If you run a trade business in Queensland, your insurance has to match the way you actually work: several sites, subcontractors coming and going, tools that live in a ute or trailer, and clients who want a certificate of currency before you set foot on site. Industry employment projections published by the Queensland Government track sectors including financial and insurance services, retail trade, and transport and postal services, which is a useful reminder of how much of the state’s activity runs through working businesses like yours.
This guide is written for small trade operators: carpenters, electricians, plumbers, concreters, landscapers, roofers, painters, and the builders who coordinate them. It covers the policies that come up most often in Queensland, what licensed builders are expected to hold, and how a Brisbane broker assesses a trades risk compared with a comparison website.
What trades insurance in Queensland usually includes
There is no single product sold as “trades insurance“. A broker assembles a package from the covers that fit your trade, your turnover, your subcontractor arrangements and the contract conditions you are being asked to sign. For most Queensland trade businesses, the conversation touches on some combination of the following.
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Public liability insurance, which responds to damage to property or injury on site and is the cover most principal contractors ask to see.
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Contract works cover for projects under construction and the work in progress you are being paid to deliver.
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Tools, plant and equipment cover for the gear that lives in your vehicle, trailer, workshop or site container.
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Motor and marine transit cover for vehicles, and for equipment being moved between sites or delivered to a job.
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Business interruption cover, which addresses the income you lose while your business is disrupted.
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Management liability for exposures that come with running a company, employing people and signing contracts.
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Cyber protection insurance, because quotes, plans, invoices, client records and payment details all sit on systems that can be attacked or lost.
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Trade credit insurance where you carry real debtor exposure on larger jobs or with slower-paying clients.
Not every trade needs every line, and stacking covers you will never claim on simply adds cost. The point of working with a broker is to work out which of these actually belong in your package, and at what limits.
Public liability and contract works for licensed builders
Guidance published for Queensland projects in February 2025 by building firm TBK Constructions states that a licensed builder must hold public liability insurance, which covers damage to property or injury on site, along with contract works cover. If you are the licensed party on a job, that expectation sits with you. A subcontractor’s certificate does not substitute for your own cover, and many head contracts will ask you to name the principal as an interested party.
Requirements can change, and they can vary depending on the type of work and the contract you are signing. Before you rely on any summary, including this one, confirm the current position with the relevant Queensland licensing authority and read the insurance clauses in your contract carefully.
Where subcontractors fit in
Subcontractors create two separate risks. The first is their own insurance, or lack of it. A sparkie or tiler who turns up without current public liability cover can leave you exposed if something goes wrong on your job. The second is your liability for their actions while they work under your direction. Collecting certificates of currency before work starts, and keeping track of expiry dates, is basic housekeeping that a broker can help you systematise rather than chase in a panic.
Labour hire and borrowed workers
If you bring on extra hands for a big job, whether through labour hire or as casual employees, make sure you understand who is covering them for injury. This is where trades packages often have quiet gaps, because the person who arranged the labour assumes someone else has handled it.
Where Queensland trade businesses get caught out
Builders who specialise in insurance repairs and rebuilds report attending call-outs to rectify substandard, non-compliant and unsafe work. That cuts both ways. If your work is the one being rectified, you are dealing with the cost, the delay and the reputational damage in your local market. If you are the next trade onto a site, you may be inheriting someone else’s problem and being asked to fix it.
Beyond workmanship issues, the same handful of gaps show up again and again:
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Tools listed at replacement values from several years ago, when replacing a full kit today costs considerably more.
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Equipment left on site or in an unlocked trailer overnight, without checking how the policy treats unattended property.
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Work declared as one trade activity when the business has quietly expanded into another, such as a carpenter who now takes on structural work or a landscaper who has moved into retaining walls and drainage.
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Turnover estimated at the start of the year and never adjusted after a busy quarter, leaving business interruption cover short.
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No cyber cover despite holding client plans, invoices and payment details on a phone or laptop that travels everywhere.
A short annual review catches most of these before they become a claim dispute.
Cover that moves with your gear
Trade businesses are unusual in that a large share of their assets is mobile. A ute, a trailer, an excavator, a scissor lift, a set of scaffolding, a welder, an air compressor and a full tool kit may all be on the road at the same time, spread across different sites. That is why marine transit and motor cover usually sit alongside tools cover rather than replacing it. Transit cover responds while goods are being carried, while tools cover addresses the gear itself, and neither is automatic just because you have public liability in place. Tell your broker what you move, how often, and what it would cost to replace.
