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Most business owners understand the importance of public liability insurance, but how can you find out how much it costs?

The cost of public liability insurance varies depending on a number of different factors including the type of business and the size of the business. Generally the cost will be higher for larger businesses or those considered a higher risk.

A sole trader working as a qualified carpenter on residential projects may be able to obtain cover from as little as $40 per month, however the sky is the limit when it comes to larger business and those that operate in high risk industries.

How are the premiums calculated?

The insurance companies will calculate your basic public liability insurance cost by considering a number of factors including you annual turnover, the number of staff you employ and the type of industry that you operate in.

There are many additional factors which will also be taken into account, and some of the common factors affecting premiums include importing or exporting goods, working in airports, marine ports or mines, working at heights and a range of other factors which could increase the risk you pose to the insurer.

Generally your premiums will grow higher as your turnover and staff numbers increase, or if you start conducting any type of business activity that the insurer believes increases you risk.

How can I find out my cost?

There are a number of ways to find out how much public liability cover will cost for your business.

Traditionally the most popular method used was to contact an insurance broker, and this is still the most popular method today, however an increasing number of business are now going online to obtain more competitive quotes.

Instead of having to make an appointment to visit an insurance broker, business owners throughout Australia can now use the internet to obtain quotes on their insurance and even to take out cover completely online.

Not all businesses will have the option of obtaining an online quote, as larger and more complex businesses will still have to use the services of a broker to properly assess their business insurance needs.

For small businesses and those which are not considered to be too complex, obtaining public liability quotes online can definitely be a convenient method. If you are planning on taking this path, you need to be 100% sure of what insurance you need, as you will not have a broker there to assist you.

Obtaining a quote from us

Here at Public Liability Insurance Australia we offer business owners the best of both worlds.

Our website gives you the convenience of entering your details and requesting a quote online, but instead of being left on your own you will be assigned to a qualified insurance broker who you can communicate with at any time via phone or email.

By using our system you can obtain quotes and apply for cover from the comfort of your own home or office, and still have the peace of mind knowing that you will be dealing with a real life insurance broker who is only ever a phone call away.

For more information on public liability insurance please contact our office, or if you are ready to obtain insurance quotes for your business simply complete our easy online quote request.

Most businesses operating in Victoria will either require public liability insurance or could certainly benefit from it.

Public liability insurance helps to protect many Victorian businesses of all different types by insuring them against the financial damages of property damage or personal injury. Without the cover, many businesses would not survive such an event.

Public Liability Requirements in Victoria

The requirement for businesses to hold public liability insurance in Victoria is generally no different to the requirements in any other Australian states, however there are a few minor differences.

For example, plumbers in Victoria are required by law to hold public liability insurance, and the policy must include a special extra known as consumer protection insurance. This type of cover is unique and is only available from certain insurance companies.

This requirement doesn’t just cover plumbers who are based in Victoria, but all plumbers who conduct work within the state regardless of where they are based.

What is Public Liability Insurance

Public liability insurance helps to protect businesses in Victoria from financial damages relating to property damage or personal injury caused by the business to a third party. Personal injury can also include death.

Where you are liable for damages relating the someone’s financial loss, the insurance provider will cover the costs of the claim provided that it falls within the guidelines of your chosen policy. Of course you should refer to the PDS (Product Disclosure Statement) to ensure your chosen policy meets all of your needs before taking out the cover.

Public Liability Cost in Victoria

The cost of public liability insurance in Victoria is generally quite similar to most other states, but there are a few exceptions. Sometimes the cover will be higher or sometimes lower, depending on the insurer’s claims history in Victoria.

Stamp duty also differs between the Australian states, so the stamp duty paid on insurance policies in Victoria will also have a minor impact on the public liability insurance premiums Victorians pay.

The cost of your public liability insurance also depends heavily on the type and size of your business, but this is generally not impacted by the state or states that you conduct business in.

Public Liability Insurance Quotes

There are a number of ways for Victorian businesses to obtain quotes on their public liability insurance.

In the past many business owners dealt with a local insurance agent or broker. Today, and increasing number of businesses are going online to find the best quotes and advice on their public liability insurance.

Here at the Public Liability Insurance Australia website we help businesses in Victoria and all over Australia by finding them the best quotes on the public liability cover. We do this via our network of insurance experts located around the country.

If you would like to obtain a public liability insurance online quote we can certainly help. Simply complete our online form and you will receive your quotes via email or phone depending on your preference.

For more information on public liability please follow the links around our website or contact us to be put through to an insurance professional.

For many of us, public liability insurance is simply another expense that we have to pay as part of running our business. It makes sense then that you’d want the cheapest cover you can get.

Obtaining cheap public liability insurance has become easier thanks to the internet and online quoting websites that allow you to compare the public liability insurance cost between the various insurance providers.

