Carpenters Insurance

Carpentry is physically demanding, and your ability to earn often depends on staying fit for the tools. If you’re a sole trader, a working director, or managing a team, a fall or illness can stop the job and cut off your income.

Personal Accident and Illness insurance gives you a financial safety net when you’re off work due to injury or illness, even outside of working hours. It’s a key cover for carpenters who aren’t covered under Workers’ Compensation, or who want more flexible protection.

This cover can include:

• Weekly income replacement while you recover from an accident or illness
• Lump sum payments for permanent injuries or serious health outcomes
• Cover for sports and weekend activities like footy, mountain biking, or motorbike riding
• Optional extras for hospital stays, rehab, medical treatment, or illness cover
• 24/7 protection, whether you’re injured on a site, at home, or on the road

A fall or illness can pull you off the tools, stall your income, and put pressure on your household. We’ll tailor your cover to suit how you live and work, so your business keeps moving even if you can’t.

If you’ve got anyone on the books, even a casual apprentice or part-time hand, you’re legally required to have Workers’ Compensation. It covers your workers if they’re injured on the job and takes care of their wages, medical costs, and recovery while they get back on their feet.

But it’s not just about having a policy. If the setup’s wrong, if a working director’s missing, wage figures are off, or classifications aren’t accurate, you could be hit with a rejected claim or penalties at audit. We make sure it’s sorted properly from the start, and stays that way as your business grows.

What we help with:

• Setting up the right carpentry classification for WA and interstate jobs
• Classifying apprentices, casuals, subcontractors, and working directors correctly
• Lodging accurate wage declarations, including wages, super, and allowances
• Connecting your Workers’ Comp setup with your WHS strategy to lower risk and avoid repeat claims
• Advising sole traders and partners on Personal Accident and Illness cover (since Workers’ Comp doesn’t apply to business owners)
• Managing claims with clear advice, fast paperwork, and support for return-to-work plans
• Monitoring open claims to avoid cost blowouts and reduce long-term premium impact

In carpentry, injuries like strains, falls, or tool accidents are common. One claim handled the wrong way can drive up your costs for years. That’s where we step in.

If past claims have pushed up your rate, we can:

• Review your claims history and pinpoint the real issues
• Recommend safety improvements or changes to reduce future risk
• Advocate for better pricing based on what’s happening now, not what went wrong years ago
• Build a plan to reduce your premium over time and regain control of your account

Even with a clean history, we’ll go into bat for you:

• Negotiate sharper rates with your insurer
• Make sure your premium reflects your actual safety record, not just your industry label

Not every carpentry job needs Professional Indemnity insurance, but if you’re quoting off plans, offering layout advice, or signing off on compliance, it could be required.

Professional Indemnity protects you if your plans, advice, or supervision cause financial loss to a client. If you’re operating under a Design and Construct (D&C) contract or offering advice on materials, methods, or documentation, you’re carrying more than just tools. You’re carrying liability.

You could be exposed if:

• You’re quoting or contracting on a D&C basis
• You’re providing drawings, specifications, or layout advice
• You’re recommending materials or construction methods
• You’re signing off on code compliance or council requirements
• You’re supervising work beyond standard framing or fix-outs

Even if you subcontract the design work, liability can still sit with you. And if the contract includes a PI clause, you’ll need an active policy with the right wording, not just a basic trade package.

We’ll confirm if your work falls into the scope of professional services and set up cover that matches the contracts you’re actually signing. That means:

• Claims arising from your advice, designs, or documentation
• Legal costs and compensation if you’re held liable
• Cover for D&C work, quoting off plans, or inspections
• Protection against errors, omissions, or compliance failures

We’ll assess your scope of work, flag potential exposures, and make sure your insurance for your carpentry business reflects the real responsibilities you carry. Our team will present your business clearly to insurers, speak directly with underwriters if needed, and set up Professional Indemnity insurance for carpenters that meets the job from day one.

Contract Works insurance (sometimes called Construction All Risks) is essential if you’re handling structural, fit-out, or staged work where responsibility for the job sits with you until handover.

It covers the project itself, the materials, the build in progress, and even equipment and tools on site, from things like fire, theft, and accidental damage.

You might need Contract Works Insurance if:

• You take on structural packages like framing, trusses, roofing, or formwork
• You’re responsible for materials or work on-site until it’s officially handed over
• Your contract makes you liable for damage, delays, or defects
• You’re operating under a labour and materials contract
• You’re working on staged jobs where handover happens in parts

It covers:

• Damage to your work during construction, fire, storm, accidental impact or vandalism
• Theft of materials or gear from the site
• Principal-supplied materials in your care
• One-off jobs or multiple projects under an annual turnover policy

If you’re working under a design and construct or labour and materials contract, or if the head contractor’s policy doesn’t cover your scope, you could be uninsured without realising it.

