Professional
tailored advice
Competitively
priced policies
Comprehensive
cover options
Professional
tailored advice
Competitively
priced policies
Comprehensive
cover options
Most Dedicated Business Insurance Broker 2023
QLD 2023 Top Insurance Broker Finalist
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QLD Top Insurance Broker Finalist 2022 Finalist
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What you need to know about
Running a plumbing business comes with a range of risks that require the right insurance in place. Public liability insurance protects you from third-party property damage or injury claims that can arise on-site, while professional indemnity insurance covers you for any advice or compliance work that may lead to financial loss for a client. If you have staff, workers’ compensation is essential to cover injuries or illness on the job. We also recommend commercial vehicle insurance for work utes and vans, as well as tools and equipment insurance to protect against loss, theft, or damage. These policies are designed to give plumbers peace of mind and allow their business to operate with confidence.
The most common insurance for plumbers are:
Need an insurance Broker who can assist with your plumbers insurance? We've got you covered.
Domestic plumbing work will usually cover you for supply, install, maintenance and repair work at domestic residences.
This is typically where most licensed plumbers start with their insurance for plumber policies. The reality is, their business changes but they dont update their policies.
We have spoken with countless plumbers that now do commercial work but are only covered for domestic plumbing activities.
Your plumber public liability insurance needs to reflect all activities that you do. Insurers use their occupation codes to rate your policy and charge a premium accordingly.
Failing to disclose this information to an insurer will typically lead to a declined claim if one was to occur.
Commercial plumbers insurance policies will cover you while you are engaged to do plumbing work on commercial sites.
Commercial sites will usually include office buildings, restaurants, shopping centres and any other business premises.
A commercial policy is only requested by some insurers however, if requested it needs to be classified if thats the work you’re doing.
If you have classified your business activities as commercial plumbing due to increased claims on domestic plumbing insurance policies we also need to declare the domestic work that you are doing as well.
Commercial plumber insurance doesn’t need to be difficult, let us take the complexity out of it for you.
Industrial plumbing work will usually be the likes of civil plumbing work, work utility companies and large scale commercial jobs.
Insurers will typically ask for a breakdown of all works that you do. This is to give them a broad enough understanding of your business and the work that you’re doing.
We will usually work with you to provide a breakdown to the insurer of all the work that you are doing.
We have insurers that offer tailored plumber insurance packages for all plumbing contractors so we will source a suitable and competitive policy for your business.
Our process is extremely simple and straight forward.
Have you gotten your gas licenses and now add this as an additional service to your plumbing business?
Most gas work will need to be declared to your insurer. Whether you are doing type A gas, type B gas or both you will need to make sure your plumber insurance policies cover you for this work.
Most plumbing occupation codes will allow for emergency plumbing repairs and call outs.
As long as you have declared the type of locations that you’re working at then repairs and maintenance work is automatically included in your policy.
You also don’t need to specify the percentages of work that you’re doing.
Remembering that if you are carrying around leak detection equipment, drain cameras and jetters then you should ensure that you have a suitable tools of trade policy to cover your portable equipment.
After hours work is also generally included under your plumber public liability insurance as its designed to cover you Australia Wide at anytime your engaged in your business.
Roofing services for plumbers is also generally fine for your plumbing insurance policies. This is also considered as standard plumbing work.
Where you need to be cautious with roofing work is that some insurers will put conditions on their policies for the maximum height they will provide cover for.
For example, some insurers will put a 15 metre height restriction on their policies. This will generally limit their cover to only domestic houses and town houses.
This is where it is very important to speak with your insurance broker to make sure that these restrictions don’t reduce your cover.
Plumbers insurance policies are generally quite straight forward and as your Broker, we know what to look out for.
Depending on the state you’re in the first plumbing insurance policy that you will need to consider is plumber public liability insurance.
This policy will usually be required to be in place and proof of insurance will be requested when applying for your plumbing license.
We can provide you with all the documentation that you need to meet your insurance requirements of your plumbing license.
We also have a good understanding of whats required state by state so regardless of where you are in Australia, from Perth plumbers to Victorian plumbers, our team of plumber insurance brokers can help you.
We’ve worked with enough plumbing contractors to know the value of your equipment.
Things like drain cameras, jetters and Rothenberger press tools are expensive and should be insured as part of your plumbers insurance program.
Portable tools insurance is typically a cheaper alternative than having to replace these items if they were ever lost or stolen.
There are two different ways you can insure your tools. You can either list each item that has an individual value over $3,000 or take out a dollar value of cover that will only cover up to $3,000 per item.
