Insurance for Handymen

A handyman business is a different job every day, often in someone's home while they are out. Hanging a door, patching a wall, clearing a gutter and putting up a fence all carry small risks, and the one that turns into a claim is usually the one nobody thought twice about.

We arrange insurance for handyman and property maintenance businesses, from sole traders to small teams working for homeowners, real estate agents and strata managers. We take the time to understand the range of work you actually take on, compare options across the market, and stand beside you if you need to make a claim.

Key covers to consider

• Public and Products Liability: injury or property damage caused by your work, on site and after you leave
• Business Pack: your shed, garage or store, plus contents, materials and stock
• General Property and Tools: power tools, ladders, generators and hand tools away from your premises. Cover can often extend to tools stolen from a locked vehicle or job site, which is worth checking in your wording before you rely on it.
• Commercial Motor: utes, vans and trailers
• Contract Works / Construction: larger jobs while they are under way, including materials on site, up to handover
• Workers Compensation: compulsory cover for businesses with employees and apprentices
• Management Liability: employment disputes, OH&S, and claims against the business and its owners and managers for alleged mismanagement
• Cyber Liability: quoting, invoicing and payment systems, and the client details you hold
• Personal Accident and Sickness: income while you are off the tools from an injury or illness, and is often mandatory protection for sole traders who are not eligible for workers compensation

Common questions

Does public liability cover faulty or defective work?

Public liability covers injury, and damage your work causes to other property, such as a fire that damages a client's building. The cost of going back and redoing your own faulty or defective work is usually excluded. This is commonly known as the Faulty Workmanship exclusion, and knowing where that line sits is part of what we talk through when we set the policy up.

I do a bit of everything. How do I know it is all covered?

A liability policy is priced and worded around the work you declare, so the important step is describing the full range of what you take on rather than the headline. Licensed work such as electrical, plumbing or gas is normally only covered if you hold the licence for it. Tell us everything you do, including the occasional jobs, and we will make sure the description on the policy matches.

Do I need cover if I only work a few days a week?

If you are being paid for the work, the exposure is the same whether it is two days a week or five. Most insurers have a minimum premium for small operators, and many agents, strata managers and builders will not put you on a job without a certificate of currency, so part-time operators usually end up needing it anyway.

Do I need Home Warranty / Home Building Compensation cover?

This applies to residential work you contract directly with the owner above your state's threshold, such as extensions, garages, fences or retaining walls. It must be in place before work starts. It is compulsory for any residential building or renovation work valued over $20,000 (including GST) in New South Wales.

Do I have to use Dial Before You Dig?

Almost all policies include an exclusion for the damage to pipes and cables when you do not seek appropriate evidence or check that there are pipes or cables below. You should always check before you dig.

Do I Need Professional Indemnity insurance?

Trades industries are becoming more regulated. When a tradesman provides reports, surveys, designs, testing, or certifications, you may leave yourself exposed should a problem arise following your advice. You should always consider your services provided.

How Much Public & Products Liability Cover Do I Need?

It depends on the work you do and who you do it for. Many head contractors, councils, property managers and commercial sites set a minimum amount in their contracts before you can start. If you lease your premises, your lease will usually set a minimum level of public liability you must hold as a tenant, and often asks for the landlord to be noted on your policy. So check your contracts, your lease and any tender or site requirements first. Also think about the worst injury or property damage your work could realistically cause.

Cover level	When it's usually needed
$5 million	Small or hobby-sized businesses with lower-risk work, few or no visitors to their premises, and no lease or contract asking for more.
$10 million	Suits most trades and businesses working on client premises or dealing with the public. Often the minimum set by commercial leases, markets and event organisers, and many subcontract agreements.
$20 million	Suits higher-risk work such as specialist trades, construction, mining, transport operators, or working at heights. Often required by head contractors, government bodies, councils, shopping centres, mine sites and larger commercial clients.

We'll look at your contracts, your lease and your work, and help you choose a limit that fits.

Talk to a broker who knows maintenance work

Tell us about your business and we'll do the comparing, the paperwork and the advocating.

Request a quote for your handyman business