Builder Insurance for Small Businesses

Contract Works Insurance is the policy that covers the build itself, from the first shovel in the ground to the final handover. It protects your materials, labour, and works in progress if something goes wrong during construction, like fire, storm damage, theft, or vandalism.

If you’re building new homes, doing fit-outs, running multi-site projects, or managing large-scale commercial or industrial jobs, this cover is a must. Without it, damage to the actual work, even halfway through the job, could come out of your pocket.

Most developers, councils, and principal contractors expect builders’ Contract Works Insurance to be in place before you start. They’ll usually ask for a Certificate of Currency, and the values and wording need to match the contract exactly.

At All Trades Cover, we build Contract Works policies that reflect how you actually operate, not just an off-the-shelf product.

Your cover can include:

• Materials, structures, and temporary works on site
• Fire, storm, theft, malicious damage and natural disasters
• Subbie and equipment risks while the site is active
• Existing structures or principal-supplied materials (if required)
• Design and Construct risks if you’re responsible for design or sign-off
• Defect liability period extensions
• Single job or annual cover if you’re running multiple builds
• Fast, compliant certificates for developers, councils, or lenders

How we help builders stay covered

Policy Setup

• Advice on single project vs annual policies
• Help setting realistic Maximum Project Values so you’re not underinsured
• Add-ons for design responsibility, existing buildings, or special project conditions

Project Reporting

• Support with mid-year adjustments or turnover changes
• Help declaring your jobs the right way so you don’t breach your policy
• Keeping things clear for audits, lenders, or insurers

Contract Compliance

• Quick Certificates of Currency that actually match the contract
• Contract clause reviews so you know what insurance terms really mean
• Making sure your cover supports site access, payments, and risk transfer

Your builds are too important to risk on generic cover. We’ll help you sort Contract Works insurance that keeps your jobs protected and your paperwork clean, from site setup to final handover.

If your responsibilities go beyond just building, like managing consultants, giving advice, or signing off on compliance, then you need to think about Professional Indemnity insurance.

This cover protects your business if someone claims you made a mistake in design, documentation, or technical advice, even if you outsourced the work to a consultant or engineer. It’s especially important if you’re working under a Design & Construct contract, or if you’re coordinating trades and professionals who feed into the build.

At All Trades Cover, we set up Professional Indemnity insurance for builders to match your actual risk and how your projects are run. Your policy can include:

• Cover for claims around design, compliance reports, or advice that went wrong
• Protection even if the issue came from a subcontracted consultant or engineer
• Clear alignment with your Contract Works and Public Liability policies
• Support for long-tail risks, like defects or disputes that show up years later
• Setup for D&C contracts, council or government frameworks, and multi-site builds
• Certificates that match exactly what clients, councils, or licensing bodies want

Building in NSW?

There are new PI insurance rules under the NSW Design and Building Practitioners Scheme. If you handle design work or even just sign off on it, you may be legally required to hold specific Professional Indemnity cover. We’ll help you figure out what applies and get the right policy in place.

Note: This is different to Builders Indemnity insurance (also called Domestic Building insurance), which protects homeowners if you can’t finish a job due to insolvency or illness. You may need both, depending on your projects and where you’re working, and we’ll make sure they work together.

If you’re providing advice, running D&C jobs, or coordinating professional services as part of your builds, Professional Indemnity insurance isn’t just nice to have; it’s key to protecting your business.

Personal Accident and Illness insurance is a must-have if you rely on your ability to work to earn a living. It protects your income if you’re injured or become sick and can’t work, covering both work-related and non-work-related incidents. For builders and tradespeople who work on site every day, where the risk of accidents is higher, it’s essential to have cover to keep life on track if something goes wrong.

Unlike Workers Compensation, which only applies if you’re an employee, this cover is available to sole traders, contractors, and business owners. It means you can still pay bills, mortgage, and everyday expenses while you recover.

With All Trades Cover, you’ll get tailored cover for:

• Weekly benefits if you can’t work due to injury or illness
• Lump sum payments for permanent disability or death
• Flexible waiting periods and benefit periods to suit your needs
• Cover that works alongside your Public Liability and Contract Works insurance
• Protection for you and your family’s financial security

If you employ staff, Workers’ Compensation is a legal requirement. Each state has its own rules, and it’s not always clear who counts as a ‘worker.’ Having the right builders’ Workers Compensation insurance in place makes sure you stay compliant and your crew is protected.

How we support you:

• Arrange cover that meets your state’s requirements (WA and NT direct, advice and referrals for other regions)
• Confirm how your team should be classified to avoid issues at the audit
• Add Principal’s Indemnity if contracts or site agreements demand it
• Help with wage estimates, declarations, and adjustments, including advice on whether working directors need to be covered
• Provide guidance on reporting incidents and lodge claims promptly to avoid delays
• Take care of forms and insurer submissions so the paperwork doesn’t land back on your desk
• Work with insurers to organise light duties, return-to-work plans, and rehabilitation
• Track claim progress to prevent blowouts that can drive premiums higher

When premiums climb because of past claims, we’ll:

• Review your history to spot problem areas
• Present updated safety practices or crew changes to insurers
• Negotiate rates that better reflect your current operations

Even with a clean record, we’ll fight for competitive pricing and ensure your account shows your track record in the right light.