What you can expect from us:

• Confirm whether you need a standalone Contract Works policy or if it can be added to an existing setup
• Review contract wording to clarify where your liability starts and ends
• Help you choose between single-project or annual turnover policies, depending on how you work
• Make sure values like maximum project size, annual turnover, and existing structures are declared properly
• Handle mid-term changes, run-off cover, or updates if your work scope shifts mid-project

We make sure your Contract Works cover is set up right from the start, so you’re not chasing paperwork when the unexpected hits.

Regardless of whether you’re framing, fixing out, or fitting, your tools are your livelihood. Tools and Equipment Insurance (also called General Property cover) makes sure that if gear is stolen, damaged, or broken in transit, you’re not left out of pocket or off the job.

This cover is built for carpenters who rely on mobile setups, work across multiple sites, or store tools in vehicles and trailers, especially when you’re carrying high-value gear that’s easy to target.

Tools insurance typically includes:

• Power tools: Drills, saws, grinders, sanders from brands like Festool, Makita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt
• Hand tools: Chisels, hammers, clamps, levels, measuring gear, and finishing tools
• High-value items: Laser levels, drop saws, planers, nail guns, and compressors
• Mobile setups: Site boxes, trailers, tool trolleys, and modular storage systems
• Tool storage: Gear kept in utes, vans, lockable containers, or temporary site sheds

The common insurance gaps we help you avoid:

• Item limits that don’t match the value of your tools
• Theft exclusions if tools are left in open-air or unlocked areas
• Missed coverage for attachments or essential accessories

What our team does for you:

• Set realistic limits based on what you actually own
• Help choose between a blanket or a scheduled cover
• Ensure coverage applies wherever you’re working in Australia
• Keep your policy updated when your gear changes

One site break-in can cost thousands. If your policy isn’t set up properly, you could be left short at claim time. We make sure your Tools and Equipment insurance is clear, compliant, and ready when you need it.

If you run a workshop, manage high-value gear, or keep stock and materials on-site, a Business Package insurance policy can help protect everything that keeps your carpentry business running.

It brings key covers under one roof, tools, equipment, and premises, and can be tailored to match how you operate, whether you’re working from a single joinery space or managing multiple jobs at once.

Common inclusions for carpentry businesses are typically:

• Contents and Equipment: Cover for saws, planers, nail guns, compressors, cabinetry tools, and fixings stored at your business premises
• Stock and Materials: Timber, hardware, custom orders, and other materials waiting for installation or dispatch
• Building Insurance: Cover for the physical structure if you own your workshop or warehouse, including fire, storm, or malicious damage
• Theft and Vandalism: Protection for gear stolen during a break-in or tools damaged by unauthorised entry
• Business Interruption Cover: Income replacement if your business can’t operate due to insured damage at your premises
• Optional Add-ons: Glass and signage cover, Machinery Breakdown, and Portable Tools protection for gear kept in vehicles or on-site

We’ll tailor the limits and inclusions to match how your carpentry business actually runs, whether that’s a single workshop, multiple sites, or a mix of on-site and mobile work. The goal is clear: consistent cover without overlap or gaps.

Larger equipment like skid steers, scissor lifts, forklifts, and site trailers plays a big role in many carpentry jobs. Plant and machinery used on site, owned or hired, need the right protection in place. This policy helps cover it for damage, theft, or breakdown, so you’re not left with costly delays or out-of-pocket repairs.

Contractor Plant and Machinery insurance goes beyond standard tool cover to include the higher-value gear that keeps your jobs moving.

You’ll be covered for:

• Owned plant and machinery, including mounted gear and attachments
• Hired-in equipment or plant hired out under contract
• Accidental damage, theft, fire, and mechanical breakdown
• Public Liability cover for machinery use on-site
• Road risk and transit cover between locations

We’ll make sure your setup is insured based on how the gear is used, not just where it’s stored. If plant or machinery is a critical part of how you build, this cover gives you a clear path forward when something goes wrong.

If your carpentry business runs more than one vehicle, Motor Fleet insurance puts them all under one policy. It saves time on admin, keeps everything insured consistently, and makes it easier to manage claims or changes as your business grows.

This cover suits carpentry teams with multiple drivers, shared vehicles, or trailers full of tools moving between jobs daily.

We’ll help you:

• Insure all work vehicles and trailers under a single fleet policy
• Add or remove vehicles without starting new paperwork
• Set up agreed-value or finance-compliant cover
• Include options for windscreen, hire vehicles, and tool transport

If managing separate policies is starting to slow you down, we’ll make sure your fleet setup works with how your business runs on the road.

Running a carpentry business means taking responsibility for your team, your finances, and the way decisions are made. If something goes wrong and you’re accused of mismanagement, unfair dismissal, or breach of duty, Management Liability insurance helps protect you personally and professionally.

Management Liability insurance covers claims aimed at the people in charge, not just the business itself.

This cover can include:

• Legal defence and settlement costs
• Employment-related claims like wrongful dismissal or discrimination
• Regulatory investigations, fines, or breaches
• Protection for directors, officers, and the business entity

If you’ve got staff or you’re running a growing operation, this policy adds an extra layer of cover for the decisions and risks that come with leading a business.