Public Liability for Tradesmen

If you’re a subcontractor or self-employed tradesman, you’ve probably been told that you need public liability insurance.

Public liability is a form of insurance required by tradesmen and other business owners that covers them for any personal injury or property damage that they cause.

Here in Australia, public liability insurance is mandatory for many tradesmen who work for themselves and are operating on work sites.

The Cost of Public Liability

The first thing most tradesmen want to know is how much their public liability insurance is going to cost them.

It’s a fair enough question too. As with any business owner, a tradesman needs to keep his costs down, and insurance is one area where there are plenty of savings to be had if you do things properly.

Your public liability insurance cost will depend on a number of different factors. The main factors impacting upon the cost for tradesmen is the type of trade and business that you undertake, and the size of your business in terms of revenue and staffing numbers.

The state or states which you operate in can also impact on upon your public liability cost, especially if you operate in states with special insurance requirements for tradesmen. For example electricians in Queensland must have a specialist form of cover which is slightly more expensive.

What Does It Cover?

Public liability insurance protects tradesmen against the cost of claims relating to property damage or personal injury that they cause to a third party via their business activities.

The policy covers property damage and personal injury to customers and members of the general public. It does not cover for such damages sustained by the tradesmen himself or to his workers.

If you cause property damage or personal injury to another person, usually you or your business would be liable for their financial costs. But with public liability insurance you can rely on the insurer to cover the costs.

Public liability for tradesmen does not cover every single incident that can happen with a trades business, but it does provide protection for a huge range of events.

Taking Out Public Liability

Most tradesmen choose to take out their public liability through an insurance broker. You don’t have to use a specialist broker, but it is generally recommended that you do use one who specialises in tradesmen insurance.

An insurance broker who specialises in trade insurance will be able to assist you with quotes, service and advice on your public liability, and ultimately will be able to assist you in taking out a policy.

Tradesman Insurance

If you would like to obtain a quote on public liability for tradesmen, simply go to our online quote request and submit your details. We will then pass you details on to an insurance specialist who will be able to assist with your needs.

Public liability is one of the most important forms of insurance for tradesmen, and it pays to get the right advice in order to take out the right cover to suit you and your business.