Insurance for Hardware Stores

A hardware store has customers walking through it all day, a shopfront made largely of glass, and more value sitting on the shelves and in the yard than most people realise. A break-in, a burst pipe over the paint aisle or a fire next door can stop trade for weeks, and the lost income usually hurts more than the damaged stock.

We arrange insurance for hardware stores, trade suppliers and building supply yards, from single owner-operated shops to stores running delivery vehicles and several staff. We take the time to understand what you carry, how the site is secured and what your lease asks of you, 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 to customers in the aisles and the yard, and claims arising from the goods you sell
• Business Pack: the building or your fit-out, plus contents, equipment and stock
• Glass: shopfront windows, display cabinets and signage, including boarding up after a break
• Theft and Money: stock taken in a break-in, and takings held on the premises or banked
• Business Interruption: income and fixed costs while you cannot trade after damage
• Commercial Motor: delivery vehicles, utes and trailers running orders out to sites
• 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: point of sale, online orders, trade accounts and the customer details you hold

Common questions

A customer is injured in the aisle or out in the yard. What responds?

Public liability is the section that deals with injury to members of the public on your premises, including the yard and the car park if they form part of the site you occupy. It is worth making sure the address and the areas you use are described correctly on the policy, because a yard or a loading area that was never mentioned can become an argument at claim time.

If a fire or a break-in shuts the store, what covers the lost income?

That is business interruption. It picks up the income and the fixed costs you still have to meet while the store is closed or trading at reduced capacity after insured damage. The number that matters most is the indemnity period, which is how long the cover runs for, so think about how long it would realistically take to rebuild, restock and get your customers back.

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 retail

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

Request a quote for your store