Earthmoving and Excavation Insurance
Cover built for the risks earthmoving and excavation actually carry.
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Insurance For Earthmoving and Excavation Operators
Earthmoving and excavation involve heavy machinery, underground risk, and constant movement between sites, all of which create exposure a standard business policy isn’t built to handle. Coverscope arranges cover specifically for the contractors, operators and equipment owners working in this industry.
Whether you run a single excavator or a fleet across multiple sites, cover needs to reflect the actual risk of the job, not just the value of the machine.
What Does Earthmoving Insurance Cover?
- Plant and Machinery: Covers excavators, bulldozers, loaders and graders against accidental damage, fire, theft, vandalism and rollover.
- Public Liability: Covers legal and compensation costs if your work damages third-party property or injures someone, including underground service strikes.
- Road Risk Liability: Covers registered plant for third-party injury or property damage while travelling between sites on public roads, separate from on-site operational risk.
- Portable Equipment: Covers smaller items you carry between sites, laser levels and survey equipment, GPS units, mobile phones and hand tools, against theft or damage.
- Machinery Breakdown and Downtime: Covers sudden mechanical failure and the resulting loss of income while your machine is out of action.
- Hired-In and Dry Hire Plant: Covers machinery you hire from others, or hire out to others without an operator.
Who Needs Earthmoving Insurance?
- Earthmoving contractors doing site preparation, land clearing, trenching or grading
- Construction companies using heavy machinery on-site
- Independent operators working contractually
- Equipment owners leasing or renting machinery to others
- Contractors working on mine sites or under head-contractor agreements
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Road Risk Liability Only Covers The Road, Not The Job Site
Road risk liability responds while registered plant is being driven or transported between sites on a public road, third-party injury or property damage from an accident in transit. It doesn’t cover an incident while the machine is actively working, digging, lifting, or grading. Those are two different risk windows, covered by two different sections, and only registered or conditionally registered plant qualifies for road risk cover at all.
Underground Service Strikes Are Often Excluded By Default
Striking a gas, water, power or telecoms line is one of the most common and costly claims in this industry, but many public liability policies treat underground services cover as an optional add-on rather than an automatic inclusion, often conditional on following Dial Before You Dig procedures and staying within a depth limit, commonly around 5 metres. Vibration damage or weakening of support to a nearby structure is a related, separate risk worth checking for too, since it can happen without any direct impact at all.
Mine Sites Have Their Own Insurance Requirements
Mine site work typically demands higher public liability limits, commonly $10 million to $20 million, sometimes up to $100 million, and your certificate of currency usually needs to explicitly list mining contractor activities, not just general earthmoving. Site operators also commonly require Principal’s Indemnity and Cross Liability as standard contract conditions before you’re allowed on-site.
Premiums Scale Sharply With Machine Size
A mini excavator and a large excavator carry very different premiums, since cover is priced against the machine’s value and risk profile, not a flat industry rate. Getting the sum insured right for your specific machine matters more here than in most trades, given how wide that range can be.
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Our team continues to work remotely but you are welcome to arrange an appointment with one of our consultants.
Find The Right Cover
Complete the form to request a QUOTE. Call us at 1300 900 207 for an immediate response.
Earthmoving Insurance Cover Types Explained
Plant and Machinery Cover
Covers repair or replacement costs for your plant and equipment, excavators, cranes, bobcats, and other heavy machinery, if it’s stolen, lost, or damaged, helping you get back to work quickly.
Public Liability Insurance
Covers damages and legal expenses if your work causes property damage or injury to others, including underground service strikes, essential given the high-risk nature of operating heavy equipment.
Road Risk Liability
Covers registered plant for third-party injury and property damage while it’s being driven or transported between job sites on public roads, separate from cover for the machine while it’s actively working on-site.
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Relevant where you provide professional advice as part of your work, covering legal costs and damages if a negligence claim arises separate from the physical operation itself.
Workers' Compensation
Covers injuries or illnesses sustained by your employees on the job, including medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs.
Personal Accident and Illness Cover
Protects your income if you’re unable to work due to injury or illness, relevant given the real risks of vehicle overturns, landslides, and other site hazards in this industry.
Portable Equipment
Covers smaller items that travel with you between sites, laser levels and survey equipment, GPS units, mobile phones and hand tools, against theft or damage, separate from the plant and machinery itself.
Hired-In and Dry Hire Plant
Covers machinery you hire in from a third party while it’s in your care, or machinery you hire out to others without an operator, each carrying a different risk profile.
Machinery Breakdown and Downtime
Covers sudden mechanical or electrical failure, and can extend to the loss of income or cost of substitute hire while your machine is being repaired.
Commercial Motor
Covers utes, trucks and transport vehicles used to move machinery, tools and crew between sites.
What's Not Covered By Earthmoving Insurance?
- Cost of Rectifying Faulty Workmanship: Fixing your own faulty work isn’t covered, though resultant damage it causes elsewhere can be.
- Damage to Your Own Product: Property damage cover responds to third parties, not your own completed work.
- Claims by Employees: These sit under Workers Compensation instead.
- Claims Involving a Registered Motor Vehicle: These sit under commercial motor insurance rather than public liability.
- Unregistered Plant on Public Roads: Road risk liability only applies to registered or conditionally registered machinery, not unregistered plant.
- Claims Related to Asbestos: A standard exclusion across virtually all liability policies.
| Earthmoving Insurance | Plant and Equipment Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | A bundled package built for the earthmoving industry specifically | A standalone asset policy, usable across any industry |
| What’s included | Public liability, tools, income protection and machinery combined | Physical damage, theft and breakdown of the machinery itself |
| Typical user | Earthmoving contractors and excavation operators | Any business running heavy plant, from farmers to manufacturers to civil contractors |
| Best suited to | Businesses wanting liability and asset cover in one package | Businesses that already have separate liability cover and just need asset protection |
Which businesses need earthmoving and excavation insurance?
This cover suits sole traders, self-employed operators, and large excavation contractors alike. Any business operating earthmoving machinery should consider it to reduce operational risk and protect against unexpected costs.
Do I need public liability insurance for my earthmoving business?
Yes. It covers legal and compensation costs if your work causes injury or property damage, and given the high-risk nature of the industry, most sites and head contractors will require proof of it before you start work.
What factors affect the cost of earthmoving and excavation insurance?
Cost depends on the value and type of your equipment, the size and scope of your operations, your location, and your claims history. Large equipment is typically calculated as 1.5-3.5% of insured value.
What's the difference between road risk liability and public liability?
Public liability covers damage or injury caused by your operations generally. Road risk liability specifically covers registered plant while it’s travelling on public roads between sites, it doesn’t apply to incidents while the machine is actively working.
Get in Touch
Simply fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch shortly, or feel free to call and tell us about your specific requirements.
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Suite 10B, Level 10, 2 Corporate Court, Bundall QLD 4217
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PO Box 7005, Mount Crosby QLD 4306
Our team continues to work remotely but you are welcome to arrange an appointment with one of our consultants.
Please complete the form to submit an enquiry.