We can work with you to tailor a structure that meets your financial situation.
A mobile business like a plumber drives around in their office everyday from site to site.
Your vehicle and it’s set up is usually a very important part of your business.
If you’re purchasing your motor vehicle insurance through an online quoting insurer then there is a good chance that your cover probably isn’t as high as it should be.
Things like vehicle wraps, signage, shelving and tool box fit outs are only covered for low values on standard policies.
Make sure you have enough plumbers insurance cover and speak with one of our insurance brokers to be covered correctly.
We know you know that income protection is important for you, your business and your family.
We aren’t going to take up all of your time on smoko and bore you with all the details about income protection insurance.
The important thing to know is that a lot of plumbers dont consider this when putting their plumbing insurance policies in place.
Let’s have the chat, get the information that we need and we can take care of the rest for you. We like making things simple.
Plumbers regularly work in environments where the risk of accidental property damage is high—from residential homes and commercial sites to multi-storey developments. Public Liability Insurance is essential to safeguard your business from claims that may arise if property is damaged during the course of your work. Situations that commonly lead to claims include a burst pipe during installation that causes water damage to neighbouring properties, accidentally drilling through walls and damaging electrical wiring or joinery, or cracking bathroom tiles or flooring during a renovation. Even a misplaced tool or unforeseen incident while accessing a fixture can lead to damage that results in an expensive repair bill. Having the right cover in place means you’re protected from the financial impact of these unexpected events—so you can focus on getting the job done without second-guessing every move.
The nature of plumbing work means interacting closely with clients, trades, and the public—often in active job sites or confined spaces. If someone is injured as a result of your work, tools, or site conditions, the liability can fall directly on you. Public Liability Insurance provides critical protection for scenarios such as a customer slipping on pooled water from a repair, a passerby being injured by unsecured tools or materials, or someone suffering an injury from incomplete or faulty installations. In these cases, claims can include medical costs, legal defence, and compensation payouts. In a litigious environment and an industry governed by high safety expectations, having solid Public Liability cover isn’t just good business—it’s a non-negotiable. It ensures you’re meeting your obligations and protecting the future of your plumbing business.
Most states across Australia will require you to supply a copy of your public liability insurance in order for you to obtain your plumbing license.
If you’re in Victoria however, you do require an inclusion on your policy for plumbers warranty insurance.
We automatically include this whenever we speak with plumbers located in Victoria so you don’t need to be concerned whether your policy is compliant or not when purchasing through our brokerage.
Definitely not, we speak with plumber regularly about their insurance policies and we have seen some big differences in the work that a plumber does and what their policy actually covers them for.
A common thing we come across is a policy that only covers domestic plumbing work and the actual business does a lot of commercial type work.
Most plumbers are very surprised when we bring this to their attention and they realise the risk that they have carried for the last number of years.
Yes, you should consider plumber public liability insurance as a necessity if you are in the business of plumbing. Your clients may hold you responsible for any damage that your work causes to their property. In addition, if someone is injured while on your property or as a result of your work, they may sue you for damages. Plumbers insurance can help protect you from financial ruin in the event that you are sued or held liable for damages.
Plumbers insurance typically covers two main types of risks: third-party bodily injury and property damage, and first-party business interruption. Third-party coverage protects you from claims made by other people, such as your clients, for bodily injury or property damage that you are held liable for. First-party coverage protects you from financial losses that your business may suffer as a result of an interruption in your operations, such as if your office is damaged by a fire.
Plumbers may require a professional indemnity insurance if they are issuing any certification or compliance certificates.
For example, if you are issuing gas compliance certificates than a professional indemnity insurance policy should be considered.
Another component that may require professional indemnity insurance is if you are provided design services for a fee.
This is something that we cannot answer broadly and depends on your business, your risk appetite and how your business operates.
The most frequent policies that we put in place for plumbers are:
If you would like to see a more comprehensive breakdown, view our article on what insurance do plumbers need.
Yes, your public liability insurance covers your business in its entirety.
This means that if your business is held liable and the damages fit within the scope of your cover then if it was caused by an employee or apprentice then it would be covered.
If the damages were caused by a sub-contractor, they are not considered employees and would be treated differently in the event of an insurance claim.
The cost of plumbers insurance depends on a number of factors, including the type and scope of coverage you purchase, the size and location of your business, and the amount of risk you present. Talk to Priority today about the needs of your business and we can give you a clear picture of what coverage tailored to you would look like.
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