Queensland’s construction sector keeps moving, and the insurance market behind it moves with it. For builders, trade contractors and owner-builders across Brisbane and South East Queensland, the practical questions are clear: what needs to be in place before work starts, and what should be checked before renewal?
This guide explains the statutory layer, the covers you arrange for your own business and the details worth discussing in 2026. Whether you work in Newstead, Woolloongabba, Salisbury, Brendale, Logan, Ipswich or further afield, the right Construction Insurance Brisbane review starts with how your business actually operates.
Get your quote here and now. Whether you are protecting your Brisbane home, managing a Queensland investment property or running a business vehicle, now is a good time to review your cover. Use the quote option that applies to you:
The statutory layer: Queensland’s Home Warranty Scheme
Queensland has a statutory insurance scheme known as the Home Warranty Scheme. It provides assistance to consumers of residential construction work for loss associated with work that is defective or incomplete. The scheme sits alongside the state’s building and construction legislation.
The threshold that matters most in day-to-day practice is straightforward. Licensed contractors carrying out residential construction work valued at more than $3,300 must pay an insurance premium under the scheme. Licensees must also ensure that insurable building work worth more than $3,300 is covered.
The premium is not optional for work in that category. The obligation rests with the licensee, rather than the homeowner who engaged them.
Who the scheme treats as a consumer
The legislation defines a consumer as a person who contracts with a licensed contractor to carry out the work. It also includes a person who purchases the work once it is completed, if the work is primary insurable work.
This means protection can follow the building, rather than resting only with the person who signed the original contract. Buyers of newly completed homes and builders running spec projects should keep that detail in mind.
What the scheme does not do for your business
The scheme relates to residential construction work and loss associated with defective or incomplete work of that kind. It does not replace the cover a construction business arranges for its plant, liability to third parties, income or professional exposure.
Treating the statutory premium as though it were complete builders insurance can leave important gaps. If your situation is unusual, confirm your position with the state building regulator before relying on an assumption.
The state building and construction regulator oversees the industry, including building standards and building product supply chains. Licensing status, project records and scheme administration can all affect how a risk is assessed when insurance is arranged.
Covers you arrange for your own business
Once the statutory layer is handled, your wider insurance program should reflect the work you do, the people you engage and the assets you use. A construction risk review may consider:
- Construction and trades insurance for builders, contractors and tradespeople.
- Public and product liability, which may respond to claims involving injury or damage to someone else’s property arising from your operations or products.
- Professional indemnity if you design, specify, project manage or certify work.
- Business insurance packages that may include business interruption, management liability, trade credit and event exposures.
- Cyber protection insurance if you hold client data, drawings, payment details or payroll information.
- Personal covers for principals, such as home and contents, landlord, strata, farm, marine transit or motor insurance.
These covers address different exposures. One policy will rarely handle all of them well. Tell your broker about the parts of your business that are easy to overlook, including subcontracted labour, hired plant and work outside Queensland.
For a closer look at the options, read Business Insurance Consulting’s guides to construction insurance for Queensland projects, Public Liability Insurance Brisbane, Professional Indemnity Insurance Brisbane and Cyber Insurance Brisbane.
Need to review your construction cover? Our insurance consulting Brisbane can help you map your activities, contracts, equipment and project locations against the covers you have in place. You can also explore Business Insurance Brisbane and Commercial Insurance Brisbane.
Workers compensation is a separate obligation
Workers compensation in Queensland is a separate statutory class. It is not part of the Home Warranty Scheme.
If you employ people, or in some cases engage working directors, this obligation needs its own attention and timing. It is not picked up by a construction works policy or the scheme premium. Confirm your current position with the relevant Queensland authority or your broker well before a claim is needed.
Renovations and pre-existing buildings need an early check
When a job alters or extends an existing building, two sets of cover need to line up: the cover already in place on the existing structure, and the cover for the works themselves.
Insurance for pre-existing buildings during alteration works can be complex. Eligibility questions around domestic building insurance also arise on these projects. The answer usually depends on the work’s scope, so avoid guessing.
