Insurance brokers for tradies in Australia
Five ways an Australian tradie can arrange cover, from buying it online in ten minutes to a broker who answers their mobile.
The one real decision
It is not which company. It is whether you answer the questions yourself or pay someone to ask them. Buy online and every answer is yours: tick the wrong occupation, carry tools worth more than the default limit, or do a bit of work at heights your policy quietly excludes, and nobody tells you until you claim. A broker asks the questions instead, and gets paid whether you claim or not. That is worth most where the work does not fit a dropdown — contract works, plant, subcontracting under someone else's licence, or a principal contractor sending a certificate of currency request with conditions on it.
How we picked these five
Nobody paid to appear and there are no affiliate links. Each was read on its own site in August 2026, each states its licensing there, and between them they cover the range from buying online to a named broker with a direct mobile. None of this is insurance advice, and the PDS is the only thing that says what you are actually covered for.
| Provider | Best for | How you buy | Licensing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Risk | Work too messy for a dropdown | Named broker, no instant quotes | Corporate Authorised Rep of Community Broker Network, AFSL 233750 |
| Smart Business Insurance | A Melbourne broker, quickly | Phone, email or online quote form | Corporate Authorised Rep 437328 of EBN Holdings, AFSL 518220 |
| BizCover | A certificate of currency today | Compare and buy online | Agent of the insurer, quoting from 13 insurers |
| allinsure | One broker across the whole operation | Local team, national network | Corporate Authorised Rep of Insurance Advisernet Australia |
| ProTrades Insurance | A specialist who does trades only | Form or 1300 118 637 | Authorised Rep of repX, AFSL 425573, Steadfast network |
Every cell read off each company's own site in August 2026.
Trade Risk
Based at Hendra in Brisbane and working nationally. In their own words they are not owned by a larger brokerage. Around 5,000 business owners on the books.
They arrange public liability, tools, personal accident, commercial vehicle, professional indemnity, contract works, plant and equipment and more. Every client gets a named broker with a direct mobile rather than a call queue, and they deliberately do not do instant online quotes, because the questions come first.
Best for: a tradie who wants one person who knows the file, and whose work is too messy for a dropdown. traderisk.com.au
Skip it if: you want a price online in ten minutes. They deliberately do not quote that way.
Smart Business Insurance
A broker operating from South Yarra in Melbourne. Public and product liability, business property covering tools and equipment, commercial motor, personal accident, business packs, and management liability. Phone, email or an online quote form, so you can start it yourself and still end up talking to someone.
Best for: a Melbourne trade business that wants a broker without a long onboarding. smartbusinessinsurance.com.au
Skip it if: you would rather use a broker who takes trades and nothing else, as Trade Risk and ProTrades do.
BizCover
The buy-it-yourself option. Pick your trade, pick your covers, enter your details, compare quotes and buy online with policy documents issued immediately. They quote from 13 insurers including QBE, Chubb, Zurich, Vero and AIG.
Two things worth knowing, both from their own site. They act as agent of the insurer rather than as your broker, and they state plainly that they do not compare all insurers in the market, only the ones they list. That is not a criticism, it is the trade you are making for the ten minutes.
Best for: a sole trader who needs a certificate of currency today and knows what they need. bizcover.com.au
Skip it if: your work does not fit a standard trade description, or you want someone acting for you rather than for the insurer.
allinsure
Headquartered at Fyshwick in Canberra with a Melbourne office. The structure matters: a local team, backed by the buying power of a national network.
They are a general SME broker rather than trades-only, which cuts both ways. Less trade-specific pattern recognition than a specialist, more use to you if you also have a workshop lease, a couple of vehicles and staff.
Best for: a Canberra or Melbourne trade business that wants one broker across the whole operation.
Skip it if: trade-specific pattern recognition matters more to you than breadth, since they are a general SME broker.
ProTrades Insurance
Trading as SK Insurance Brokers out of Melbourne. They say they have arranged cover for more than 3,000 Australian tradies.
Trades are the whole business here, and the detail shows: public liability quoted at $5 million to $20 million, tools, plant and machinery, contract works, workers compensation, commercial motor and cyber. Enquiries go through a form or 1300 118 637, there is no published email.
Best for: a trade business that wants a specialist broker who does trades and nothing else. protradesinsurance.com.au
Skip it if: you would rather open with an email, because there is no published address.
The three that catch tradies out
Tools left in the ute overnight. Many policies limit or exclude theft from an unattended vehicle unless it was locked and forced. Read that clause before you find out about it.
Your public liability limit versus what the job demands. Builders and principal contractors routinely require $20 million. If you hold $5 million you are not underinsured in general, you are just off that site.
Certificates of currency. You will be asked for one more often than you expect, usually the morning you are meant to start. Knowing where to get it in a hurry is worth as much as the policy.
The pick, in one line
Standard trade, standard covers, certificate needed by lunchtime: BizCover. Anything with contract works, plant or a head contractor's conditions attached: a broker, and Trade Risk or ProTrades if you want one who only does trades. A workshop, vehicles and staff on top of the tools: allinsure.
Keep the paperwork it depends on
Insurers and principal contractors both want records, and the ones tradies lose are the boring ones: what you quoted, what you invoiced, what was paid and when. Yamate keeps that from the phone for $19 a month flat if you sign up before 30 September 2026, $29 a month after. It will not arrange your cover, it just means the paper trail exists when someone asks for it.
FAQ
Do sole traders in Australia need public liability insurance?
It is not compulsory across the board, but most principal contractors, builders and commercial clients will not let you on site without it, and some licences and contracts require it. In practice you cannot work much without it.
Broker or buy online?
Online if your work fits a standard trade description and you are confident answering the questions. A broker once contract works, plant, subcontracting or unusual site conditions are involved, because that is where the exclusions live.
How were these five chosen?
Each was read on its own site in August 2026, each states its licensing on that site, and between them they cover the range from buying online to a named broker. Nobody paid to appear and there are no affiliate links.
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General information for Australian businesses, not insurance, tax, legal or financial advice. Cover, licensing and pricing all change, so confirm the licence and the policy wording with the provider before you buy.