Why do plumbers need insurance?

As a plumber, you know your trade better than anyone, but in going about your day to day, with the number of things you have to get done, it can be very easy to overlook something and cause injury to someone, or damage someone’s property.

For example, you might leave a tool somewhere, and have a resident of the house trip over it as they rush to open the door. If this individual suffered a serious injury as a result of this fall, they could claim that your negligence led to this injury and take legal action against you. In today’s world, once you’ve been named in such a legal action, it can be difficult to navigate your way out of it without appropriate legal representation..

This is why insurance is an important consideration for plumbers, as it can help ensure you’re not faced with the high out of pocket costs associated with legal representation and compensation if  you are held liable for any associated damages. 

What Insurance do plumbers need?

Tradies Insurance (or Tradespack) combines Public & Products Liability Insurance with cover for your tools, equipment & machinery. Public Liability Insurance covers you and your business if you’re held responsible for injury to a third party during the course of your work, or if your business activities cause damage to someone’s property. If a claim of injury or property damage is brought against you, the impact on your finances can be very draining.

Public Liability helps by covering* the cost of legal fees you incur in defending yourself, as well as compensation you may be required to pay in these instances. Depending on the sites you work on, some clients may even require you to hold this cover before they let you start on the job.

Under Tradespack, you can also choose to take out cover for your tools, equipment and machinery. This is an optional extra, and is designed to cover tools you might use as to run your business.   

What are the cover benefits of Tradies Insurance?

At HIA Insurance Services, we have worked with industry experts to deliver a Tradies Insurance package that caters to the specific risks faced by plumbers in their everyday job. 

The Tradies Insurance we arrange includes the following benefits:

  • Cover is easy to obtain using our online portal
  • It provides cover for both plumbers and their employees
  • Optional tool cover can be added to your policy.
 

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 products and advice that are specific to the residential construction industry.

We arrange insurance policies that are suited to the unique risk exposures faced by plumbers by offering plumber public liability and plumber professional indemnity insurance, among other useful business insurances. As one of the largest and most experienced insurance brokers in the country, HIA Insurance Services can arrange insurance policies tailored to the needs of plumbers and other construction industry trades, as well as pursue fast and hassle-free claims processes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes you can, monthly payments can be arranged through a premium funding agreement with Hunter Premium Funding2 to help you spread the costs of your insurance across the year. Please note that the total overall cost is higher if you pay monthly. Contact HIA Insurance Service on 1800 762 878 to find out more information.

Tradies Insurance does cover your employees1, however it does not act as a work cover policy should one of your employees be injured during the course of their work. For information on work cover, you can visit the Workers’ Compensation page of our website.

No, subcontractors need their own policy as they are not direct employees.

Your tools are covered provided that you have taken out optional cover as part of your Tradies Insurance policy1. Optional tools cover can provide cover for theft or any attempted theft following forcible entry.

Yes, but there must be proof of forced entry into the vehicle, such as a broken window, damage to door locks, etc.1

Registered trailers are not covered under the Trades Pack policy and require a separate policy. Contact HIA Insurance Services for a quote.

When purchasing your insurance, you are required to tell your insurer everything they need to know so they can assess your level of risk accurately. You may therefore not be covered for any work you do not disclose to HIA Insurance Services which is not related to your occupation. Please contact HIA Insurance Services if your occupation has changed.

No, Tradies Insurance isn’t sufficient for a builder because it covers one trade only. You will need to consider taking out a Construction Works Insurance, Public & Product Liability policy

*Subject to the policy terms, limits and exclusions

© 2021 HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd (ABN 84 076 460 967) is an authorised representative (no.275925) of Aon Risk Services Australia Limited (ABN 17 000 434 720 AFSL 241141) (HIAIS).
The HIA Insurance Services Tradies Insurance (Trades Pack) policy is arranged by HIAIS under a binder agreement on behalf of the insurance issuer, QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd, ABN 78 003 191 035, AFSL 239545. When acting under a binder we will be acting as agent of the insurer and not as your agent. Our binder arrangements with the insurer are such that we remain your agent in the handling of any claim. If you purchase this insurance through HIAIS, HIAIS will receive a commission that is a percentage of the premium. Further information can be found in HIAIS’ Financial Services Guide or provided upon request.