Construction Cover
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Construction insurance

Public Liability Insurance

Public liability is the cover builders and principals insist on before you set foot on site: it responds when your work injures someone or damages property that is not yours. Construction Cover arranges public liability for builders, contractors and trades, at the $5m, $10m or $20m limits your sites actually require, placed across 20+ insurers by our specialist team.

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Cover

What public liability insurance covers

Third-Party Injury

If a member of the public, a client or another worker is injured because of your work or on your site, public liability responds to the claim and the compensation. This is the exposure that can dwarf a year of premiums in a single incident.

Property Damage

Damage you cause to property that is not yours, a neighbour's building, a client's finished home, services you strike, is what public liability is built for. On a construction site these claims are common and can be large.

Completed-Works Claims

Many claims surface after you have left the job, a fire traced to your wiring, a leak behind a wall. Public liability arranged correctly responds to third-party claims that arise from work you have already finished, subject to your policy.

Legal Costs & Defence

Even a claim that is ultimately not your fault costs money to defend. Public liability covers the legal and defence costs of responding to a claim, not just the payout.

The Right Limit ($5m / $10m / $20m)

Builders and principal contractors set the limit you must hold, commonly $10m or $20m on commercial sites, $5m on smaller residential work. We check your contracts and arrange the limit your jobs actually require, with certificates of currency on request.

5.0 from 250+ Google reviews

Reviews are for Stonewell Insurance, the business behind Construction Cover. Authorised Representative of McLardy McShane Partners Pty Ltd (AFSL 232987).

FAQ

Public liability insurance questions.

Speak with our team on 1300 080 323.

What does public liability insurance cover?
It covers your legal liability for injury to other people or damage to their property arising from your business or work, plus the legal costs of defending the claim. For builders and trades that includes incidents on site and many claims that surface after a job is finished. It does not cover injury to your own staff (that is workers cover) or fixing your own defective work.
How much public liability insurance do I need, $5m, $10m or $20m?
It depends who you work for. Many commercial builders, principal contractors and government contracts require $20m; a lot of residential and subcontract work needs $10m; smaller jobs may accept $5m. We read your contracts and arrange the limit your sites demand, so you are never knocked back for being underinsured.
How much does public liability insurance cost?
It depends on your trade, turnover, the states you work in, the limit you need and your claims history, so there is no single price. We compare 20+ insurers to find the right cover at a competitive premium. Tell us about your business and we will come back with options.
Does public liability cover faulty workmanship?
Public liability covers injury or damage you cause to others, for example a pour that damages a neighbour's property. It generally will not pay to redo your own defective work. That is why we talk through the right mix of public liability and contract works cover for the jobs you actually do.
Do sole traders and subcontractors need public liability?
Almost always. Builders and principal contractors ask for a certificate of currency and a set public liability limit before you start on site, whether you are a sole trader, a subbie or a full crew. We arrange the cover and provide the certificates you need to get on the job.

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Construction Cover is a brand of Stonewell Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 23 645 965 699), Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1285612 of McLardy McShane Partners Pty Ltd (ABN 14 064 465 309, AFSL 232987).