Business Insurance for Plumbers

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Insurance for a Plumbing Business*

Plumbers need business insurance , including public liability insurance, as plumbers are at risk of causing unintentional damage to property and people.

For example, a frequent claim against plumbers is for water damage .

Clients frequently claim water damage to property such as floors, walls, and furniture has been caused by plumbers.

Water damage can also spill to damage to a neighbouring property , or cause personal harm to your client, visitors, neighbours or passers-by.

Fortunately, suitable business insurance for plumbers may provide protection against financial hardships that could arise from accidents, property damage, or legal claims caused by your plumbing business activities.

Plumbing business and public liability insurance may cover property damage, injuries to third parties that are caused by your plumbing work activities.

Many Business Owners are UNSURE if they are COVERED PROPERLY.
We help them find affordable and SUITABLE INSURANCE so they can run their business with CONFIDENCE.*

What Insurance Do I Need as a Plumber?*

Some of the major types of business insurance covers available to plumbers in Australia are explained below and include:

  • Public Liability Insurance
  • Business Insurance Pack
  • Personal Accident Insurance
  • General Property and Tools
  • Commercial Motor insurance
  • Plant and Equipment Insurance

 Why do Plumbers need public liability insurance?*

Public Liability Insurance coverage is essential for all self-employed plumbers.

Plumbers need public liability insurance as plumbing works can be high-risk, including many claims against plumbers for water damage.

People and property on site may be hurt or damaged due to accidents involving plumbing work.

The nature of plumbing works means when something goes wrong , neighbouring properties can also be negatively impacted.

Protections offered to self-employed plumbers by public liability insurance in Australia generally include:

  • Injury to other persons due to your plumbing activities –Where a plumbing business activity causes harm to a third-party person. For example, a client ignores your warnings to stay away from the site and injure themselves when they fall into the hole you have dug,  or trip over your debris or plumbing equipment.
  • Damage to others property due to your plumbing activities – Where a plumbing business activity causes damage to a third- party’s property. For example, a plumber may accidently cause damage in a client’s home while performing work. Water damage is a frequent claim against plumbers. Neighbouring properties can also be negatively impacted.
  • Harm to other persons or other persons property due to your plumbing business’s products – Where a plumbing business’s products and goods supplied causes harm to a third party -person or a third- party’s property. For example, products a plumber has supplied, repaired, or manufactured cause harm, injure someone or cause property damage.

Public liability insurance coverage may protect plumbers from claims that arise when others allege, they are negligent.

A plumber’s public liability policy may provide a defence against the ensuing lawsuit when needed and may pay the damages sought by the injured party.

Business insurance pack for plumber*

Plumbers may be able to combine multiple covers in a single business insurance pack policy.

By ‘packaging’ your business insurance into a ‘business pack’ plumbers can potentially cover many of the risks their business faces in the one policy.

For example, if a plumber has a commercial premises, a business insurance pack may provide cover for buildings and contents if they are accidentally damaged by a defined event, such as fire, storm, impact damage, accidental damage, vandalism, or malicious damage.

Other typical inclusions for plumbers with a business insurance pack are Public Liability Insurance and Product Liability Insurance.

Optional inclusions for plumbers with a business insurance pack are General Property, Contents, Machinery, Plant and Stock , Glass, Money , Business Interruption and Marine Cover.

Personal Accident Insurance for self-employed plumbers*

As a self-employed plumber your personal safety is your livelihood.

Personal accident insurance for plumbers may provide cover for 52 or 104 weeks and up to 85%* of weekly income at the time of the injury; depending on the amount of coverage agreed when the policy is taken out.

Time away from work from an accident will have a direct impact on a self-employed plumber’s income, and a long period away can negatively affect their savings, family, and lifestyle.

Personal Accident Insurance may help self-employed plumbers pay for essential bills and other financial commitments if they have an accident.

General Property and Tools Insurance for plumbers*

As a plumber, you are likely to have many tools and equipment that allow you to do your job, such as wrenches, pipe cutters and benders , power tools, spanners, pliers, plungers, and blow torches.

If your property is damaged or stolen, your business cannot operate effectively.

General property insurance can help you keep operating effectively.

