Public liability insurance for builders and construction companies. Compare quotes to get suitable cover for builders and construction contractors with help from our liability brokers.*
As a builder or construction contractor, public liability insurance is vital to your business because of the nature of the work you do and the potential for accidents to occur. Public liability insurance may indemnify you (and related insured parties) for any legal liability for payment to third parties that have suffered personal injury or property damage that was caused by your business activities.
Public liability insurance for builders and construction contractors protects you from third-party claims of bodily injury or damage to someone else’s property.
In Australia both the principal builder and their subcontractors ; such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters are typically required to take out their own public liability cover
For example, if you are doing a construction job at a client’s home and their child hurts themselves by falling into a ditch you have dug or by tripping over your tools and equipment, Public Liability may help pay the related medical bills and your legal expenses.
Public liability insurance in Australia typically provides builders and building contractors cover for:
In Australia, all self-employed construction workers need public liability insurance.
As a self-employed construction worker you need builders public liability insurance as it can protect you and your business against the financial risk of being liable for negligence.
If an accident happens as a result of your construction business activity you are responsible. Public liability insurance is needed to help cover damages and legal fees.
For example, if as result of your building contracting activities someone is harmed public liability may help cover their medical expenses and pay for your legal bills.
Throughout Australia as a self-employed construction workers you will typically need public liability insurance to work on certain building sites or specific clients who request it. While the principal builder will take out their own public liability cover, they will typically require all their sub- contractors to take out their own public liability cover to mitigate their own exposure , risks and premium.
To have appropriate public liability cover in place you must ensure that all parties that conduct work for your business are noted in your policy; this may include contractors, external entities, subsidiaries and contract principals among others. Public liability insurance policies are designed to cover you in cases where you have been found legally liable for damages to a third party – meaning that you have been found legally at fault or otherwise negligent in your work.
A third party is a person that is unconnected with your business and usually refers to a member of the public or other unrelated entity. A third party may only be compensated for personal injury or property damage they have suffered as a result of your work activities under a public liability claim. This means that a public liability policy may compensate you for any liabilities you suffer as a result of damages or injury to a third party – contractual disputes and workplace accidents, for example, would not be covered by this type of policy.
In Australia both the principal builder and their subcontractors; such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters, are typically requires to take out their own public liability cover.
It’s important to carefully define what work activities and events are and are not covered by a given policy. In many cases, a public liability insurance policy may limit its coverage depending on the work being undertaken, the risks involved, and the size of the business among other exclusions.
A public liability insurance policy may also cover you (with the consent of the insurer) against any costs you incur (such as legal costs and other expenses) when defending yourself in legal action taken against you for injury or property damage when you believe the claim to be unfounded.
public liability insurance cost for construction contractors and builders snapshot:
self-employed construction contractors and builders , starts from around $650* or $60 per month.
$5 million Public Liability Insurance cost for some builders with no previous claims starts from around $650* or $60 per month.
*Important : the above is a guide only ; pricing may vary significantly from the above based on your size, clients, experience and construction business activities.
List of states and territories in Australia we can help builders and building sub- contractors find the insurance cover they need :
New South Wales (NSW) – we service self-employed builders and building sub- contractors in Sydney metro and suburbs and all of NSW country.
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*Important: Insurance protection may be available only subject to meeting insurers underwriting criteria. Some of the insurance protections listed may not be available or may have limitations or exclusions. Insurance protection cover inclusions vary significantly from insurer to insurer. DO NOT rely upon the above. Please check your policy schedule carefully for inclusions , exclusions and limitations. Talk to a business insurance broker on 1300 670 250 for more information.
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