Concrete pump cover

Concrete pump lorry insurance for boom and line pumps

Boom pumps, line pumps and pump mixers hired out with an operator to contractors. A single short form leads to brokers who know pumping work.

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  • Boom pumps and line pumps
  • Operated hire for contractors
  • One pump or a fleet
Orange concrete pump lorry parked on a city street
On the road it is a heavy rigid. Set up over a site, it is working plant, and insurers often rate the two separately.

Quick answer

Concrete pump lorry insurance covers a truck-mounted concrete pump, such as a boom pump on a rigid chassis, a trailer line pump or a pump mixer, on the road and, depending on the policy, while it is set up and pumping. The motor policy handles the journey. Pumping on site, from a boom touching a building to a burst line spraying concrete over a car, is usually treated as a working risk and often falls to public liability (opens in a new tab) and plant cover instead.

Concrete pump cover at a glance

  • A pump lorry is a road vehicle and a piece of site plant, and those two sides are often insured apart.
  • Pumps commonly go out on operated hire, so the hire terms shape who answers for damage on site.
  • Boom reach, outrigger set-up and overhead lines are central to how insurers view the risk.
  • Blockages and line bursts can damage the pump, nearby property and people standing close by.
  • The pump and boom often cost far more than the chassis, so values are usually agreed at the start.

What concrete pump lorry insurance covers

A pump lorry policy brings together motor cover for the chassis and, where the insurer offers it, cover for the pump once the outriggers are down. Knowing which part responds to which incident is the main thing to pin down.

Travelling to the pourLiability for injury and damage to other road users while the pump lorry is driven, plus damage to your own vehicle on comprehensive cover.
The pump at workSome policies extend to the pump while it operates, while many treat this as a working risk and leave it to other cover. Where the pump is set up on a public road, the motor policy may still respond to some third-party claims, so where the lorry is parked to pump matters.
Damage to the boom and pumpRoad-accident damage to the fitted pump can fall under comprehensive motor cover. Damage while working, such as a boom strike or collapse, and hydraulic or pump failure tends to need plant or engineering cover.
Customers' propertyConcrete sprayed onto cars, render or driveways, or a boom hitting a structure, is often a public liability (opens in a new tab) matter.
Your own crewOperators and line hands hurt by a hose whip or a falling section of pipe come under employers' liability (opens in a new tab).
ExtrasA replacement pump, legal expenses and recovery of a heavy multi-axle rigid are add-ons. See HGV breakdown cover.

Concrete pump types and what insurers look at

Pumps vary a great deal in size, reach and value, and each type brings its own set of questions from an insurer.

Concrete pump types, the work they do and the points insurers tend to look at
Pump typeTypical workWhat insurers look at
Compact boom pump on a rigidHousing, extensions and urban sites with tight accessOutrigger footprint, kerbs and driveways, overhead cables
Long-reach boom pump on a multi-axle chassisCommercial frames, slabs and pours far from where the lorry can parkBoom value, ground conditions, reach over roads and neighbours
Static line pump on a trailerPumping through laid pipe into basements, back gardens and upper floorsTowing vehicle, pipeline joints, security when left on site
Truck mixer with a pump and boomSmall pours where one vehicle both delivers and places concreteLoad on the road, combined value, who drives and who pumps

Other concrete vehicles are covered on their own pages: concrete mixer lorry insurance, volumetric mixer insurance and mobile batching plant insurance.

Pumping for your own sites or hiring out to contractors

A builder or groundworker that owns a pump for its own pours carries a different risk from a pumping firm that sends machines and operators to other people's sites every week.

Your own projects

A contractor running its own pump usually has the pump sit within its wider business cover, with the lorry declared for business use and the pumping work tied to its own sites.

Operated hire

A pumping firm supplying pump and operator to contractors, builders and ready-mix suppliers is working on someone else's site, under someone else's plan, and the policy needs to reflect hire work.

Which use fits a pump lorry sent out with your own operator to contractors?

  • NoSocial, domestic and pleasureNo place for a working pump lorry.
  • NoBusiness use, own projects onlyStill business use, but declared as pumping on your own projects, with no outside customers.
  • NoHired out without an operatorLetting the pump lorry out for someone else to drive and operate is a separate risk that many policies exclude.
  • YesBusiness use for a concrete pumping firmPump supplied with your own operator, for contractors, for payment.

Paperwork brokers often request

Pumping brokers commonly ask for operator training records, recent boom inspection reports and the hire terms you work under. Whether a pump lorry needs an operator licence depends on how it is built and used, so licence details may be asked for either way. Having this together makes it quicker to start a concrete pump quote (opens in a new tab).

What affects the price of concrete pump insurance

A pump lorry is priced on the pours it does as much as the miles it covers, and the site side often carries more weight.

Set up on site

Ground under the outriggers, overhead power lines, booms reaching over roads or neighbouring roofs, and line hands close to the hose.

Between jobs

A tall, heavy vehicle with the boom folded on top, narrow site entrances and the weight of the pump on a long chassis.

