Public and products liability insurance for carpenters starts from $576 a year for a $5 million limit, as at Oct '26. Your own carpenter insurance cost may depend on your work, your turnover and how you pay, among other factors.
For carpenters, the requirement to hold public liability insurance usually comes from a contract, head contractor or site. Head contractors may ask you to hold your own public liability insurance and show a certificate of currency before you start. Our guide to carpenter insurance in Australia explains what builders and head contractors may ask for.
Public liability insurance is designed to cover claims that someone was injured or their property was damaged in connection with your business. Products liability insurance is designed to cover claims that a product you made, sold or supplied caused injury or damage after it left your hands.
The two are usually arranged together as public and products liability insurance. Public and products liability cover may include legal defence costs, compensation and any settlement you are legally liable to pay, subject to the policy terms.
Cover depends on the policy and insurer you choose. Check the policy wording and its terms and conditions for what is and isn't included.
How much does carpenter insurance cost?
Annual prices for carpenters start at these figures for each limit:
| Public and products liability limit |
Cost, paid annually |
| $5 million |
From $576/year |
| $10 million |
From $678/year |
| $20 million |
From $780/year |
Swipe left or right to see the full table.
Figures are for annually paid policies arranged through upcover, as at October 2026. The amount you pay may also include GST, stamp duty and fees. An upcover team member or an insurance broker can talk through other limits with you.
Where monthly payment is offered, public and products liability insurance for carpenters is from $58 a month for a $5 million limit, including installment charges.
What does the carpenter insurance price include?
The prices shown are for public and products liability insurance at the stated limit. They don't include tools of trade insurance, insurance for a work vehicle or insurance for workers you employ.
Tools of trade insurance is designed to cover the tools and equipment you use for work, against theft and accidental damage, depending on the policy.
If you make a claim, an excess may also apply, separate from the price you pay for cover. In upcover's glossary, an excess is "The first amount an insured must pay towards a claim before the insurer pays."
Our guide to what insurance a carpenter needs explains other insurance a carpenter may consider.
What affects the cost of carpenter insurance?
No single price applies to every carpenter. Your price may depend on factors including your industry classification, your revenue and the stage of your business. Licensing, professional or contractual requirements may also influence the limit of insurance you consider, which may affect the cost.
Your existing controls and risk framework, your answers to insurers' risk questionnaires or proposals, and your recent claims history may also affect the total cost of your insurance.
How do your activities affect carpenter insurance costs?
upcover's glossary says insurers use your business activities to assess risk and set your premium.
A public and products liability policy is designed to respond to the activities described on your policy schedule. If a customer makes a claim about an activity your schedule leaves out, the insurer may consider declining it if they were not aware of the activity and would not have accepted it as covered under the insurance policy.
How do the specified limit and excess affect what carpenters pay?
The specified limit is the most the insurer may pay, subject to the policy terms. The specified limit you choose may affect the cost.
A builder, head contractor or contract may set a minimum requirement for your specified limit. Our guide to choosing a public liability limit explains how limits work.
The excess you choose may also affect the price.
Does paying monthly change what carpenters pay?
You can pay annually or, where offered, by monthly installments. Paying annually means one payment for the whole policy period. Paying monthly spreads the cost over the year, but instalments may add charges.
The monthly payment terms for policies arranged through upcover, as listed in October 2026, are a premium funding contract with upcover payments Pty Ltd. They say each instalment includes installment administration and service charges, shown in the monthly payment breakdown.
How do you compare carpenter insurance quotes?
Carpenter insurance quotes are comparable like for like when each one describes the same activities, specified limit, excess and policy period. The differences in exclusions and the total for the year then show what you are choosing between. A quote at a lower limit than your contract asks for may not meet the contract's minimum requirement.
To request a carpenter insurance quote, it helps to have these details ready:
- each type of carpentry work you do, such as fit-out, framing, roof framing or on-site joinery
- your annual turnover and how many people work for you
- any minimum limit your contracts set
- details of any past claims
- a list of the tools you want insured, with their value
Our guide to how to buy small business insurance explains each step, from the details insurers ask for to comparing quotes. An upcover team member or an insurance broker can talk through the differences between quotes with you.
What do public liability and tools of trade policies commonly exclude?
Public liability exclusions commonly include, but are not limited to:
- damage to the exact property you are working on, such as a window you are fitting care of property being worked on exclusion
- liability arising from using a registered motor vehicle
- the cost to redo, correct or improve your own work or fix defects, although the policy may respond to resulting damage to someone else's property
- liability you take on only because of a contractual liability exclusion
Tools of trade exclusions commonly include, but are not limited to:
- wear and tear, or breakdown
- damage from a power surge
- theft from the open air or without forced entry, such as from an open job site (theft in open air exclusion)
Important: These lists are not exhaustive. Exclusions vary between insurers. Always refer to the policy wording and its terms and conditions for the exclusions that apply to you, and if you have questions you should speak to your insurance broker or the upcover team.
How upcover can help
upcover arranges public and products liability and tools of trade insurance for carpenters. upcover works with 80+ insurance partners and can arrange quotes from a range of insurers.
- 70,000+ businesses covered across Australia
- 4.9/5 customer rating
- 80+ insurance partners
Get a quote for carpenter insurance.
Frequently asked questions
How much does carpenter insurance cost per month?
Where monthly payment is offered, public and products liability insurance for carpenters is from $576 a month for a $5 million limit, including installment charges. Under upcover's monthly payment terms, each instalment includes installment administration and service charges.
Is tools of trade insurance included in carpenter insurance costs?
The carpenter prices shown are for public and products liability insurance only. Tools of trade insurance is designed to cover the tools and equipment you use for work, against theft and accidental damage, depending on the policy. Its cost may depend on how much tool cover you choose (tools of trade insurance).
Does carpenter insurance cover roof framing and other work at height?
Whether a public liability policy covers work at height, such as roof framing, varies between policy wordings, so always check with your insurance broker or the team at upcover.
Is carpenter insurance tax deductible?
The ATO says operating expenses for the everyday running of businesses are generally deductible in the year you pay for them (deductions for other operating expenses). The same ATO page lists insurance premiums, including public risk insurance, among common business operating expenses, as listed in October 2026. A registered tax agent can confirm what you can claim for your business.
Written by upcover's editorial team. This article provides general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not financial or tax advice; for advice on your tax position, speak with a registered tax agent. Cost figures are a guide as at October 2026, not a quote. Insurance availability and cover are subject to underwriting and the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of the relevant policy. Read the policy wording and its terms and conditions before deciding. upcover arranges insurance products with selected insurers and underwriters and does not compare all general insurers or insurance products available in the market.
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