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What is HBCF Home Warranty Insurance?
Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) cover (formerly called ‘Home Warranty Insurance’) is needed if you’re a licensed builder or tradesperson in New South Wales and you’re about to undertake a home building project valued at $20,000 or more, including GST. As a builder, you are legally required to give proof of HBCF cover to the homeowner or developer you are working for before you start work or ask for a deposit or any other payment.
Key Highlights
Home Building Compensation Fund cover acts as a safety net for homeowners in New South Wales so they don’t suffer financial loss as a result of incomplete and defective work carried out by a builder or tradesperson who disappears, dies, becomes insolvent or has their licence suspended. It’s a statutory product required by law.
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HIA Insurance Services can provide 24-48 hour delivery of certificates to your business1
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Homeowners can be compensated up to $340,000 for six years from date of completion of major/structural works
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The same amount applies for two years from date of completion of minor/non-structural works
Resources & Quicklinks
Submit Your Home Warranty Applications Online
Builder Eligibility/Profile Change Application form
Auto Assessment Eligibility Application form
Project Application All work Excluding Residential Apartment Building Projects Form
Project Application Residential Apartment Building Projects Form
Project Completion Form
Project Cancellation Form
Request for amendment
HBCF Self-Service Portal
HBCF Construction Types
Couldn't find the form you're looking for?
We have created a library of Home Warranty Insurance forms from all states that we provide warranty insurance services for.
Visit Forms LibraryWhy might I need HBCF Home Warranty Insurance?
Failure to take out HBCF cover is an offence under New South Wales law. Cover acts as a protection for the homeowner against financial loss suffered by them (and any subsequent owner, as long as the policy has not been exhausted by a prior claim) when a builder or tradesperson can’t complete contracted work or meet a valid claim for defective or unsatisfactory building work. This can happen when that person:
- Dies
- Disappears
- Becomes insolvent
- Has had their licence suspended due to non-compliance with an order by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal or court to pay the homeowner money
The cover also applies if the builder is trading through a business entity which ceases to exist or becomes insolvent.
You need to confirm eligibility before you can take out HBCF cover, which is offered by a single insurer operated by the NSW government – icare HBCF. Once icare has undertaken a risk assessment and determined your builder rating, you can then apply to obtain a Certificate of Insurance for a building project you intend to take on.
It’s important to note that you must provide this Certificate of Insurance to the homeowner or developer before you start work or request a deposit.
Applying for a HBCF Home Warranty certificate
When applying for your HBCF certificate, you will be required to state the construction type for your project. Construction types are split into primary projects and secondary projects:
In NSW, builders will be required to use the icare HBCF online portal Builders can add a broker of their choosing as a delegate or representative (read below to learn how to do this) to assist with purchasing Home Warranty insurance.
The HBCF Self-Service Portal
The HBCF Builder Self-Service Portal is a convenient alternative to applying for your Certificates of Insurance. The HIA Insurance Services team will still need to review and approve your application prior to binding your certificates.
What can I use the portal for?
1. Applying for Certificates of Insurance
You can now apply for your HBCF Certificate of Insurance for new jobs online and track your applications through the self-service portal.
2. Complete a job
You can also mark an open project as completed by selecting the policy number of an open job and adding a completion date to close the job.
3. View important information, such as:
- Eligibility assessment results
- Certificate of eligibility
- Next scheduled eligibility assessment
- Summary of current projects
- Snapshot of your maximum job allowance capacity
- Quote on future insurance premiums
- Current certificates of insurance
What are the access roles in the self-service portal?
| Role | Access | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Delegate | Full eligibility and policy management, including premium payment permissions | Recommended for HIA Insurance Services to provide full broker support |
| Eligibility Delegate | Eligibility applications only | Suitable for limited engagement |
| Financial | View transactions and manage payment details | Finance/accounting support |
| Clerical | Policy data entry and administration | Internal admin support |
How can HIA Insurance Support you?
From 1 September 2026, once you’ve established your icare portal profile, HIA Insurance Services (HIAIS) can act as your nominated delegate—providing ongoing support throughout the NSW Home Warranty process.
As your delegate, HIAIS can manage eligibility applications on your behalf, help ensure your documentation meets HBCF requirements, and guide you through any updates or changes to your profile. Our team works closely with icare to streamline the process, reduce administrative burden, and help you stay compliant so you can focus on running your business.
With deep industry expertise and dedicated local support, HIAIS remains your trusted partner in navigating Home Building Compensation Fund requirements with confidence.
How to add HIA Insurance Services as a delegate
You can add Insurance Services as your Service Provider by following these steps:
- Log in to the icare HBCF Portal using your existing Builder Self Service Portal (BSSP) username and password
- Navigate to Access & Permissions (or Manage Access) within your builder account
- Select Add a Service Provider
- Search for HIA Insurance Services
- Assign the appropriate level of access based on the support you would like us to provide
- Confirm and save your selection
Once completed, we will be able to assist you in line with the access permissions you have granted.
