or week.
Life Insurance & Income Protection
Carpenter FAQs — Life Insurance & Income Protection
Common questions UK carpenters ask about protecting their income and family.
How much does income protection cost for a carpenter or joiner?
Often from around £11–£24 a month, based on your earnings, chosen benefit and deferred period.
Is income protection worth it for a self-employed chippy?
Yes — your hands are your livelihood and a saw or tool injury can stop you instantly. With no sick pay, income protection replaces your earnings while you heal.
Does it cover hand and tool injuries?
Yes. Any illness or injury that stops you working is covered, including hand, wrist, back and repetitive-strain injuries.
Can I cover dividends from my limited company?
Yes. We base the benefit on salary plus dividends so you are insured on your true income.
How quickly can cover start paying?
You choose the deferred period — as short as a day or a week for the self-employed who can't wait months.
How much life insurance should a carpenter have?
Enough to clear the mortgage and give your family a buffer; we calculate the right amount with you.
Role-Specific Detail
Carpenter-specific questions, answered properly
The operational detail that decides claims for carpenters — sick pay schemes, licences, contracts and the wording that matters.
Is bench joinery treated differently from site carpentry?
Often yes. Workshop and bench joinery is generally assessed as lower risk than first and second fix carpentry on construction sites, because there is less working at height and less site hazard. If most of your work is in a workshop, say so — it can produce noticeably better terms.
Would losing a finger or partial hand function be covered?
Yes, if it stops you working as a carpenter and meets the policy definition. Own-occupation cover is particularly valuable here, because significant hand injuries can end precision joinery work while leaving you capable of many other jobs that a weaker definition would take into account.
Does holding a CSCS card matter to insurers?
It is not usually a rating factor, but it helps confirm you are a trained tradesperson working on managed sites. Underwriters are more interested in the balance of your duties — how much is at height, how much involves machinery — than in the card itself.
Can I cover income from both employed and self-employed carpentry?
Yes. Mixed employment is common in the trade and insurers can usually build the benefit on total earnings. It is worth flagging because your sick pay position differs between the two, which affects the deferred period that makes sense for you.
Are power tool injuries treated as high risk?
Not as a separate category. Table saws, routers and nail guns are ordinary tools of the trade and the risk is priced into the occupation as a whole. What matters more for your terms is whether you work at height and whether the work is site-based or workshop-based.
What if I develop hand-arm vibration syndrome?
If it develops after cover starts and stops you working, it is generally claimable like any other condition. If you already have symptoms when you apply, expect it to be assessed and possibly excluded. Given how common vibration exposure is in the trade, arranging cover early is genuinely worth doing.
Can kitchen and bathroom fitters get the same cover?
Yes. Fitting work is assessed on the same basis as general carpentry and joinery — the mix of manual work, machinery and any at-height element. Describe the actual work rather than relying on a job title, as fitting can span very different levels of physical demand.