Plumbers Insurance Solutions - Public Liability, Accident & Tools Cover

What isn’t typically covered

Specific insurance exclusions for any insurance cover vary depending on your policy. However, there are some general things that many insurance policies typically do not cover. These can include:

Exclusion category	Specific exclusions	Why it's excluded	Proposed mitigation
Intentional acts	Deliberate damage, fraud	Not accidental	None - avoid these activities
Business operations	Faulty workmanship, wear & tear	Business responsibility	Professional indemnity
Personal conduct	Under the influence, illegal activities	Negligent behaviour	None - maintain standards
Pre-existing issues	Known defects, previous damage	Not new occurrences	Disclose or repair first

Public liability exclusions:

Professional indemnity matters
Product liability for defective materials
Pollution incidents (except sudden/accidental)
Asbestos-related claims
Vehicle accidents (requires separate motor insurance)

Common plumbing insurance claims you plumbers should know about

Plumbing problems can lead to a variety of insurance claims, and it’s important to understand the most common ones.

Water damage claims:

Burst pipes are flooding customer properties
Incorrect installations are causing leaks
Hot water system failures
Sewer line blockages are causing backups

Personal injury claims:

Slips and falls on wet surfaces
Burns from hot water or steam
Tool-related injuries
Gas-related incidents

Property damage scenarios:

Accidentally damaging floors during pipe repairs
Breaking fixtures during installations
Damage to walls when accessing pipes
Electrical damage from water exposure

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Frequently asked questions

You bet. You’re working around water, pipes and fixtures all day. An unsecured pipe or leak can cause significant damage. If that happens because of something you’ve done (or haven’t done) it could mean legal action and the costs associated with that, as well as any damages that result.

Or worse, you could injure yourself or someone else. If you can’t work, your income could dry up, or you could face the stress (and costs) of legal action from another party.

Public liability is an industry standard. This insures you against damage to other people or property, including customers, passersby, or other people on site.

Tools and equipment insurance covers you against having your equipment or tools stolen from either your worksite, out of your van or ute, or if they get damaged.

Personal accident and illness insurance means that if you injure yourself, either while you’re working or enjoying the weekend, or if you’re permanently disabled and can’t work, you can have a weekly benefit reduced by workers compensation for a period of time to meet your financial obligations.

Some insurers will offer you only ‘defined events’ cover, which covers you for only those things you must specify, such as fire or collision damage. There’s often also an exclusion if your tools are stolen from a working site, unless they are locked away on that site.

Our insurance solutions can offer you full damage, full replacement Australia-wide cover, including water damage and theft in open air cover. So, if you leave your tools on a working site and they are stolen, you can be covered. It can also cover your expensive equipment, like your lasers and locators.

If you provide advice or design services to your clients, we strongly recommend you may want to considering professional indemnity insurance.

Professional indemnity insurance can cover your business for allegations of negligence involving a breach of professional duty. This is typically excluded under public liability insurance.

The cost of your cover depends on a variety of factors: the amount and type of cover you need, the size of your business and type of work you do. The fastest way to find out how much it might cost is to get an online quote.

Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 31 081 358 303, AFSL 238369) (“Marsh”) arranges the general insurance (i.e. not the Discretionary Trust Arrangement) and is not the insurer. This page contains general information and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. For full details of the terms, conditions and limitations of the covers, refer to the specific policy wordings and/or Product Disclosure Statements available from Marsh on request. Marsh makes no representation or warranty concerning the application of policy wordings or the financial condition or solvency of insurers or re-insurers. Marsh makes no assurances regarding the availability, cost, or terms of insurance coverage. Any statements concerning actuarial, tax, accounting, or legal matters are based solely on our experience as insurance brokers and risk consultants and are not to be relied upon as actuarial, accounting, tax, or legal advice, for which you should consult your own professional advisors. The Discretionary Trust Arrangement is issued by the Trustee, JLT Group Services Pty Ltd (ABN 26 004 485 214, AFSL 417964) (“JGS”). Any advice or dealing in relation to the Discretionary Trust Arrangement is provided by JLT Risk Solutions Pty Ltd (ABN 69 009 098 864, AFSL 226 827) (“JLT”). JGS and JLT are businesses of Marsh McLennan. The cover provided by the Discretionary Trust Arrangement is subject to the Trustee’s discretion and/or the relevant policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

Essential insurance solutions for Australian plumbers

Key types of cover for plumbers

Cover we can arrange

Public liability

Tools and equipment cover

Personal accident and sickness insurance