Life insurance for construction workers is available through the same routes as for anyone else, but your job is one of the things an insurer asks about, and some site duties can lead to different terms. Whether it applies depends on what you do day to day and which insurer you ask. What follows is taken from insurers' own documents.

Your real duties are what count, and an FCA-authorised broker can test them against more than one insurer. The form on this page arranges an introduction. It is free and takes a few minutes.

How do insurers ask about your job?

Insurers ask about it alongside your health. Legal & General's FAQs say that when assessing an application "we'll ask you questions about your medical history, occupation and lifestyle". Its guide to jobs and life insurance (page dated 20 June 2023) explains what it does with the answer: "When you apply we'll check if you work within a short list of occupations, for example in the Armed Forces or outside at heights over 15 metres, so we can consider whether it is a dangerous job that may affect your life insurance policy."

Its newer guide to high-risk life insurance (28 October 2025) still names "those working at heights or offshore in the oil, gas or fishing industry", without the 15-metre figure. That threshold is Legal & General's own, as described in 2023; other insurers set their own lists.

After you apply, Legal & General says you may be asked for more: "A summary of your duties", "What percentage of your job involves these duties" and "Any workplace injuries you have sustained". So what matters is rarely the job title alone, but what you do on site and for how long. How that fits into the wider assessment is covered in what underwriting means.

Answer as the questions are put. Legal & General says "you should be truthful about your occupation when asked", and that otherwise "any future life insurance claim could be invalidated if you originally gave incorrect information". Behind that is the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, which puts a duty on you to take reasonable care not to misrepresent anything to the insurer (section 2). What an insurer may do about a wrong answer is set out in what you must disclose.

Which construction jobs count as hazardous?

Each insurer sets its own list. Two say this:

  • Legal & General gives examples of where a job can affect a policy, including "You regularly work outside at heights over 15 metres", "You work underground or underwater" and "You work offshore in the oil, gas or fishing industry". It also says the jobs it describes as among the UK's most dangerous "will not necessarily prevent you from getting life insurance".
  • LV= (guide dated 27 April 2026) says "certain professions actually carry a higher level of risk than others, which insurers take into account when pricing policies", and its list of such occupations includes "Construction workers.", "Commercial drivers." and "Miners or heavy machinery operators."

Both lists turn on the work rather than the trade: height, underground or underwater work, offshore work, driving and heavy machinery. So a scaffolder, a demolition worker or a crane operator can expect questions about what they actually do, like Legal & General's follow-up list above. Hobby diving, climbing and the like are a different question, answered in life insurance and extreme sports.

What can change if your job counts, and what stays the same?

Legal & General says the effect "could be a restriction on when we can pay a claim or a higher cost compared to someone in a less hazardous job", and that "If any restrictions do apply, we'll let you know before your cover starts". LV= says that working in these environments "may increase your premiums or result in occupation-specific exclusions", and that being classed as higher risk in many cases means "your policy options, premiums or terms may differ from someone applying under standard circumstances". Royal London's underwriting guide (June 2026), marked for adviser use only, lists occupation among the reasons a client may be "charged an extra premium".

Nobody can honestly give a figure without your own details. Job is also only one input: Legal & General says the insurer "will take into account a number of other factors, including your age, smoker status and any pre-existing conditions". What moves the price of life insurance covers the rest.

Exclusions matter most if you add critical illness cover: Legal & General says "you would only be eligible for a payout provided there is no exclusion relating to your occupation", so check any offer for one. If your concern is losing earnings through injury, income protection uses occupation differently, as own-occupation and any-occupation income protection explains.

Prefer an answer for your own duties to a general one? Ask for a broker through the form on this page. No broker can promise that an insurer will offer cover, or on what terms.

Self-employed and CIS sub-contractors: is there death in service cover?

Legal & General's guide describes death in service as "an occupational benefit provided by some employers, where your named beneficiaries would receive a lump sum if you were to die during your employment", and adds: "Check with your employer if you don't know what you are entitled to." Whether such a benefit removes the need for a personal policy is answered in death in service and life insurance.

