Painters insurance

Why would painters need business insurance? 

Picture this: one minute you’re putting the final touches on your client’s living room, and the next, a stray ladder collapses and sends a bucket of paint spilling across their brand-new hardwood floors, resulting in extensive (and expensive) damage. 

Without business insurance, you could be up for the cost of cleaning, repairing and possibly even replacing their floors. But with it, you might have these, and other costs, covered. 

Business insurance includes a range of insurance types that could financially protect you and your business. They can potentially save you thousands in expenses that arise from accidents, theft, damage, loss and other insurable events. 

What are the typical types of insurance relevant to a painter? 

Whether you mostly work on domestic jobs or undertake commercial and industrial ones, several kinds of insurance could come in handy for painters. Some of the main types to consider include: 

Public liability insurance 

As a painter, you’re almost always interacting with members of the public like clients, suppliers and passers-by. If something were to happen to one of those members of the public – say they tripped on your paint roller and filed an injury claim – public liability insurance could come in handy. 

Public liability insurance can provide a financial safety net if a third party is injured or has their property damaged as a result of your business activities. It typically covers medical expenses, repairs or replacements for the third party, and legal costs if the matter ends up in court.  

But it doesn’t cover everything. Fines, punitive damages, damage to your own property, employee injuries and repairs to a bad job you were responsible for usually aren’t included in public liability insurance. 

Personal accident and illness insurance 

Personal accident and illness insurance is pretty much what the name suggests: insurance that covers you if you have an accident or get sick – say if you fall off a ladder and injure your back while you’re painting at heights. 

It can be an invaluable lifeline if you’re a sole trader because it can help replace any lost income (and sometimes your business expenses) if you have to take time off work. And it doesn’t just cover accidents or illnesses that happen while you’re working; it includes incidents that happen off the job, too. 

Generally speaking, personal accident and illness insurance won’t include pre-existing conditions, pregnancy/childbirth, injuries or illnesses resulting from alcohol or drugs, sports and intentional criminal acts by you. 

Portable Equipment cover for painters 

Your painter’s toolkit likely includes a bunch of essential items, like brushes, rollers, drop cloths and ladders. But what happens if they get stolen, lost or damaged? 

Portable equipment cover, also known as general property insurance, can help with the cost of replacing or repairing tools, business equipment or electronic items if something happens to them. 

This insurance usually includes damage from natural events, malicious damage, theft by forced entry and theft of items that are locked to your vehicle, but won’t provide coverage for general wear and tear, theft if the items weren’t securely contained, rust, mildew and a few other exclusions. 

Is business insurance mandatory for painters? 

Some types of insurance are totally optional for painters – like portable equipment and personal accident and illness insurance. But depending on the kinds of job sites you work on and whether you have employees, others may be mandatory. 

If you work on building sites, you might be required to take out public liability insurance with a minimum amount of coverage. You may also need it if you’re working on other public-facing properties like schools, hospitals or government buildings. In some cases, your job contract will outline the exact amount of public liability insurance you have to get. 

If you’ve got people working for you, including apprentices and subcontractors, you’ll have to take out Workers Compensation. This covers your staff if they injure themselves or get sick while they’re working, and its compulsory no matter where you operate in Australia.  

What factors to consider when deciding what cover you need 

• Nature of work: Insurance requirements may differ depending on whether you do domestic, commercial or industrial work
• Job risk: There may be specific risks relevant to your job, like painting at particularly high heights or handling toxic materials
• Business size: If it’s just you, you may not need as much insurance as businesses that have employees
• Legal requirements: Certain types of insurance, like public liability insurance and workers’ compensation, may be mandatory
• Tools and equipment: The value of your tools and equipment may affect your insurance needs 

Helpful tip from BizCover

If you’re taking out portable equipment insurance, make sure you go through your policy with a fine-toothed comb to check which items are covered. Inclusions can vary between policies, and you don’t want to get caught out if your stuff gets stolen and your policy includes your basic tools but not bigger and more expensive items like ladders and spray guns.

Jane Mason

Head of Product, Channels & Risk at BizCover

How much does business insurance cost for painters? 

Lots of different factors go into the cost of business insurance, which means no two painters will pay the same amount.  

The main things insurance providers consider when assessing your premiums include the size of your business, the kind of painting work you do, any particular risks you face as a painter, the value of your tools and equipment, and policy specifics like exclusions, excess, add-ons and your cover limit. 

BizCover provided cover for more than 3,900 painters and decorators in 2024.  Over 70% of painters pay an average of $100.02 a month for their insurance with BizCover.¹BizCover Customer Average Monthly Payment Report is based on FY24 and presented as a guide only. It may not reflect pricing for your particular business, as individual underwriting criteria will apply. 

What else should painters consider for business insurance? 

Here are a few more considerations when you’re taking out business insurance. 

Is there a maximum height restriction? 

The specifics can vary between policies, but many have a height limit of 10-15 metres for painters. 

Are painters insured for overspray risks? 

If you use spray guns, you may not be covered – these are often excluded from insurance policies. You can check your policy to make sure, but you might also need to take out specific coverage for overspray risk. 

What steps can painting contractors take to reduce their insurance premiums? 

Looking to save a bit of money on your insurance? There are several ways you could potentially bring down your premiums, including increasing your excess, bundling policies to access a discount, shopping around to find the best rates, and regularly reviewing your insurance to make sure it matches your business requirements. There’s no use paying for coverage you don’t necessarily need! 

Can painting contractors obtain insurance coverage for environmental liabilities or pollution risks? 

Yep! Environmental insurance or pollution liability insurance can help cover the cost of bodily injury, third-party property damage and environmental damage, including clean-up, if your business causes a pollution incident – such as a mega paint spill. While public liability insurance may help with some of these costs, there are generally several exclusions in a standard policy. 

How does insurance coverage differ for residential painting projects compared to commercial or industrial projects? 

Because commercial and industrial projects often have higher exposure to certain risks – like environmental pollution, public liability and possibly working at greater heights – and operate at a larger scale, painters working on these projects might need more insurance coverage. 

Where can I find and compare Business Insurance? 

Ready to get going with business insurance? We have partnered with BizCover to help you compare online, to assess policies from some of Australia’s leading insurance providers.