What insurance / contracts should a freelance WP dev carry?

Professional indemnity, public liability, IP transfer clauses. Numbers.

Professional indemnity (PI) insurance

The standard for UK-based freelance WP devs is £1m cover via Hiscox or Markel. Annual premium £450 — £900. Required by most enterprise procurement; useful for everyone else. Ask for the policy number on request — you should be able to verify it independently.

Public liability insurance

£2m typical via the same underwriters. £150 — £300/year. Not always required for purely digital work, but useful if the engagement involves any on-site work.

IP transfer clauses

“All deliverables transfer to Buyer on final payment. No perpetual licence retained by Vendor over Buyer’s site, brand, or content.” One sentence. If the vendor’s SOW says anything weaker than this — like “Vendor retains rights to component code for portfolio use” — negotiate.

Subcontracting clauses

“Vendor will not subcontract any portion of the work without naming the subcontractor and their price in a written addendum approved by Buyer.” Prevents the work being silently handed to a less-skilled subcontractor at the original price.

Indemnity

Both parties indemnify each other against losses arising from the other party’s breach, capped at total fees paid under the SOW. Standard, balanced, and protects both sides.