Earthmoving & Excavator Insurance for Small Businesses

Yes, but you need to make sure your insurance specifically covers hired-in or leased equipment. Most hire companies will make you responsible for any damage, breakdown or liability while the machine is in your care.

At All Trades Cover, we’ll help you:

• Add hired-in plant cover to your policy so you’re protected while using it
• Note the hire company as an interested party if required
• Make sure liability cover extends to damage caused while operating hired gear
• Arrange short-term or annual cover depending on how often you hire
• Provide fast Certificates of Currency so you can pick up the machine without delays

This sits alongside your regular Plant & Machinery or Public Liability cover, but we’ll make sure the wording is right so there are no surprises if something goes wrong.

Not always. Standard Plant and Machinery insurance is usually designed to cover equipment while you or your crew are operating it. If you’re hiring out your excavator, skid steer, or other gear to someone else, you may need a specific extension or a different type of cover.

At All Trades Cover, our team of insurance brokers can help you:

• Check if your current policy includes ‘dry hire’ (plant hired without an operator)
• Add the right endorsements so you’re protected when third parties use your gear
• Make sure you’re covered for damage, theft, and liability while the equipment is on hire
• Draft agreements that line up with your insurer’s requirements
• Avoid gaps in cover that can leave you paying for someone else’s mistake

If you regularly dry hire or plan to, let us know up front. We’ll set up your cover properly so your gear and your business stay protected.

A Contractor Plant & Equipment policy is designed to protect the machines, attachments, and gear that keep your earthmoving business running. It’s not just about big-ticket excavators; the policy can be tailored to cover a wide range of items depending on how you work and what you own.

Typically, this includes:

• Earthmoving machines like excavators, loaders, bulldozers, graders, rollers and skid steers
• Attachments and accessories such as buckets, augers, rippers and hydraulic hammers
• Smaller plant and equipment, including compressors, generators, pumps and site power units
• Cranes, forklifts and lifting gear if they’re part of your operation
• Specialised gear for civil or infrastructure work, such as trenchers, compactors or drilling rigs
• Vehicles and trailers used to transport the plant, if insured under the same program
• Hired-in equipment that you’re responsible for while it’s in your possession

Some policies can also extend to tools stored with the plant, or cover for gear while it’s in transit between sites. The key is making sure everything that matters to your operation is listed and insured for the right value.

Contractor Plant & Equipment insurance is mainly designed for larger machinery; think excavators, loaders, skid steers and dozers. However, many policies can also extend to cover smaller gear, but it depends on how your coverage is set up.

In most cases, handheld tools, power tools and smaller portable items are insured under a General Property (Tools & Equipment) policy, rather than the Plant & Equipment section. This is because tools are often moved between sites, kept in vehicles or stored in sheds, and they face different risks such as theft, accidental damage or loss in transit.

That said, Plant & Equipment policies can sometimes be broadened to include:

• Site-based gear like generators, pumps and compressors
• Fixed attachments or accessories that travel with your machinery
• Certain types of small plants, provided they’re listed and valued correctly

To avoid gaps in cover, we usually recommend a combination:

• Plant & Equipment insurance for your heavy machinery and big-ticket gear

General Property insurance for hand tools, smaller equipment and portable items

Not always. Standard Contractor Plant & Equipment policies usually focus on sudden and unforeseen events like fire, theft, rollover, storm damage or accidental damage. Mechanical or electrical breakdown is often considered a separate risk, which means it may not be included automatically.

Whether or not breakdown cover applies depends on the policy wording and the options you’ve chosen. In some cases, you can add an extension for breakdown, which provides protection for failures in key components such as engines, hydraulics or electrical systems. This can be especially useful for machines that work long hours in harsh conditions, where wear and tear can quickly turn into a costly failure.

Here’s how we usually explain it:

• Included in base cover: Fire, theft, accidental damage, rollover, and natural disasters
• Optional or extended cover: Breakdown of engines, gearboxes, hydraulics or electrical systems

Not covered: Gradual wear and tear, lack of maintenance, or pre-existing issues

Yes. If you’re lending or ‘dry hiring’ your machines to another operator or business, most insurers will require a formal hire agreement for cover to apply. Without one, you could be left exposed if the equipment is damaged, stolen, or causes liability while in someone else’s hands.

