What is Public Liability insurance?
Public Liability insurance protects you against the cost of accidental loss or damage of someone else’s property and even injuries to people (not covered by ACC).
Let’s face it, sometimes accidents happen (despite our best efforts), resulting in property damage or injury. So be sure to protect your customers, suppliers, and members of the public, no matter where you work – from your own premises, a home office, your client’s place, or even out in public.
What does Public Liability insurance cover?
Personal Injury
Compensation costs to a customer, supplier, or member of the public who is injured as a result of your business activities (when not covered by ACC).
Legal & Defence
The legal and defence costs associated with a claim.
Damage to Property
Repair and replacements costs to a property accidentality damaged as a result of your business activity.
Damage to third-party goods
Compensation for goods owned by a third party, which have become damaged as a result of your business activity.
- Employee injuries (covered under ACC).
- Compensation for personal injury where cover is provided by the ACC.
- Damage to your own business property.
- Known claims and circumstances
Why you might need Public Liability insurance?
Business insurance isn’t mandatory in NZ for most businesses, but you may be required to have a Public Liability policy to do things like:
Enter a jobsite.
Lease a building.
Work as a contractor or sub-contractor.
Pay legal costs if you face a liability claim.
Get Public Liability cover sorted quicker than a smoko break.
Get your Public Liability insurance sorted quicker than a smoko break.
How much does Public Liability insurance cost?
Public Liability insurance costs $30 per month* on average for BizCover NZ customers, but every business is unique. The cost of a policy can vary based on your business’ size, risks, insurance requirements and other factors.
The costs are real, get that new policy feel
Public Liability
$30/mo*
Expected average cost
How is the cost of insurance calculated?
Risks of the industry
Cover level amount
Annual turnover
Number of employees
Claims history
*Customer Average Monthly Payment Report is based on 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 and presented as a guide only. It may not reflect pricing for your particular business, as individual criteria will apply.
Click here to check industry wise average prices
Get cover that works with the risks of your business
You can select from 5 different levels of cover.
This is the most you will be paid out if you need to make a claim. Choosing different cover levels may impact the cost of your policy.
Flexible Cover
Pick from 6 levels of Public Liability cover
Unsure how much to choose? Think about:
Statutory professional requirements
Cover required by contracts
Number of employees being covered
Your contract value
Worst case scenario claim size
Underinsurance
We know it’s tempting to select a lower level of cover to reduce premiums, but this can leave businesses shocked and insufficiently covered when making a claim.
Ways underinsurance catches business owners out:
Inflation
With inflation, the cost of living and doing business increases. Remember to cover you, your tools and assets for the rising costs of replacing or covering them, not what you paid for them – you may be surprised at the difference.
Not covering the full cost of your risks
If you select cover levels for less than the value you may be found liable – left out of pocket when it comes to claims time. It’s important to review your risks and determine how much you will need to cover any claim that may come your way.
Public Liability
$30/mo*
Expected average cost
How is the cost of insurance calculated?
Risks of the industry
Cover level amount
Annual turnover
Number of employees
Claims history
*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 criteria will apply. This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording.
Click here to check industry wise average prices
Get cover that works with the risks of your business
You can select from 5 different levels of cover.
This is the most you will be paid out if you need to make a claim. Choosing different cover levels may impact the cost of your policy.
Flexible Cover
Pick from 6 levels of Public Liability cover
Unsure how much to choose? Think about:
Statutory professional requirements
Cover required by contracts
Number of employees being covered
Your contract value
Worst case scenario claim size
Underinsurance
We know it’s tempting to select a lower level of cover to reduce premiums, but this can leave businesses shocked and insufficiently covered when making a claim.
Ways underinsurance catches business owners out:
Inflation
With inflation, the cost of living and doing business increases. Remember to cover you, your tools and assets for the rising costs of replacing or covering them, not what you paid for them – you may be surprised at the difference.
Not covering the full cost of your risks
If you select cover levels for less than the value you may be found liable – left out of pocket when it comes to claims time. It’s important to review your risks and determine how much you will need to cover any claim that may come your way.
How it works – buying online
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How it works – making a claim
We’ll assist you through the claims process & manage your claim directly with the insurer.
Let us know Fill out our claims form and provide info to support the claim
Receive extra support We will assist you with your claim
Claim results We will notify you of the claim outcome.
Let us know Fill out our claims form and provide info to spport the claim
Receive extra support We will assist you with your claim
Claims results We will notify you of the claim outcome
Our Insurers
We work with a selected group of trusted NZ insurers to offer you great cover.
The savings are real
See how much others have saved while purchasing policy through Bizcover
^ Savings made from January 2023 to July 2024. This information is provided as a guide only and may not reflect pricing for your particular business, as individual underwriting criteria will apply.
What sets BizCover apart?
We are not just a comparison and buy site.
Make claims online
We’ll manage the process on your behalf with the insurers.
Flexi Payment Options
Pay monthly or annually, cancel at any time.
One Stop Shop
Manage multiple cover types in one place.
Easy Renewals
Optional automatic renewal to stay protected.
Frequently asked questions
Confused about Public Liability insurance? We have answered the most common questions we get here.
If you still have questions, you can reach one of our friendly business insurance experts click here
Both Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance can protect your business from the result of a mistake or accident, but the types of mistakes and accidents they cover are different.
Public Liability insurance protects your business against claims resulting from injury to a third party, or damage to a third party’s property.
Professional Indemnity insurance protects your business if a client claims the advice you gave was negligent and has resulted in financial losses.
For most businesses there is no insurance which in mandatory by the New Zealand government. But having insurance may be a requirement for certain customer contracts or work sites.
While Public Liability insurance isn’t legally required many business owners wouldn’t want to go without it! The cost of a Public Liability claim can stack up to thousands of dollars, if you wouldn’t be okay to pay this out of packet, you may want to consider Public Liability insurance.
Yes
If you have a business where you operate on your client’s property, or in public spaces, or if your clients or members of the public come to your business premises, you may want to consider Public Liability insurance.
Finding the right mix of insurance cover will be unique to the needs and risks of each business.
People who purchase Public Liability may also consider:
Tool & Portable Equipment Insurance:
To cover the tools you take with you against loss and damage.
Business Interruption Insurance:
To cover ongoing expenses such as rent and utilities if business stops or is interrupted due to an event such as fire, theft, or flooding.
Building Insurance:
To cover the cost of repairing or reconstructing damage to buildings your business owns, which is the result of fire or other insured event.
Contents (Property) Insurance:
To cover the cost of repairing or reconstructing damage to contents your business owns, which is the result of fire or other insured event.
With BizCover there are 5 levels of Public Liability cover to choose from, being $1 million, $2 million, $5 million, $10 million, and $20 million.
Policies are typically tailored to suit the type of industry your business operates within. However, the amount of cover required will vary from one business to another.
When deciding on how much cover you need for your business, consider the following factors:
- Do any of your contracts require a minimum level of cover?
- Has your industry body set a minimum level of cover for membership?
- Does your business or trade license require a minimum amount of cover?
- Do the terms of your lease require a minimum level of cover?
- Finally, think about what your level of risk and exposure could be. What kind of accidents could occur, and what could be the potential cost of a claim?