Insurance for Carpenters
Cover for contracts with builders or government with minimum cover levels
Customised for domestic and commercial projects
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Public Liability and Tool cover
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What does carpenter insurance cover?
Carpenter insurance covers the cost of everyday risks faced by residential and commercial carpenters, joiners, cabinet makers, framers, woodworkers, and other tradespeople. Common risks include
- Third-party injury and property damage
- Lawsuits
- Stolen tools and equipment
- Damaged stock and supplies
Public Liability insurance is the most common type of cover taken by carpenters. It’s typically required to access construction projects, work as a subcontractor, and lease commercial space.
BizCover makes it easy to find affordable, personalised cover that matches your needs, whether you’re a self-employed contractor or running a small carpentry business. We offer policies suitable for builder and government contracts that include vicarious liability.
Why do carpenters need insurance?
Business insurance helps carpenters protect their business, finances, and reputation. Carpenters, joiners, and woodworking professionals may need business insurance to help them manage the cost of on-the-job risks, such as accidents, client claims, and unexpected bills. It may also be required to enter worksites, get a building or construction licence, lease a workshop, and fulfill contractual obligations. Some clients may require proof of insurance before you begin work.
| Industry-specific Risks | General risks |
|---|---|
| An outdoor deck rots prematurely and must be replaced because you recommended unsuitable timber | A tradie injures themselves when they trip and fall over your toolbox on a worksite |
| A client alleges that you provided a negligent inspection report | A storm damages your workshop and the materials stored inside |
| Essential tools are damaged and must be replaced before you can continue work | You are injured on holiday and are unable to work for several weeks |
Who needs carpentry liability insurance?
Business insurance may be essential for many types of carpenters and carpentry businesses. We cover a range of carpentry occupations, including:
Independent Carpenters & Joiners
Custom Woodworking Businesses
Home Renovation Contractors
Deck Builders
Customised, on-the-go cover for your small business
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Did you know?
Public Liability insurance is generally required for self-employed carpenters, subcontractors, and trades businesses to get a building or construction license, accept jobs, or enter worksites
What types of insurance do carpenters need?
Public Liability is the most common insurance that carpenters choose. Our carpenters’ insurance is designed to meet the unique needs of carpentry and joinery businesses. Mix and match different policies to build a package that suits your business.
Basic carpenter insurance:
Additional carpenter insurance:
How much does carpenters’ insurance cost?
Business insurance for carpenters costs $99 per month*.
Factors influencing cost
Risks of the industry
Cover level amount
Annual turnover
Number of employees
Claims history
*BizCover’s Marketing Pricing Expectations Report is based on 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and presented as a guide only. It may not reflect pricing for your particular business, as individual criteria will apply.
Get flexible cover to match your business needs
Choose limits that suit your business, from sole traders to growing carpentry businesses. Public Liability cover up to $20 million and Professional Indemnity cover up to $10 million. Personal Accident & Illness benefits up to $4,000 a week are also available.
Unsure how much to choose? Think about:
Statutory Profession Requirements
Cover required by contracts
Number of employees being covered
Your contract value
Worst case scenario claim size
Underinsurance
We know it’s tempting to select a lower level of cover to reduce premiums, but this can leave businesses shocked and insufficiently covered when making a claim.
Ways underinsurance catches business owners out:
Inflation
With inflation, the cost of living and doing business increases. Remember to over yourself, your tools and assets for the rising costs of replacing or covering them, not what you paid for them – you may be surprised at the difference.
Not covering the full cost of your risks
If you select cover levels for less than the value you may be found liable – left out of pocket when it comes to claims time. It’s important to review your risks and determine how much you will need to cover any claim that may come your way.
Factors influencing cost
Risk of the industry
Cover level amount
Annual turnover
Number of employees
Claims history
*BizCover’s Marketing Pricing Expectations Report is based on 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and presented as a guide only. It may not reflect pricing for your particular business, as individual criteria will apply.
