Tools and Materials shop

Here at Easy Van Insurance we try to cater for all Tradesman's needs from insurance to all the tools and materials needed for any type of building, electrical or plumbing job and we ensure you get them at the best possible price

With the onset of summer there, why not look at some of the Natural Sandstone slabs and patio sets in our Natural Sandstone and Bradstone specials page which is just a small sample of our thousands of prices compared on sandstone slabs

Featured items in the shop this week

Check out the featured items in our shop this week - storage of all types from racking to sheds to drum stores to paint brush stores. We have literally thousands of different types of storage items to suit all needs and budgets..

We ensure you get the best price possible

We work with many of the top UK providers of tools and building materials so where there is more than one provider selling the same item we will compare the price and show you the cheapest so you don't have to trawl the various shops and sites as we do the legwork for you to bring you the best deal on tools and materials.

Because we compare prices from 30 of the biggest names in tools and materials (Screwfix, Wickes, B&Q, Focus, Westfalia, Simply Paving, MowDirect, Choiceful, DIY Direct and many more) we have many more products than each of them individually - we currently have over 300,000 products so you can be sure you get the best price on what ever item you are looking for.

See our new special offer pages

Screwfix special offers - now with greater discounts on heaters
Wickes special offers- Wickes now deliver all big and bulky items to you next day if you order before 6pm
DeWalt savings - we have over 2200 DeWalt items in our shop and will bring you the best prices
Bosch tools - comparing the prices on over 4000 Bosch products
Makita tools - information on the savings that you can make on the hundreds of Makita tools we list
Natural Sandstone paving - over 1800 natural sandstone paving slabs and related items

We have so many offers for you from Screwfix and Wickes that we have dedicated a page to Screwfix and Wickes special offers

Companies we compare prices on:

Anglia Tool Centre - specialists in Hand & Power tools
B&Q Next Day - thousands of DIY products with next day delivery
B&Q - DIY tools and kitchens, bathrooms and sheds
Bathroom Experience - everything for your bathroom
Be Direct - specialists in electrical items
Builder Superstore - tiles, paving flooring, kitchens and more
Cheap Suites Bathrooms- quality, low cost, bathrooms
Conrad UK - Europe's leading online electronics store
DIY Tools - power tools, garden tools, hand tools and more
DigYourHome.com - garden tools and equipment
FitMyKitchen.com - sinks, taps, appliances, waste disposers
Godfrey DIY - outdoor, workshop and home improvement
Ironmongery Direct - hinges, door furniture, locks, gates etc
MowDirect - lawnmowers and garden machinery
Northern Tools - power tools, generators, tarps and welding
Screwfix - power tools, electrical and plumbing supplies
Simply Paving - stone paving, patios and driveway paving
Tooled Up - power tools, garden tools, electrical items
Topps Tiles - tile and wood flooring
Uk Bathroom Store - top branded bathrooms at low prices
Westfalia - thousands of tools for home and farm
Wickes - home improvement for trade and DIY specialists.

Also worth trying one of the UK's largest tool price comparison sites - www.DIYdemon.com

Why Easy Van Insurance?

1. We provide links and information on many of the UK's leading Van Insurance companies - even providing a comparison of prices for some of the UK's most popular van types so you know the best place to go to get your quotes.

2. We provide a shopping area for a wide range of tools and equipment for Tradesmen and van drivers as a whole .

3. Details of van types giving information on the types of Van by manufacturer such as Ford, Mercedes,Volkswagen, LDV, Vauxhall, Renault to name but a few

4. Details of special offers on Vans and other areas that will be of benefit to Van drivers.

If there is anything that you would like to see on this site then contact us via twitter @van_insurance

Do I need Van insurance for my vehicle?

That depends on what sort of vehicle you drive. The category of "van" covers all sort of size and shape of vehicle:

• Small Van Insurance – to cover small purpose built vans normally with only two seats and an enclosed load space.
• Car Derived Van Insurance – these are vans that have a car front to them and van back half and are generally small in overall size
• Light Van Insurance - these are the start of the 'true van' that are often used for courier purposes or small businesses
• Medium Van Insurance – medium vans are transit size and have a big load space though tend not to have a long wheel base.
• Large Van Insurance – very similar to the medium vans but have long wheel basees (LWB) so they look stretched and can be up to 3.5 tonnes.
• Tipper van insurance - these are vans, though look like small trucks and have an open flat bed that can be raised to tip out the contents (these often require specialist insurance).
• Flat-bed van insurance - these are vans that have transit style fronts but have a flat beds or drop side rears.

Compare van insurance

Van insurance companies will often introduce new discounts which can save you money early in the year, so its worth getting some quotes now even if your van insurance isn't due for renewal. If the quote is favourable, then save it and retrieve it when your renewal is due as quotes are guaranteed for anything up to 90 days. Even if you don't want to accept the insurance from other van insurers, you can phone your insurer and tell them that you have obtained a cheaper quote - if you have been with your current insurer for a while they will normally try to save your business by reducing your current price.

Van insurance is similar in many ways to Car insurance however there are some fundamental differences that as a van owner you need to be aware of:

- while many car insurers do cover vans under their car policies this is not always ideal as much of the essential cover is missing

- the majority of van owners will use their vehicle for business purposes as such you will either class1, class 2 or class 3 use not just Social, Domestic and Pleasure use. These are all explained in the insurance section

- Tools cover, this is often excluded on many van insurance policies or only covered if the Van is locked in a garage over night.

- Sign writing, racking, chiller units and other specialist van items may not be covered or may have explicit terms against them

See our new comparison table of van insurance companies

No Claim Discount

Unsure of what is meant by No Claim Discount on your van insurance? Read our guide to No Claim discount and what it means to you

Van insurance prices

Within the Van Insurance section we compare van insurance prices for the same risks for 5 different van types on each insurer to see how they compare. The vans we use as a test are:

1. Ford Transit Connect SWB TDCI 90 1753cc
2. Ford Transit 260 (00 on) SWB 75bhp 1998cc
3. Volkswagen Transporter T30 Kombi LWB 130 2460cc
4. Mitsubishi L200 4Life Plus 2.5D 2477cc
5. Mercedes Vito 111 CDI (03 on) 2148cc

All of them are quoted as 2005 year, diesel and manual. We accept this is not a very accurate comparison as cover levels vary however it does give an idea for some of the most common van types.

Van contents

The contents of a van are probably the most important part of any Tradesman's business as they are often built up over time and become personalised so they work exactly as they are needed to. This is where it is critical that there is sufficient cover in place to provide sufficient financial cover to replace the tools that may be lost either by theft or damage in a road traffic accident.

Almost all vans these days can have racking fitted to them to allow storage for many items so that the van can become the storage place full time - which is something that most insurers will not cover particularly overnight.

Business Van Insurance for Small and Large Business

It doesn't matter whether you have a small business or a large business you need van insurance. Most of the main stream van insurance companies (Direct Line Insurance, Churchill Insurance, Aviva etc) tend to focus on small business insurance and only allow one van per insurance policy. If you have multiple vans or a large business you are better off looking for fleet van insurance which will cover multiple vans on the same policy which can usually be found via a broker stlye site such as Simply Business which allow you to enter your specific insurance requirements online and will then call you with a quote and to discuss any areas that need clarification.