February 2, 2026
Painters and decorators could be losing thousands each year due to traffic congestion
Temporary business van insurance experts, Tempcover, analysed the impact of traffic delays on tradespeople, and the findings show:
- Considering average hourly rates, painters & decorators could lose up to £3,200 annually due to traffic delays.
- Across all trades, delays could cost trade professionals an average of £4,300 a year in lost income.
- On average, van drivers spend nearly 99 hours a year delayed by traffic, cutting into billable trade time.
Tradespeople spend a significant portion of the day travelling between appointments and job sites, which means that time spent in traffic isn’t just frustrating; it can also be costly. Congestion can cut into working hours, delay appointments and impact potential earnings.
On average, van drivers spend around 98.6 hours per year delayed on roads across England. At an average rate of £44 per hour, this could cost tradespeople approximately £4,336 each year in lost earnings.
To help tradespeople make the most of their working day, Claire Wills-McKissick, temporary business van insurance expert at Tempcover, shares her top tips on how tradespeople can navigate congestion and minimise the impact of delays:
- Group jobs by postcode or area: Many trade professionals book up weeks, or even months, in advance. This allows for some planning when it comes to organising your schedule. If possible, group jobs by postcode or area, so that you aren’t travelling large distances every day.
- Leave buffer time between jobs to account for delays: Traffic is often unpredictable, and most of the time, caused by factors beyond your control. Because of this, it’s a good idea to leave a little more travel time than you think you might need between jobs. This reduces the risk of arriving late to your next job and setting off on the wrong foot with a customer.
- Use live traffic or route-planning apps: When it comes to avoiding congestion, live traffic apps are your best friend. These apps provide real-time traffic updates, navigation assistance and safety alerts, allowing you to re-route around accidents or roadworks, for example. This reduces the chance of running into unexpected traffic and means you are more likely to reach your destination on time.