Before we get into working out the cheapest public liability cover, we need to take a look at what this type of insurance actually covers for our business.

The facts on public liability

Public liability insurance is a fairly straightforward product when looking at its core features. Essentially the policy is designed to protect you from the financial consequences resulting from property damage or personal injury caused by your business.

Every public liability policy will cover this basic requirement, no matter how cheap the policy may be.

There are a number of extra benefits available with public liability insurance, but if you are simply looking for a cheap policy you’re probably not too concerned about extra benefits. If you would like to know about these options you can check out this handy guide we put together on the extra benefits available with public liability insurance.

The cover is generally available in amounts of $5 million, $10 million and $20 million, the more cover you require the higher the premium will be. If you are looking for cheap public liability insurance then $5 million cover will be the obvious option, but you still need to ensure that will be sufficient cover for your needs.

Is a cheap policy cheap in the long run?

Our own research with various businesses showed that many tradespeople did not actually care about public liability insurance, and were only taking out a policy to meet the requirements of their job. In this case the cheapest policy was always the favoured option.

Some businesses were more interested in the cover than others, particularly when the business owner and/or management understood the risks to their business, their employees and their own families.

We are all for helping Australian businesses find the cheapest public liability insurance, but it needs to be the cheapest policy that still needs all of the needs and objectives of the business. There is a big difference between the cheapest policy, and the cheapest suitable policy.

How we can help

Here at Public Liability Insurance Australia our mission is to make it easier for every Australian business to find the right insurance coverage for their needs.

In some cases this will mean a cheap public liability insurance policy, but our insurance experts will still work with you to ensure that you are taking out the right cover for your needs.

We’re all for the cheapest cover, and we’ll help you to find it, but the most important part is to ensure that any cheap public liability insurance that you take out is going to meet your needs when you need it most – at claim time.

To obtain a quote on your public liability insurance please complete our online quote request.

Getting quotes for public liability insurance is much easier thanks to the internet, and by comparing quotes you could save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year.

Back in the old days the only option for taking out public liability insurance was to use a business insurance broker. You would have to make an appointment and take time out of your day to meet with them, and you would have to rely on the broker to make the right recommendation and not be swayed by commissions.

Thankfully with the development of the internet and websites like ours, it is now easy to obtain a public liability insurance quote without all the hassle and time wasting.

How is a public liability quote calculated?

The insurance companies use a range of factors when calculating your public liability insurance cost. The basic information we will need from you includes the following:

• Occupation / business type
• Annual turnover
• Number of staff (if any)
• Amount of cover required
• State you are based in

This will enable us to obtain a basic public liability quote for your business.

For many occupations and business types there won’t be any additional information required that could affect your quote, however if you or your business undertake any activities which are outside of the norm the insurance company will generally want to know more.

Even if the insurance company does require more information to provide a quote, you will generally still be able to get an estimate on the public liability insurance quote amounts.

Obtaining a quote through our website

Our website was designed with one aim in mind, which is to make it easier for Australian business owners to find the best quotes on their public liability insurance and the ability to proceed with cover with the least amount of hassle.

When you request a public liability quote through our website you will be asked a serious of questions relating to you personally as well as your business. We use an intuitive form which adapts and changes depending on your prior answers, which enable us to get all the right information to get the best quotes.

Once your information has been submitted via our website your quote request will be sent immediately to one of our network of insurance professionals for review. The insurance broker will use the latest online systems to obtain your quotes and will then contact you via email or phone (depending on your preference) to provide you with the quotes.

If you are happy with the public liability quote provided you will have the option to proceed with the cover via the original licensed insurance broker that you first dealt with. That same broker will also be available for any ongoing assistance you require, especially in the event of a claim.

Don’t pay too much for your insurance!

Too many Australian businesses continue to pay too much for their insurance cover. For many business people it is simply too time consuming and difficult to research multiple public liability insurance companies and make time to visit insurance brokers.

Thanks to our website we can make it easier for you to obtain the best public liability insurance quotes in Australia, all from the comfort of your own desk and with the peace of mind knowing that you will be dealing with a licensed insurance broker to assist you as little or as much as you choose.

For more information please contact us, or if you are ready to obtain a public liability insurance quote simply visit our online quote system and follow the prompts.

Although public liability insurance provides a huge amount of protection for businesses, the basic concept behind the cover is really quite simple. In a nutshell, the policy will cover you if you cause property damage or personal injury to a member of the public.

All public liability policies have this same feature, indeed it is what makes a public liability policy what it is! But like other types of insurance, there is a growing number of added features and benefits offered by various insurance companies to make their policies more attractive.

In today’s article we will look at some of the optional benefits and how they can help to protect your business.

Tax Audit Insurance

A number of public liability policies now have optional cover for a tax audit. For some insurers this is an extra-cost option, whilst a select few are now offering this as a standard benefit at no extra cost.

