Trades Insurance for New Zealand Tradies
Electricians, plumbers, painters, roofers, landscapers and general trades – Marble helps small trades businesses structure cover around tools, vehicles, public liability and the realities of running a busy on-site operation.
“For a tradie, the insurance question is rarely if – it is when, and how cleanly it is sorted.”
Trades businesses are usually small, lean and reliant on a few key people. A stolen ute, damage to a customer's property or an unexpected period off the tools can knock cash flow harder than a slow month.
Most off-the-shelf insurance products are not built around the way tradies actually operate – multiple job sites, tools moving between vehicles and workshops, customer properties touched daily and contract requirements that vary by job.
An adviser who understands trades will start with what you do day to day, not a policy schedule, and build cover around the realities of the work.
Trades – operating reality
Common risks we help you plan for.
Tool theft
From vehicles overnight, from sites mid-job, and from workshops.
Damage to customer property
A small mistake in someone's home or business can become an expensive claim.
Public liability incidents
Third-party injury or property damage during work.
Vehicle accidents
Utes and vans are essential – and exposed.
Workmanship-related claims
Disputes about completed work, often months later.
Contract and certifier requirements
Many jobs require minimum liability limits in writing.
Cover that may be relevant for your business.
Public liability
Cover for third-party injury or property damage during work.
Tools of trade
Cover for owned tools at home, in vehicles and on site.
Commercial vehicle
Cover for utes, vans and trailers.
Material damage
Workshops, storage and stock.
Business interruption
Cover designed to protect revenue after an insured event.
Management liability
An umbrella programme covering the risks of running the company — typically Directors & Officers, Statutory Liability, Employers Liability, Employment Disputes, Fidelity / Crime, Internet Liability and Consequential Loss in one structure.
The right insurance mix depends on your business structure, contracts, assets, staff, revenue, claims history and risk profile. Marble can help you review what is appropriate for your situation.
We arrange cover across the full trades spectrum.
Construction
Builders working across new builds, renovations and fit-outs, where tools, sites and contracts all need cover.
Plumbing
Plumbers, gasfitters and drainage specialists working in homes and commercial sites with workmanship exposure.
Electrical
Electricians working on residential, commercial and industrial wiring jobs with certifier and liability requirements.
Carpet Cleaning / Flood Restoration
Specialists restoring properties after water damage and cleaning carpets, where equipment, liability and customer property exposure all sit in the mix.
Painters
Residential and commercial painters working on ladders, scaffolds and occupied sites with public liability and finish-quality exposure.
HVAC
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning technicians installing and servicing systems across homes and commercial buildings with machinery and workmanship risk.
Roofers
Roofers working at height on residential and commercial properties with falls, weather and materials liability exposure.
Where a Marble adviser can help.
Reviewing your existing policies in plain English.
Identifying underinsurance on tools and vehicles.
Checking exclusions and excesses against the way you actually work.
Supporting claims conversations so you can stay on the tools.
Aligning cover with contract and certifier requirements.
Helping compare options across insurers where appropriate.
The ute, the tools and the Monday morning job.
A ute is broken into overnight on a Friday. By Monday, the tradie is short the tools needed for a job that has already been booked, the vehicle is partially unusable, and a customer is waiting.
How the policy is structured – replacement timeframes, hire vehicle cover, tool cover limits and excess – determines whether Monday goes ahead or slides into the following week.
Trades insurance – common questions.
Get your cover reviewed before you need to rely on it.
A quick conversation with a Marble adviser can help you understand whether your current insurance still matches your business, your risks and your next stage of growth.
Other sectors we work with.
Construction
Contract works, liability, plant and the project delays that test every clause.
Transport
Trucks, fleets, goods in transit and the downtime risk that quietly costs the most.
Manufacturing
Plant, product liability, supply chain and the breakdown that stops the line.