Get flexible cover to match your business needs
Choose limits that suit your business, from sole traders to growing carpentry businesses. Public Liability cover up to $20 million and Professional Indemnity cover up to $10 million. Personal Accident & Illness benefits up to $4,000 a week are also available.
Unsure how much to choose? Think about:
Statutory professional requirements
Cover required by contracts
Number of employees being covered
Your contract value
Worst case scenario claim size
Underinsurance
We know it’s tempting to select a lower level of cover to reduce premiums, but this can leave businesses shocked and insufficiently covered when making a claim.
Ways underinsurance catches business owners out:
Inflation
With inflation, the cost of living and doing business increases. Remember to over yourself, your tools and assets for the rising costs of replacing or covering them, not what you paid for them – you may be surprised at the difference.
Not covering the full cost of your risks
If you select cover levels for less than the value you may be found liable – left out of pocket when it comes to claims time. It’s important to review your risks and determine how much you will need to cover any claim that may come your way.
What to look for in carpenter insurance
- Licenced Builders – If you perform carpentry work under your own building licence, your policies may need to be customised to ensure you are property covered for the work you do.
- Height Restrictions – Some policies and/or insurance partners may exclude work above a certain height.
- Subcontractors – If you work as a subcontractor or use them yourself, let us know! It may impact your cover and premium.
Claim example
Here is an example of a real BizCover customer who had to make a claim.
Incident
A carpenter fractured their wrist in a fall and was unable to work. Because they had started a new role since their current policy’s inception, limited earnings information was available to assess their income. An accountant could not complete the carpenter’s tax returns to provide an updated earnings statement until the end of the financial year.
The carpenter was under financial pressure whilst receiving no income, so the insurer agreed to a weekly benefit rate after reviewing their bank statements and a letter from the accountant. The carpenter claimed a Weekly Injury Benefit of $1,250 per week and received a lump sum due to their injuries.
The provision of the claims examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be seen as an indication as to how any potential claim will be assessed or accepted. Coverage for claims on the policy will be determined by the insurer, not BizCover.
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See How Much Other Carpenters Have Saved By Purchasing a Policy Through BizCover
Daniel
Carpenter from
VIC
Saved
$1,000
on
Portable Equipment
Jake
Carpenter from
VIC
Saved
$400
on
Public Liability insurance
Christopher
Carpenter from
NSW
Saved
$200
on
Public Liability insurance
^Savings made from February to August 2025. This information is provided as a guide only and may not reflect pricing for your particular business, as individual underwriting criteria will apply.
Frequently asked questions
Public Liability may be required for carpenters to get certain building or construction licenses in some parts of Australia. Before beginning any project, you may want to check the insurance requirements in the state or territory where you work.
Yes, principal contractors and builders typically require their subcontractors to have Public Liability insurance to work for them. Your subcontractor agreement will likely specify a minimum cover amount that you must maintain while working.
Generally speaking, carpenters who provide professional advice to clients or other contractors may want to consider Professional Indemnity insurance.
If you add Portable Equipment insurance to a Business Insurance Package, you can protect your tools and equipment. Portable Equipment cover may help you repair or replace essential tools and equipment needed to do your work and run your business.
Personal Accident & Illness insurance could be your Plan B to help protect your finances while you recover from workplace injuries. A Personal Accident & Illness policy can help carpenters replace lost income if they are unable to work due to injury or illness. You can also add optional cover for death and disablement to your policy.
Yes. You can usually cover multiple work activities, such as general carpentry and home renovations, in the same policy. Be sure to select all work activities you engage in when applying for insurance that you would like covered.
BizCover makes it easy for carpenters to show proof of insurance for licencing, work site access, and client contracts. A certificate of currency is emailed to your instantly after purchase, and additional copies can be downloaded at any time from our customer portal.
Hear from our customers
Great,easy and simple to use
Te Atkins. Carpenter
Thought it was going to be hard but only took me a few minutes on my smoko break
Nathanuel J. Carpenter
Easy to understand and follow. Provided everything I needed
Thomas H. Carpenter
Quick and easy to navigate
Joe H. Carpenter
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