Builders Insurance. The Right Broker Makes All the Difference.
Fast quotes, competitive pricing, and someone who actually understands construction work.
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Specialist Cover for Construction Professionals
If you work in construction, you've probably heard "builders insurance" thrown around. It's not actually one policy. It's usually a combination of covers that protect you when things go wrong on site. Most builders need contract works insurance as the foundation, but depending on what you do, you might also need commercial motor, plant and machinery cover, or a business pack to handle your office risks.
The challenge with construction insurance is that every builder works differently. A concreter doing $2 million driveways has different risks to a renovator working on heritage homes or a new home builder managing $700k contracts. The real difference isn't the insurance itself. It's finding a broker who moves quickly, knows the market, and doesn't clip the ticket with excessive fees.
The real difference isn't the insurance itself. It's finding a broker who moves quickly and knows the market.
COVERAGE TYPES
What Builders Insurance Usually Includes
Construction insurance is a combination of covers tailored to your specific operations. Common inclusions include:
This covers damage to the project you're working on. If a storm wrecks your half-built extension or someone vandalises the site, contract works pays to fix it. It also covers materials stored on site and temporary structures like scaffolding or site sheds. Most builders with contracts over $20,000 will need this, either because the head contractor requires it or because the client's bank demands it for construction finance.
Most contract works packages include public liability as an option in the pack, which covers you if someone gets hurt or their property gets damaged because of your work. If your scaffolding collapses onto a neighbour's car or a tradesperson trips over your tools and breaks their wrist, public liability handles the claim and legal costs. Most builders carry $10 million or $20 million in cover, depending on what their clients or sites require.
If you use utes, vans, or trucks for work, you'll need commercial motor insurance. This covers damage to your vehicles and third-party property if you're in an accident. It's separate from contract works and public liability, so if you're driving between sites with tools and materials, make sure this is sorted.
Covers things like excavators, bobcats, forklifts, or concrete pumps. Whether you own the equipment or hire it, you'll want cover in case it gets damaged, stolen, or causes an accident. This is usually a standalone policy or an add-on to your contract works.
This bundles your office-based risks into one policy. It typically includes public liability, contents insurance for your office equipment, and business interruption cover if you can't work due to an insured event. If you run an office or have admin staff, a business pack keeps your backend covered while contract works handles your on-site risks.
CLIENT SUCCESS
Why Builders Come to Us
We've placed cover for builders who needed someone responsive, competitive on price, and able to navigate the market properly. Here are a few examples:
What We Look at When Quoting
When you come to us for builders insurance, here's what we'll ask:
- What type of construction work do you do? (Residential, commercial, renovations, new builds, civil works)
- What's your annual turnover and typical contract size?
- Do you use subcontractors? If so, how much do you pay them annually?
- Have you had any claims in the past five years?
- Do you work across multiple states or just in one location?
- Do you own or hire plant and equipment?
- Do you need contract works for a single project or annual cover across all your jobs?
These details matter because they affect which insurers will take you on and how much you'll pay. A builder with a clean claims history doing $500k in residential work will get very different pricing to one with a past claim and $2 million in commercial contracts.
Accurate details lead to better pricing and more reliable cover.
MARKET ACCESS
The Insurers We Use
For contract works, we work with Pen Underwriting, Mecon, Hutch, Chase, ATC, 360 Underwriting, Liberty Special Markets, Epsilon Underwriting, Sura, and Scope. For your other covers like public liability, commercial motor, plant and machinery, or business packs, we use a range of insurers including (but not limited to) Vero, Allianz, CGU, QBE, Zurich, and Chubb. Each insurer has different appetites, so if one says no, we know who else to try.
Insurance Partners
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Get the Right Cover for Your Building Business
Call us on 02 9000 1155 or get a quote online. We'll ask the right questions, check which insurers suit your work, and get you covered without the runaround.