If you work through the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), GOV.UK says that under it "contractors deduct money from a subcontractor's payments and pass it to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)", and its employment status page describes it as "a special scheme for self-employed contractors and sub-contractors working in the construction industry". On self-employment generally, that page says "Self-employed workers are not paid through PAYE, and they do not have the rights and responsibilities of an employee."

That page also says "HMRC may regard someone as self-employed for tax purposes even if they have a different status in employment law". Whoever pays you can say whether you are in a work scheme. If nothing comes to you through work, whether you need life insurance sets out the questions to weigh.

Is there an industry scheme for construction employees?

B&CE runs Employee Life Cover (ELC), which its page describes as "For construction employers who'd like to offer reassurance" and as "Endorsed by the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC)". It tells employers: "If you are operating under the CIJC Working Rule Agreement, then you must provide your employees with the combined cover or equal cover from an alternative provider."

For workers, the page says "To be eligible for cover, you'll need to be over the age of 16 and working in construction or allied trades", and that the cover would pay "a lump sum payment (normally tax free) to your beneficiaries if you died, for any reason, while still working for your employer". It is set up with "no underwriting". The scheme rules (working copy amended to 21 November 2025) set a scale benefit, from 1 November 2025, of "£42,500* for death in service plus a further £42,500*" for death from an accident at work or, "in the opinion of the Trustee", travelling to and from work, and the employer chooses "1, 2 or 3 times the Scale Benefit". The benefit table is "accurate as of 3 November 2025".

Membership runs through the employer, which "must pay contributions" for each member, and B&CE tells employees: "If you're unsure which level your employer has chosen for you, please contact them or us."

When you are ready to have a broker weigh your job alongside your health and the cover you want, submit the form here. Talking to them costs nothing, and buying afterwards is your call. Our cost and quotes guides and how to get life insurance quotes explain what to have ready.

Frequently asked questions

Do construction workers get life insurance?

Yes, they apply in the usual way. LV= says being classed as high-risk "doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be refused cover", and lists what may come instead: higher premiums, exclusions, "A lower maximum cover amount" or "Additional medical checks". Acceptance and terms are the insurer's decision.

Can roofers get life insurance?

Legal & General's 2023 guide names roofers among the jobs it considered the UK's most dangerous, and says those jobs "will not necessarily prevent you from getting life insurance". What it checks for is regular work outside at heights over 15 metres, so the height and how often you work there are what to describe.

Do HGV drivers and plant operators pay more?

They may. Legal & General's 2023 guide says "HGV drivers may end up paying higher life insurance premiums", and LV= lists commercial drivers and heavy machinery operators among occupations that may raise premiums or bring exclusions. Whether yours does depends on the insurer and your answers.

What if an insurer turns me down because of my job?

Legal & General says "you may be able to find specialist insurers that provide high risk life insurance", and LV= mentions "Applying through specialist providers who understand complex applications". A broker can approach several insurers for you, though none can promise an offer.

Will life insurance pay out if I die at work?

Legal & General says that in a dangerous occupation "your policy will pay out following your death provided a valid claim has been made", for example with premiums paid and the application information correct. Its guide also says a job can mean "a restriction on when we can pay a claim", which it tells you about before cover starts.

Sources

  • Legal & General, Does your job affect your life insurance? (20 June 2023), read 18 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
  • Legal & General, Life Insurance FAQs, read 18 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
  • LV=, High-risk life insurance guide: How to secure cover (27 April 2026), read 18 October 2026. lv.com
  • Legal & General, High Risk Life Insurance (28 October 2025), read 18 October 2026. legalandgeneral.com
  • Royal London, Information on our underwriting guidelines: Measuring Risk (for financial adviser use only, June 2026, P8G0011/15), read 18 October 2026. royallondon.com
  • GOV.UK, Employment status: Self-employed and contractor, read 18 October 2026. gov.uk
  • GOV.UK, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), read 18 October 2026. gov.uk
  • B&CE, Employee Life and Accident Cover (3 November 2025), read 18 October 2026. bandce.co.uk
  • B&CE, The Rules of Employee Life Cover (working copy amended to 21 November 2025), read 18 October 2026. bandce.co.uk
  • legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, section 2, read 18 October 2026. legislation.gov.uk