Builders Workers Compensation insurance isn’t optional, but with the right approach, it doesn’t have to be a burden. It keeps you compliant, protects your people, and helps keep your costs under control.

Also known as General Property insurance, covers the gear you depend on to get the job done, from power tools and ladders through to plant and machinery. For builders and trades, losing tools to theft, fire, or accidental damage can bring a project to a standstill and hit them hard financially. This cover makes sure you can replace your gear quickly and keep the job moving.

Key areas usually covered include:

• Hand tools, power tools, and trade kits
• Larger equipment like compressors, generators, and concrete mixers
• Plant and machinery, including hired-in equipment
• Theft from locked vehicles, sheds, and job sites
• Options to extend for open-air theft or remote locations

Adding Tools and Equipment cover to your builders insurance package is a smart move if you’re moving between sites or carrying expensive gear. We’ll tailor the cover to match the real value of your tools, line up any high-value items properly, and make sure claims run smoothly so you’re not left waiting and out of pocket when you need replacements.

Your vehicles are the backbone of your building business, moving people, tools, and materials from site to site. Commercial Motor insurance protects those vehicles against accidents, theft, and damage, and covers your liability if they cause injury or property damage on the road.

For builders, it’s not just about covering the ute or van. Many policies can extend to trailers, light trucks, or a whole fleet. You can also add extras like windscreen replacement, hire car cover while your vehicle’s off the road, and protection for vehicles driven by employees or subcontractors.

No matter if you run one ute or a dozen work vehicles, we’ll line up a policy that:

• Use on public roads, work sites, and access tracks
• Trailers, toolboxes, and mounted equipment
• Excess-free windscreen replacement
• Hire vehicle cover to keep you moving after an accident
• Options to meet lender or lease requirements if your vehicle is financed
• Easy adjustments for additions or deletions as your fleet changes

Builders Warranty insurance (also called Home Warranty or Domestic Building insurance, depending on the state) is a legal requirement for most residential building projects over a certain value. You can’t start many domestic jobs without it.

This cover protects the homeowner, not the builder. If the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent before the job is finished, or before defects are fixed, the warranty insurance steps in to cover completion or rectification costs.

Typical requirements include:

• Mandatory for residential projects over $20,000 in most states
• Must be arranged before building permits or contracts can be finalised
• Cover limits vary by state, usually between $200,000 and $300,000

While Builders Warranty insurance doesn’t directly protect your business, it’s essential for compliance. Without it, you won’t get approval to start many jobs, and you could face penalties.

We’ll make sure your Builders Warranty insurance is in place before you sign contracts or apply for permits, and that the policy lines up with your state’s building regulations.

Construction insurance is the all-in-one cover that keeps your jobs, your gear, and your crew protected. Instead of juggling half a dozen policies, it pulls the key covers together in one package that actually makes sense for builders.

Construction Insurance often includes:

• Contract Works insurance: Covers the job itself if the site cops it by fire, storm, theft, or accidental damage
• Public Liability insurance: Protects you if someone gets hurt or property gets damaged because of your work
• Tools and Equipment insurance: Keeps your gear covered whether it’s on site, in the ute, or in the shed
• Commercial Motor insurance: Work utes, vans, trucks, and trailers all sorted
• Workers Compensation: If you’ve got staff, this one’s not optional

If you’re doing Design and Construct jobs, or giving clients plans and advice, you’ll want Professional Indemnity insurance for builders. Professional Indemnity has got your back if there’s a stuff-up in the design or paperwork that ends up costing the client money. A standard construction policy won’t cover this.

A tax audit can be stressful and expensive, even if you’ve done everything by the book. The ATO can take months to work through your accounts, and in the meantime, you’re left paying accountant and legal fees just to keep up. Tax Audit insurance takes care of those costs so you can focus on running your business.

What’s typically covered:

• Professional fees from accountants, bookkeepers, or lawyers during an ATO audit

• • Audits of business tax returns, BAS, and financial records
  • Reviews triggered by random checks, not just suspected issues

• Cover for both business and personal returns if you’re a sole trader

For builders and trades, Tax Audit insurance is usually a simple add-on to your business cover. It’s affordable, and it means if the ATO comes calling, you won’t be out of pocket for thousands in professional fees.

Some contracts come with strings attached. Councils, head contractors, or project owners might insist on extra clauses being added to your insurance before you set foot on site. If they’re missing, you risk delays or having the job pulled.

Project-specific endorsements solve this by tailoring your policy and Certificates of Currency to match the contract exactly. Everything lines up, so there’s no doubt your insurance meets the job requirements.

Endorsements often include:

• Principal’s Indemnity

• Cross Liability

• Waiver of Subrogation

• Increased Public Liability limits ($10m, $20m or more)
• Listing councils, head contractors, or clients as interested parties
• Special wording to reflect contract conditions

We’ll sort the endorsements quickly, issue the paperwork with the right wording, and make sure you’ve got what you need to get on site without a hitch.