A coverage gap discovered after a loss cannot be fixed retrospectively. Ask the question early, and verify any eligibility concerns with the state building regulator rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
Allow for stamp duty when comparing the total price
Queenslanders are projected to pay $1.7 billion in insurance stamp duty in 2024-25, up from just over $1 billion in 2019-20. These figures are reported in the state’s productivity commission construction inquiry.
For a construction policy, the practical point is simple: duty is charged on top of the insurer’s premium. A quote with a lower base premium is not necessarily the lowest total cost once charges are included. Compare the total and ask for the duty to be shown separately.
Keep the two claim pathways clear
Construction claims rarely arrive neatly. If you need a building consultant to assess a construction problem, ask your insurance company to engage one for you. A report commissioned by the insurer may carry more weight in the claim process than one you arrange yourself.
Building matters and claims under the statutory insurance scheme follow their own process. Claims on your own policy follow another. Keep the paperwork for each track separate to help avoid delays.
For support navigating a claim on your business cover, see Business Insurance Consulting’s claims assistance information.
Why Brisbane builders use a broker
Business Insurance Consulting is a Brisbane-based brokerage led by Craig Graham, who has 28 years of industry experience. The firm works with a panel of major Australian insurers and has access to more than 150 specialty markets through its broking network memberships, alongside a professional broking affiliation.
That matters because insurer appetite can shift between markets, project types and postcodes. A risk in Fortitude Valley may look different from a project in North Lakes, Moreton Bay, Caboolture or Toowoomba. A broker who understands the market can help present the risk clearly and stay involved if a claim arises.
Businesses searching for an Insurance Broker Brisbane may also have related needs. Depending on the work, these can include Property Management Insurance Brisbane, Real Estate Insurance Brisbane or Commercial Property Insurance Brisbane. A review should focus on the actual business and its exposures, rather than adding cover that does not fit.
Your 2026 renewal checklist
Bookmark this checklist and revisit it before approaching the market:
- Confirm your licensing and scheme position is current.
- Write down what you actually do, including changes in work type, height, project value or geographic spread.
- Check that plant, equipment and materials reflect current replacement costs.
- Flag renovation and alteration work separately.
- Check whether work is above the $3,300 scheme threshold and handle the premium accordingly.
- Review whether your business interruption basis still matches how your business earns income.
- Consider cyber cover if you hold client data, drawings or payment information.
- Ask in writing how your brokerage handles claims before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the statutory scheme insurance compulsory in Queensland?
For residential construction work, the statutory layer is not optional. Licensed contractors carrying out work valued at more than $3,300 must pay an insurance premium under the Home Warranty Scheme, and licensees must ensure insurable building work above that value is covered. This is separate from the commercial covers a business arranges for itself. Confirm your specific obligations with the state regulator.
What insurance does a builder need in Queensland?
There is no single answer. The statutory scheme premium applies to residential construction work above the $3,300 threshold. Beyond that, construction businesses commonly review construction and trades cover, public and product liability, workers compensation and professional indemnity where they design or certify. A broker can help map suitable options to your operations.
Who counts as a consumer under the Home Warranty Scheme?
The legislation defines a consumer as someone who contracts with a licensed contractor to carry out the work. It also includes a person who purchases the work once completed, if the work is primary insurable work. The protection can therefore follow the building to a later owner, not only the original contracting party.
Does the Home Warranty Scheme cover commercial construction?
The scheme relates to residential construction work and assistance for loss associated with defective or incomplete work of that kind. Commercial and civil projects sit outside that description, so businesses running them need to arrange their own cover. If a project combines residential and commercial elements, confirm the position rather than assuming.
What should I do if a defect appears on a residential job?
Keep the two claim tracks separate. Building matters and claims under the statutory scheme follow their own process, while claims on your own policy run through your insurer. If you need a building consultant to assess a problem, ask your insurance company to engage one.
Review your construction cover before work begins
From Brisbane metro to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, the right time to check your construction insurance is before work begins or a renewal deadline arrives. Contact Business Insurance Consulting to discuss your business, projects and cover needs. You can also request a quote.
Which construction insurance question would you like covered next? Share it in a comment.
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Disclaimer: This info is general advice only and doesn’t consider your personal goals or financial situation. Before making a decision, please read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD).
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