How a Brisbane broker approaches a trades risk
Business Insurance Consulting is a Brisbane-based brokerage led by Craig Graham, who brings 28 years of experience to the work. The brokerage operates with access to more than 150 specialty markets and a panel that includes CGU, QBE, Vero, Allianz, AIG, Chubb, Zurich and NTI, supported by membership of Community Broker Network/Steadfast and affiliation with NIBA. For a trade business, that translates into several practical differences.
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Your trade, not a category, drives the submission. A roof plumber working at height and a shopfitting carpenter carry very different risks, and the questions asked should reflect that.
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Specialty markets can be approached when a standard product will not fit, which matters for trades with unusual contract conditions or higher-risk work.
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Contract clauses and certificates of currency get reviewed, because a policy that does not match the insurance schedule in your head contract can hold up payment.
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You deal with a person who knows your file at claim time, rather than starting from scratch with a call centre.
What to prepare before you speak to a broker
A productive first conversation usually takes less than an hour if you have the right information to hand. Gather the following before you call.
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A plain description of the work you do and the work you turn down, including any high-risk activities such as working at height, demolition, excavation or asbestos-adjacent work.
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Your annual turnover and your expected turnover for the year ahead.
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Whether you employ anyone, use subcontractors, or hire labour, and roughly how many.
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A list of vehicles, trailers, plant and major tools with current replacement values.
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Any certificates of currency, schedules or renewal notices from your existing insurer.
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The insurance clauses from your current head contracts, or a typical contract you are asked to sign.
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Your claims history, including anything that was reported but not paid.
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Any licensing details or accreditation requirements you are working to.
At claim time
Claims are where the value of a broker shows most clearly. Whether it is a damaged tool, a vehicle incident, a property damage claim arising from your work or a dispute over defective workmanship, the early steps matter. Notify your broker as soon as you become aware of an incident, keep records and photographs, preserve any damaged items where possible, and avoid discussing liability with the other party before you have taken advice. A broker’s role is to notify insurers, advocate for you through assessment, and keep the process moving when it stalls.
A 2026 renewal checklist for Queensland trades
Set a reminder for six weeks before your renewal date so there is time to make changes rather than simply accepting the rollover. Confirm your turnover figures against your actuals, update tool and equipment values with current replacement costs, list any new vehicles or trailers, check that every trade activity you now perform is declared, confirm subcontractor certificates are current, and re-read the insurance clauses in your standard contract to make sure the policy still matches what you promise clients. If you are taking on a project with unusual conditions, mention it before you sign rather than after.
The information in this article is general advice only and does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Cover options, limits and requirements vary by trade, insurer and contract, so confirm the details that apply to your business with your broker or the relevant authority before making a decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need public liability insurance if I work alone in Queensland?
Public liability is the cover most principal contractors, property managers and homeowners ask to see before a trade starts work, and Queensland project guidance states that a licensed builder must hold it. Even a sole trader with no employees can damage a client’s property or injure someone on site. Check what each contract requires, then confirm suitable limits with your broker.
What is contract works insurance and do I need it?
Contract works cover responds to the project you are building, including work in progress and materials on site. Guidance for licensed builders in Queensland lists contract works alongside public liability as a required cover. If you carry out construction work rather than maintenance or service work, ask your broker whether contract works belongs in your package.
Can a broker get a better outcome than a comparison website?
Comparison sites work from a limited shelf of standard products. A broker can approach multiple insurers and specialty markets, and structure cover around your trade, turnover, subcontractors and contract conditions. That does not guarantee a lower premium, but it does mean the policy is built around your actual risk rather than the closest available match.
How often should I review my trades insurance?
At every renewal, and any time your business changes shape. New subcontractors, extra vehicles, larger contracts, new equipment or a move into different types of work can all change what you need. Reviewing with your broker ahead of renewal gives you time to adjust cover rather than discovering a gap after something has gone wrong.
What should I do if a client claims my work caused damage?
Contact your broker as soon as you become aware of the claim. Send through correspondence, contracts, site records and photographs, and keep any damaged items where practical. A broker notifies insurers and advocates for you through the assessment. It is generally best not to admit liability or settle anything privately before your insurer has been notified.
