Insurance for Carpenters

Your carpentry work is a cut above the rest. It’s important to find insurance that protects you and your small business as you measure, saw, and hammer your way to success.

Why Do Carpenters Need Insurance?

Carpenters face many risks that are unique to their skilled trade on top of the everyday dangers that come with running a small business. These risks can leave a big impact on your bank accounts and professional reputation. In a worst-case scenario, a claim or lawsuit brought against you could mean closing up shop for good.

Insurance for carpenters helps you ride the ups and downs of running a carpentry business. Whether it’s accidentally damaging another tradie’s tools, defending yourself against a negligence claim, or dealing with an unexpected business interruption, insurance can help you get back to business while keeping your hard-earned money in your pocket.

What Insurance Products Do Carpenters Need?

Insurance can help build a solid framework for protecting your carpentry business. Policies that many carpenters consider include:

Public Liability Insurance*

Rough and finish carpenters often buy Public Liability insurance for their small businesses. Whether you’re working on a construction site, installing cabinetry in a client’s home, or inviting people into your workshop, you run the risk of causing property damage or an injury to someone else. Even if it’s an accident, you could still be facing an expensive claim or lawsuit.

Public Liability insurance helps create a safety net for you and your carpentry business if a customer, vendor, supplier or a member of the public sustains property damage or is injured (and not covered by the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC)) resulting from your negligent business activities.

What is covered?

  • Public Liability policies can help protect you against third-party claims of property damage or injury by covering the costs of:
  • Repairing or replacing damaged property
  • Compensation for personal injury or death not covered by the ACC
  • Legal and defence costs

What is typically NOT covered?

Public Liability policies can help protect you against third-party claims of property damage or injury by covering the costs of:

  • Employee injuries
  • Damage to your own property
  • Compensation for personal injuries covered by the ACC

Professional Indemnity*

Carpenters are often asked to provide their expert opinion during construction projects. Just like the old saying “measure twice, cut once”, you no doubt take extra care to ensure your advice is always spot on. But mistakes happen. Even a small error or misstatement could throw an entire project out of joint.

Professional Indemnity insurance is designed to respond to claims against your business for losses caused by actual or alleged negligent acts or omissions in the provision of your professional service or advice. PI Insurance will also assist with the legal costs associated with responding to or managing claims which are covered by the policy.

What is covered?

A Professional Indemnity policy covers a wide range of professional wrongdoing, including:

  • Providing misleading advice
  • Professional negligence
  • Breaches of duty, such as breaking confidentiality and other privacy issues
  • Defamation, slander or libel
  • Damage to or loss of documents
  • Intellectual property and copyright infringements

Professional Indemnity covers expenses for related claims, such as:

  • Defence and legal costs
  • Court attendance costs
  • Investigation costs, including those by a professional body
  • The cost of responding to a disciplinary inquiry
  • Public relations costs
  • Bodily injury or illness caused by the professional services (that are covered under the policy)
  • Damages and claimant costs awarded against you

What is typically NOT covered?

Professional Indemnity policies typically do not cover:

  • Intentional damage
  • Acts of fraud and dishonesty
  • Accidental injury and property damage
  • Any claims or circumstances that are known prior to the period of insurance

Business Insurance

Business Insurance is a convenient insurance package designed to provide cover for a range of common business risks. Your Business Insurance package can be customised to include coverage that fits your needs as a carpenter and the unique demands of your carpentry business.

Carpenters might consider including these coverages in their Business Insurance package:

Portable Equipment Insurance*

What’s a carpenter without their tools? If your tools or equipment were damaged or stolen, it could cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to repair or replace them. Plus, you might have unhappy clients to deal with if you’re forced to delay or turn down projects until you have what you need to get the job done.

Portable Equipment insurance covers you for loss and damage to your tools and equipment caused by theft, fire and other perils listed in the wording. Your Portable Equipment policy covers you anywhere in New Zealand.

Business Interruption*

When you’re running a small business, anything can happen. A fire, natural disaster, or other major events could force you to put your carpentry work on pause for days, weeks, or even months. But some bills don’t stop just because you’re unable to work. You may want a safety net to help keep your business running until things get back to normal.

Business Interruption insurance provides cover for the loss of income and increased costs of running your business caused by a specified insured event (such as property damage or fire). It is also designed to help your business recover from an insured event by paying ongoing expenses (such as wages or rent). You can also add optional earthquake cover in some areas**.

Hear from our customers

BizCover NZ Rating 4.7/5 on Feefo

Efficient

Trusted Customer

Efficient and great price
Quoted and bought insurance online, very quick and a great price.

Definitely worth

Burnett B

BizCover is definitely worth their word. Quick easy understandable cover

Straight forward

Trusted Customer

It is very straight forward and easy to understand and you can choose whatever you need for your business.

Easy to choose

Pavan K

Easy to choose business insurance. The search and the options provided were very simple and straight forward, didn’t expect it to be that easy.

Fast, friendly and efficient

Kylie T

The customer service agent was excellent. He explained to me clearly all the questions I had. Can’t be beat on price for the policy I needed and I was contacted within half an hour of my enquiry. Policy was confirmed on the phone. Excellent.