The tax audit option means that your business will be covered up to a certain amount to cover the costs of a tax audit performed by the ATO.

The costs involved in a tax audit can be huge, mainly because of the amount of time it will take your accountant to comply with the audit. And of course, your accountant isn’t going to do this work for free!

Each insurance company has a different amount that they will cover. For example one popular policy will cover the full costs incurred provided that they fall within twelve months of the original audit date.

Some public liability insurance policies also include tax audit cover for a business director’s personal tax affairs. The insurance will only cover the accounting and professional costs of an audit, and will not cover any penalties or loss of income etc.

Customer Vehicles

Being covered whilst driving customer vehicles is very important to people working in the motor trades industry, but most public liability policies do not provide automatic cover for damage caused to a customer’s car during testing or deliver.

Optional cover for driving customer cars is treated differently by the various insurers. Some policies will cover the full cost of the car, whilst another policy only covers up to $100,000. If your business deals in high-end cars you will definitely need to look at the amount you are covered for.

Consumer Protection Insurance

Consumer protection cover is a special option that can be included in some policies. For certain businesses, such as electricians in Queensland, it is mandatory to have a public liability policy which includes a certain level of consumer protection insurance.

Other Features and Benefits

Each insurer has their own special features, benefits and options extras available on their public liability insurance policies. Some of these options are included for free to make the policies more attractive, and some you will have to pay for.

Some of the extra benefits are just nice to have, but some will be absolutely vital depending on the type of business you run, and even depending on the state you operate within in the case of Queensland electricians.

Public liability insurance is mighty important to all businesses in Australia, and with the right options you could get even more benefit out of your policy without increasing your public liability insurance cost by too much, or potentially without having to pay any extra if you choose the right policy.

The best way to find out which options are available to your business is to speak with an insurance broker who knows your industry and knows which features and benefits will be of most use to you and your business.

For more information on your public liability insurance or to obtain a quote, please get in contact with us or request an obligation free online quote.

Public liability insurance was developed to protect business owners and operators from the financial consequences of certain events that can happen in the course of running a business.

There are many different events covered by public liability insurance, however the most common claims involve the following:

• Damage to your client’s property
• Damage to another person’s property
• Financial loss as a result of your work
• Personal injury to your client or other person
• Death of your client or other person
• Financial loss to your client or other person

These events can come in many different forms.

Sometimes they are as an immediate result of your actions. For example you may spill a tin of paint onto new carpets, which will require replacement of the carpet at your cost. This is an example of a fairly minor claim which can be settled very quickly.

Other claims can be more involved and span a much longer period of time. For example you may build a deck for a client, and after twelve months the deck may collapse due to negligent work. In this case your claim would involve property damage, as well as personal injury or possibly death.

In any case, these situations will cost you money. In the first example it may be a thousand dollars or so for new carpets, whilst in the second example you could potentially be looking at a multi-million dollar court action for personal damages.

By having the right public liability insurance in place, you can avoid the devastating financial consequences of such events.

Public liability insurance takes the financial risk and responsibility away from you and places it with the insurance company. In return you must pay the insurance company an annual premium.

Who Needs Public Liability Insurance?

Public liability insurance should be held by any sole trader, partnership or company that has a potential exposure to property damage or personal injury. If there is any chance that you business could lead to damage or injury, then you need the cover.

For many businesses public liability insurance is mandatory. This is especially true in the trades and construction industry, where most subcontractors and contractors will need to show evidence of their insurance before they are allowed onto the worksite.

Public liability insurance is also required by law in order to operate certain types of businesses. For example in Queensland you must show proof of your public liability cover in order to obtain or renew your electrical contractor’s licence.

Levels of Cover

The amount of public liability insurance you require really depends on the specific needs of your business. Most commonly the levels of cover available are $5 million, $10 million and $20 million, however some insurers do offer differing amounts.

Many sole traders and small businesses opt for the basic $5 million level of cover, but it depends on the type of work you are doing. For people working in shopping centres and large commercial buildings often there will be a stipulation in the contract that a higher level of cover is required.

Your Responsibilities

Although public liability does cover you for negligence, you still need to take responsibility and act in a professional way.

A good example of this is overspray. Although many policies will cover overspray damage caused when spray painting, you still need to use your good judgement and not spray paint on a windy day, without any protection and in close proximity to cars or other property which could be damaged by overspray.

Whilst your public liability insurance would possibly still payout in this situation, if the insurance company felt that you had acted recklessly they would likely not offer to renew your insurance at its next expiry. After one insurer has refused a renewal, you must tell any other insurance company about the refusal, which can often lead to them refusing you as well and leaving you without any insurance.

Of course it makes good business sense to always act in a professional way without any negligence, however mistakes do happen and that’s why we need public liability insurance.