  • Pump type and boom reachA longer boom covers more ground and costs more to repair or replace if it folds or strikes something.
  • Value of the pumpAgreeing a realistic value for the pump unit and boom avoids a gap between the payout and the cost of replacing them.
  • Operator competenceRecognised pump operator training, time on the machine and site experience all count.
  • Boom and pipe inspectionRegular checks of the boom structure and pipe wall thickness show the pump is looked after.
  • Claims historyPast bursts, boom strikes and property damage claims weigh alongside motor claims.
  • Number of pumpsA pumping firm with several machines may suit HGV fleet insurance.

Cover that often sits alongside pump lorry insurance

Much of what can go wrong with a concrete pump happens while it is parked and working. The policies below pick up where the motor cover tends to stop.

Public liabilityConcrete sprayed over a neighbour's car, or a boom catching a gutter while slewing.View cover (opens in a new tab)Employers' liabilityFor pump operators, line hands and yard staff on your payroll.View cover (opens in a new tab)HGV fleet insuranceFor pumping firms running several boom or line pumps.View cover HGV breakdown coverRecovering a long, heavy pump lorry needs suitable kit.View cover Concrete mixer lorry insuranceFor the drum mixers that often feed the pump on a pour.View cover Mobile batching plant insuranceFor on-site plant that makes the concrete a pump then places.View cover

Before you buy

Questions worth asking about concrete pump cover

Pump lorry policies tend to differ most in what happens once the boom unfolds. These points are worth settling with the broker before cover starts.

  • Is the pump covered while it works?Or only the lorry while driven, with pumping left to a separate policy?
  • Is damage to the boom included?Boom collapse, overturning and strikes on structures are handled differently by different insurers.
  • What happens after a line burst?Damage to nearby property, clean-up and repairs to the pipework may each sit under different cover.
  • Are blockages treated as accidental damage?Some policies treat a blocked line as wear or breakdown rather than an insured event.
  • Does the cover match your hire terms?Contractors may expect particular limits, and the terms may shift responsibility one way or the other.
  • Who may operate the pump?Insurers set their own rules on named operators, training and time on the machine.
  • Is a static pump covered when left on site?Theft and vandalism of a trailer pump away from your yard can carry conditions.
  • Is a replacement pump offered?Hiring in a similar boom pump at short notice can be difficult and costly.

How it works

How to get a concrete pump lorry insurance quote

HGV Insure is an information site, not an insurer or a broker. We link you to MyMoneyComparison.com, a comparison service that can put concrete pumping firms in touch with specialist brokers.

  1. 1

    Start your quote

    Get my concrete pump quote takes you to our partner, MyMoneyComparison.com.

  2. 2

    Tell them about the pump

    The form asks about the vehicle, its weight, who drives and how it is used. The broker then asks about the boom, the pump and the hire work.

  3. 3

    Compare and decide

    A specialist broker contacts you with options, subject to insurers' acceptance criteria. There is no obligation to buy.

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FAQs

Concrete pump lorry insurance FAQs

What is concrete pump lorry insurance?

It is insurance for a lorry fitted with a concrete pump, whether a boom pump, a trailer line pump or a mixer with a pump on the back. It joins motor cover for the vehicle with cover for the pump while it works, which may come in one policy or several.

Does my HGV policy cover the pump while it is pumping?

Not always. Many motor policies treat pumping as a working risk and limit or exclude it, leaving incidents on site to public liability (opens in a new tab) and plant cover. A broker can confirm in writing which policy picks up a pumping claim.

Who is responsible if a hired pump damages something on site?

It depends on the hire terms. With operated hire, the pump firm supplies the machine and operator, but the terms may put some responsibility on the contractor who booked the pour. Brokers often want to see the terms you work under for that reason.

Is a line burst or blockage covered?

Concrete sprayed onto people, cars or buildings after a burst is usually a liability claim, while repairs to the pump and pipework may need separate equipment cover. A blockage on its own is sometimes treated as wear, so it is a point worth raising with the broker.

Why do insurers ask about overhead power lines?

A boom raised near overhead cables can touch or arc to them, putting operators and anyone near the pump at serious risk. Insurers usually want to know how lifts near cables are planned and whether operators are trained to spot the danger.

Is a static line pump on a trailer insured the same way?

Not exactly. A trailer pump has no boom, but it has its own risks, from the vehicle towing it to long runs of pipe through gardens and buildings. It may sit on the towing vehicle's policy or need its own cover. See HGV trailer insurance.

How is a truck mixer with a pump insured?

A pump mixer carrying concrete is carrying goods, so it is generally treated like any other goods vehicle on the road. Insurers then look at both jobs: carrying a heavy load of concrete on the road and placing it with the boom on site. The combined value can be high. See concrete mixer lorry insurance for the mixing side.

Is a boom pump treated like a lorry crane?

There is overlap, since both unfold over a site on outriggers, but a pump boom carries concrete under pressure rather than lifting loads. Insurers usually rate them as separate kinds of plant. See lorry crane insurance.

Can a new pumping business get cover?

Some insurers will consider a new pumping firm, often with closer questions about operator experience, the pumps and the work lined up. See new operator HGV insurance.

Does HGV Insure sell concrete pump lorry insurance?

No. HGV Insure is an information site and an affiliate of MyMoneyComparison.com, which matches operators with specialist brokers. When you start a quote you continue to MyMoneyComparison.com, and we may be paid a small commission if you are matched with and speak to a broker.

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