Can bollards help reduce your business insurance premiums?

If you want a quick, simple answer to the question – yes, commercial bollards can help reduce your business insurance premiums. That’s largely because insurers calculate premiums based on the level of risk linked to your property, and installing bollards actively reduces threats of car collisions, forced entry, and potential damage to your premises. Therefore, lowering the likelihood of costly claims gives your insurer grounds to reward you with lower premiums. And of course, you can enjoy extra peace of mind that your business assets and staff have stronger safeguards against harm.

So, let’s take a look at the details in a little more depth.

How insurers assess business risk

Insurers look at a range of factors when deciding your premiums. At a quick glance, these include:

• Location and local crime rates
• The type of operations carried out on your site
• Security features and preventative measures in place

So, for starters, insurance providers base their assessments on how vulnerable your business is to certain threats. They evaluate the location of your property, the nature of your operations, and the security measures you’ve put in place. If your premises are in a busy urban area or on a site with heavy traffic, your risk rating will probably naturally be higher. Insurers will also look closely at crime statistics for your area, the type of stock you hold, and whether your business is open to the public.

As you might expect, security infrastructure plays a central role in these assessments. Features like CCTV, alarms, reinforced doors, and physical barriers can show your insurer that you’re serious about reducing exposure to loss. The more robust your measures, the more likely you’ll be offered premiums that reflect the lower risk you present. Bollards fit directly into this framework because they serve as a visible, physical deterrent. Crucially, they can significantly reduce the chance of high-value claims caused by cars or forced access.

The role of bollards in protecting your premises

At their core, bollards are pretty straightforward security assets – but they can be surprisingly versatile in terms of the security benefits they provide.

• Preventing car collisions
• Deterring forced entry
• Protecting day-to-day operations

Let’s address the obvious one first; bollards act as a barrier between vehicles and your property. Their design stops unauthorised vehicles from getting close to entrances, glazing, and other vulnerable areas. If a driver loses control, the bollards absorb the impact and prevent the car from reaching your building or harming people nearby. If you have valuable stock, machinery, or sensitive equipment, this line of defence can make the difference between a minor incident outside and a devastating loss inside.

Then there’s the visual deterrence element – bollards also reduce the appeal of your site as a target. Ram-raids tend to rely on speed and force, and obvious bollards tend to sharply reduce the likelihood of a successful break-in. Handily, commercial bollards can also help with day-to-day safety too. For example, if your site welcomes customers, staff, or delivery vans, bollards can help with demarcation, guiding the movement of your visitors and preventing any accidental damage. For example, a delivery van reversing too far could cause thousands of pounds in repairs, but properly positioned bollards eliminate that risk.

Again, each of these protective functions strengthens your case when your insurer weighs up your risk profile.

How bollards can help to influence insurance costs

As we’ve covered, insurers tend to respond directly to how you manage your risks, and bollards provide a useful way for you to prove that you’ve taken practical steps to protect your business from threats that are costly and disruptive. So, to explore some of the most significant considerations in a little bit more detail in turn…

Direct reduction in risk

Basically, bollards reduce the chance of claims linked to both accidental and deliberate car damage. If a car loses control outside your property, the bollards stop it from colliding with the building or anyone inside. We’ve covered ram-raids above; the bollards create an obstacle that blocks entry. These are two of the most expensive types of claims insurers face, and preventing them goes a long way to reducing the exposure your insurer carries.

Meeting insurer requirements

Some insurers set out conditions for cover, particularly if your site stores valuable goods, cash, or specialist equipment. Physical barriers are often part of these conditions, and bollards can provide a straightforward way to meet the standard. Installing bollards before your insurer asks shows foresight and demonstrates that your business takes security seriously. This can potentially help you avoid the future costs of urgent upgrades, as well as making your property easier to underwrite, which can lead to lower premiums from the outset.

Broader policy options

Insurers can sometimes provide more flexibility when they know you’ve got visible, physical protection, which means that your bollards may enable you to access a wider range of cover types that would otherwise be too expensive or unavailable. For example, if you run a retail site in an area known for ram-raids, your insurer may restrict certain types of cover unless barriers are in place. With bollards installed, you can sometimes give yourself access to those policies at more favourable rates, making it easier to secure the level of protection your business needs without inflated costs.

Proving value to your insurer

As you might expect, insurers often need evidence before they’re willing to make adjustments to premiums. Keeping records of your installation, including invoices, certificates, and photographs, lets you present clear proof of the investment. Maintaining the bollards and documenting any inspections or repairs also strengthens your position. This evidence gives your insurer confidence that your security measures are effective, which supports your argument for reduced premiums and places you in a stronger position when negotiating the terms of your policy.

These are all the key elements covered! if you ever need any help or advice – either about our commercial bollards or any of our other commercial solutions – you can always feel free to get in touch with our team. We have more than 15 years of experience in installing and maintaining security solutions across the UK for domestic, commercial, and industrial sectors, and we take pride in providing quality products that give our customers peace of mind. Don’t hesitate to contact us on 01535 920362 for advice and recommendations on the best Hydraulic Automatic Bollards or Telescopic Bollards for you!