Public Liability Insurance Premiums

The amount you pay for your public liability insurance is known as the premium. The premium is based on a number of different factors including the amount of cover you require, the type of business you operate, the turnover of your business and the number of people working for the business.

It is the type of business that generally has the biggest impact on the insurance premium. The insurance companies use their claims history as well as their industry knowledge and experience to judge which occupations and business types are most likely to result in a higher number and size of claims.

Skilled trades such as carpenters and electricians will generally attract fairly standard premiums, however the trades perceived to be higher risk, such as boilermakers, riggers and welders will almost always attract higher premiums.

Unskilled trades and professions can also attract higher premiums, however this really depends on the type of work. Although domestic cleaning is not classed as a skilled trade, the premiums are still quite low due to the low level of perceived risk involved.

Restrictions with Public Liability Insurance

There are certain types of work as well as work locations that are restricted by many standard public liability insurance policies, and you need to be aware of these restrictions when taking out a new policy.

Work locations such as airports, railway stations and mine sites are often excluded from standard public liability policies. Certain work may also be restricted based on size, for example residential construction or demolition higher than three stories is excluded from some standard policies.

Work on marine vessels over a certain size is also restricted by many standard policies, and in this case you will generally need a specialised marine public liability insurance policy issued by a specialist insurer.

Although there are a number of restrictions on standard insurance policies, the good news is that there are plenty of specialist insurers in Australia who can offer cover for almost any situation. These policies can tend to be a little pricier, however the higher cost generally reflects the higher risk involved with the work activities being undertaken.

Is Public Liability Insurance Worth It?

Without a doubt, public liability insurance is one of the most important types of cover that any business can have.

Because public liability premiums are calculated based on your perceived risk, the insurance is generally affordable for everyone. For example a sole trader working as a cleaner may think they don’t need insurance, however the cost will be so small that it’s almost crazy not to take out cover.

To get a quote on your public liability and find out how easy it is to protect yourself and your business, simply click on the link below and complete our easy online insurance quote request.

Here in Queensland there are many small and large businesses that require public liability insurance. Some businesses require the cover by law, and for other companies it is simply a good idea.

Although the team at Public Liability Insurance Australia help people all over the country with their insurance needs, our team is actually based right here in sunny Qld.

Whatever type of business you run, whether you’re a sole trader carpenter or a large retail chain, we can help you with the right service and advice on your public liability insurance.

Public liability requirements in Qld

The requirements of businesses needing public liability insurance are fairly similar wherever in Australia your business is located, however there are a few differences that are unique to Qld.

For example, electricians in Queensland must hold a Qld Electrical Contractors Licence, and in order to obtain or renew this licence the applicant must hold a special type of public liability policy specifically designed for Qld electricians.

The required cover is a broadform liability policy that includes consumer protection cover of $50,000. This cover is only available from certain insurers, and has been specifically designed to meet the Queensland requirements.

This is just one example of why all Qld businesses should deal with a Qld insurance broker, or at least a broker who knows the Queensland market well.

We cannot list all of the special Qld insurance requirements here on our website, however when you request a quote via our website your details will be reviewed by an insurance expert who can advise you on any Qld specific requirements for your industry or business type.

What to look for in a public liability policy

Aside from a few special exceptions such as the one detailed above, public liability insurance policies are generally the same regardless of whether your business operates in Qld or elsewhere in Australia.

The standard cover offered by all public liability policies is much the same, in that it will cover your business from the financial consequences of property damage or personal injury caused by your business to other people.

There are some differences in the extra features and benefits offered by different public liability policies, so it is worth comparing these between insurers.

Finally, you need to look at the value offered by the policy. The cost of public liability insurance in Qld does vary from one insurer to the next, so it is definitely worth shopping around when looking for your next policy.

Here at Public Liability Insurance Australia we can of course save you the trouble of shopping around, as our team will do the running around for you and provide you with quotes from a number of different leading insurance companies.

How to obtain public liability insurance in Qld

For businesses based in Queensland or those with operations in the state, there are various ways that you can research and obtain your public liability insurance.

Traditionally many business owners have used a local insurance broker. This has been a popular method over the years, however with the development of the internet has made obtaining public liability cover much easier and more convenient, not to mention cheaper in some cases.

Here at Public Liability Insurance Australia we can make the process of obtaining your insurance easier. You simply enter your business details from the comfort of your own home or office, and our system will then match you with an insurance professional who will provide your quotes within 24 hours via email or phone.

The benefit of our website is that you have the convenience of dealing with us online whilst enjoying the peace of mind knowing that you will also be dealing with a fully qualified and licensed insurance broker who will be there to look after you.

To obtain a quote on your public liability insurance simply click here to complete our online quote request. To find out more about dealing with us please review our terms of use.