It can provide needed funds to replace your tools such as wrenches, pipe cutters and benders , power tools, spanners, pliers, plungers, and blow torches ….and help keep you in business.

Commercial motor insurance for self-employed plumbers*

Commercial motor insurance should be considered for plumbers that drive their vehicle from site to site. Light trucks, vans and Utes may be covered.

Plant & Equipment Insurance for plumbing businesses*

Plant & Equipment Insurance may provide cover for owners of plumbing businesses that operate equipment such as Lasers , Leak Detectors , Drain Cleaning Machines,  Reels , Jet Saws , Excavators, and Forklifts.

Cover may provide plumbers with protection for theft, damage, consequential loss, liability, road risk and machinery breakdown.

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What are the costs of Plumber Public Liability Insurance?*

How much does public liability insurance cost for self-employed plumbers?*

Key factors in determining how much Public Liability insurance will cost a plumber include:

  • The nature and scope of the plumbing business. For example, the type of work performed by the plumber.
  • The plumbing business turnover and size. For example, is the plumber a sole trader that does 100% of the work themselves, or do they employee a team of 8 subbies?
  • Amount of insurance cover the plumbing business needs. Liability starts with $5 million cover, $10 million is popular with many self-employed contractors, $20 million cover is needed for plumbers that work for large companies, on commercial sites or have a team of employees.

Public liability insurance cost for a self-employed plumbers with no previous claims, starts from around $950* or $90 per month for $5 million Public Liability Insurance.

*** Please note ***: While cheap Public Liability Insurance can seem attractive on the surface it is important to ensure the policy covers you for the full business activities you undertake, and that the insurance policy and company will respond as intended when there is a claim. Costs may differ greatly from the above based on the plumbing business size, clients, experience, and business activities. For many plumbers, that perform work on multi-floor buildings or that have employees, costs will be a lot higher.

Do I need business insurance to work as a self-employed plumber in Australia?*

Self-employed plumbers, or owners of plumbing businesses, subcontracting for builders will typically be required by the builder to obtain their own public liability insurance to get on site.  This is typical for contractors working for builders throughout Australia.

Many small business owners, and even retail clients, will also ask to see proof of a plumber’s insurance cover, called a certificate of currency, prior to awarding them work and ask for an update each year.

As a self-employed plumber, suitable business insurance may provide credibility and valuable protection against the cost of a claim too.

Key plumbing activities that may be able to be covered include:*

  • installation, repair and maintenance of gas and water pipes, sanitation units, health systems, sinks, toilets and other fixtures
  • maintain and repair plumbing fixtures like bathtubs, toilets and appliances including dishwashers and heating systems.
  • repair and solve plumbing and water sewerage problems.
  • Domestic and commercial sites

Why do plumbers need tools insurance?*

Plumbers need tool insurance as tools are the lifeblood of trades.

They help plumbers  just like you to complete work on time, and to deliver quality workmanship.

Plumbers have a large number of tools compared to many other trades. And good tools are expensive. If they break or are stolen, it can impact your ability to get the job done or cost you thousands to replace.

Without tool insurance, you may have to dig into your own savings or borrow money to get the tools replaced or repaired.

Different types of plumbers that may be able to be covered:*

  • Water Plumbing
  • Sanitary Plumbing
  • Sewerage
  • Roof Plumbing
  • Drainage
  • Gasfitting
  • Bathroom Installers

Why should plumbers use an insurance broker in Australia?*

If you are a plumber deciding on whether to use an insurance broker for your business insurance, it is important to consider that brokers act in the interests of the self-employed plumber.

Direct insurers and agents act for the insurer. This can be important; especially if you need to claim.

Brokers can help plumbers by sourcing competitive quotes on policy inception, negotiate with the insurance companies to prevent or limit increases on renewal, remarket your policy to other suitable insurance companies where appropriate, talk to underwriters about policy wordings, industry classifications and terms, talk to insurance assessors during the claims process and repairers where necessary.

How do I get a plumbers insurance quote?*

Simply TALK to a SMART Business Insurance broker on 1300 542 573 or contact us online for suitable and affordable public liability and business insurance quotes for your plumbing business.