You remain in control of your HBCF Portal at all times and can update or change Service Provider access whenever required.
How do I get access to the portal?
To support upcoming changes to the icare system, there will be a transition in how clients access and manage their Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) eligibility.
Until 31 August 2026
HIA Insurance Services (HIAIS) brokers can continue to create client profiles in the system (BEAT) and submit eligibility applications on your behalf.
From 1 September 2026
With the introduction of the new icare portal, the process will change:
- Clients will first need to establish their own profile directly with HBCF via the icare portal.
- Once your profile is created, you can:
- Apply for eligibility, and/or
- Nominate HIAIS as your delegate, allowing us to manage the eligibility process on your behalf.
What this means for you
- Greater visibility and control of your HBCF profile through the icare portal
- The ability to directly manage your details and permissions
- Continued support from HIAIS once you appoint us as your delegate
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Calculate your NSW Warranty Premium
Warranty Estimate & Fee Disclosure from 1 March 2024
Are you a existing customer
I Care Builder Rating
Proposed Certificate Issue Date
Contract Value
HBCF Premium (if included in the contract price)
Net contract price (Excluding HBCF premium)
Project Postcode
Contract Type
Total Payable Estimate
Minimum Premium Payable is $200 + Application Fee
*Note: Credit card transactions will incur a surcharge which will be added at the time of payment processing.
Project Applications & Builder Rating Queries to e: [email protected]
Completion advices to e: [email protected] @test @test
Input provided by you
icare Builder Rating
Proposed Certificate Issue Date
Contract Value
Project Postcode
Contract Type
The break down
Base Premium
Broker Service Fee
Application Fee
Stamp Duty
GST
Fee GST
Disclaimer
The following calculator provides an estimated calculation of the fees and charges associated with your application for Home Warranty cover, in addition to premium, subject to any specified qualifications. We will confirm these fees and charges with you at time of application or at any time, on request.
By using this calculator, you accept the factors and multipliers that make up the premium and fee estimates are subject to change at any time, which may result in a different premium when you choose to take a cover. Please contact us on [#] if you require any further information.
What is covered under HBCF Home Warranty Insurance?
Maximum contract value
In the case of major or structural defects, HBCF cover up to $340,000 is claimable for a period up to six years from the completion of the project. For minor or non-structural defects, homeowners can claim up to $340,000 for a period up to two years from completion. Homeowners becoming aware of the defects in the last 6 months of the period of insurance may claim within 6 months of awareness of the defect(s).
Failure to commence
The Home Building Compensation Fund provides cover in the event that work isn't started by the builder, leading to a loss of deposit under the building contract. This is claimable by the homeowner for up to 12 months from the failure to commence the work.
Failure to complete
Up to 20 per cent of the contract price is claimable if the builder fails to complete the work. It is claimable up to 12 months from cessation of the work.
Why HIA Insurance Services?
HIA Insurance Services (HIAIS) combines the construction industry expertise of the Housing Industry Association (HIA) with the risk and insurance knowledge of Aon to provide service and advice that are specific to the residential construction industry.
We understand the unique risk exposures of builders, tradies and subcontractors in New South Wales. As one of the largest and most experienced insurance providers in the country, we can offer our customers risk and insurance solutions tailored for risks commonly found in the construction sector, as well as support and assistance with claims.
Our specialist brokers can help building sector professionals by managing complex paperwork on their behalf. HIA Insurance Services can work with your business to:
- arrange efficient 24–48 hour delivery of a Certificate of Insurance1
- advocate for builders by providing specialist advice and attending to appeals to the underwriter, icare HBCF
- arrange eligibility submissions for new builders by managing HBCF policies on their behalf
The homeowner warranty certificates will ordinarily take 24–48 hours to be processed, but backlogs can sometimes cause a delay.
It’s quicker to gain approval when you provide all the necessary documents from the outset.
The NSW government uses a complex model to ensure that your business is eligible for HBCF cover. You need to get a Certificate of Eligibility before you can apply for insurance cover. A Certificate of Eligibility means you’ve been assessed by icare and have been granted an entitlement to apply for a Certificate of Insurance.
You can apply for eligibility through an approved Home Warranty Insurance distributor, of which HIA Insurance Services is one. To find out more about the application process and the documents you need to provide, visit the State Insurance and Regulatory Authority (SIRA) website.
The short answer is that it’s a legal requirement to have it.
If you’re a licensed builder or tradesperson in New South Wales, you must take out HBCF cover for every home building project you undertake valued at $20,000 or more, including GST. If you fail to do so, you can’t enforce the building contract against the owner and you may be liable to substantial fines.
The New South Wales government does not disclose its pricing model, so it’s difficult to determine the exact fees payable by each business to receive cover. However, to understand the distributor-related fees that HIA Insurance Services charges, we have created a user-friendly HBCF premium calculator which you can request by calling us on 1800 762 878
You can view all the fees and charges related to Home Warranty HBCF insurance by clicking here.
1Provided you have an approved profile with the insurer and subject to peak periods