A proper hire agreement helps in three ways:

• Sets out responsibility for damage, theft, breakdowns, and liability while the gear is on hire
• Aligns with insurer requirements, so your claim isn’t knocked back due to missing paperwork
• Protects your business legally, ensuring the hirer accepts the risks they’re responsible for

What this usually means in practice:

• If you hire out an excavator, skid steer, or other plant without an operator (dry hire), insurers expect a signed agreement every time
• The agreement should outline who covers repairs, insurance excesses, and liability during the hire period
• Some policies can extend to cover “dry hire” automatically, but only if agreements are in place and worded correctly

At All Trades Cover, we’ll:

• Check your current policy to confirm if dry hire is included
• Help you set up a compliant hire agreement that meets insurer standards
• Make sure your equipment and liability cover apply when third parties are operating your gear

If you plan to hire out your plant regularly, let us know. Having the right paperwork and endorsements in place keeps your machines covered and your business protected.

It depends on how your machine is insured and whether it’s registered for road use. Standard Contractor Plant & Equipment insurance usually covers your excavator, loader or dozer while it’s working on site, in storage, or in transit on a trailer. But once you’re driving or operating that machine on a public road, different rules apply.

Here’s how it generally breaks down:

• Registered plant or vehicles: If your machine is registered for road use, you’ll need a Commercial Motor or Road Risk extension to cover liability on public roads. This is what protects you if your plant causes third-party injury or property damage while driving or crossing a road.
• Unregistered plant: If your gear is unregistered and only ever travels by float, your Plant & Equipment policy usually applies. But if you take that unregistered machine onto a public road, you could be uninsured without the right endorsement.
• Transport and civil access: Many councils and civil contracts require proof that your plant has proper road liability cover, even if it’s just moving between job sites or crossing a road for access.

At All Trades Cover, we’ll:

• Check if your machines need road registration and adjust your policy accordingly
• Add Road Risk Liability so you’re protected when operating on public roads
• Combine Plant & Equipment and Commercial Motor cover where needed, so trucks, trailers and machines are all aligned
• Issue compliant Certificates that meet council or civil contract requirements

If you’re not sure whether your gear is properly covered on public roads, we’ll go through your setup step by step and make sure there are no gaps that could leave you exposed.

Most insurance programs will cover general earthmoving activities such as site preparation, trenching, and land clearing. However, once you move into civil construction projects such as council roads, subdivisions, drainage or infrastructure works, both the risks and the insurance requirements change significantly.

Here’s what that often means for your insurance:

• Higher liability limits are required for civil contracts, commonly $20 million or more
• Specific endorsements such as Principal’s Indemnity, Cross Liability and Waiver of Subrogation are frequently mandated in head contractor or council contracts
• Extended scope of cover may be needed for activities such as roadworks, bridges, utilities or large-scale drainage
• Worker and subcontractor management becomes critical, with insurers requiring clear responsibility for site risks
• Certificates of Currency must match contract wording exactly, or you risk being denied site access

Without the right endorsements or liability limits in place, contractors face delays, uninsured exposures and potential contract rejection.

At All Trades Cover, we specialise in structuring insurance for excavation and earthmoving contractors transitioning into larger-scale civil projects. We ensure your policies align with contract conditions, protect your operations and keep your projects moving without interruption.

Most Public Liability and Contractor Plant & Equipment policies set a limit on how deep you can dig before extra conditions apply. A common maximum is 5 metres, but this can vary depending on your insurer, the type of work, and the soil or site conditions.

Why it matters:

• If you go beyond the depth limit stated in your policy, you may not be covered if there’s a collapse, damage to underground services, or an injury
• Civil and infrastructure projects often require deeper excavation, which means your cover needs to be reviewed and specifically endorsed
• Some contracts may insist on proof that your insurance extends to the exact depth of the works

Yes, but this is one of the most tightly controlled areas of cover for earthmoving and excavation work. Striking underground services like gas, power, water, or telecoms can cause serious damage, business interruption and even injury, so insurers often put strict conditions around it.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Standard Public Liability policies usually exclude underground services unless certain safety checks are carried out
• Insurers often require evidence of Dial Before You Dig searches and compliance with safe excavation practices
• Cover may only apply if utilities were clearly identified and marked before work started
• If services are damaged because procedures weren’t followed, claims may be reduced or denied
• For higher-risk civil jobs, additional endorsements or higher premiums may be required