How Much Is Public Liability Insurance? Costs in 2026

Most small Australian businesses pay roughly $370 to $840 a year ($38 to $70 a month) for public liability insurance, according to upcover's analysis of policies it arranged from 2022 to 2026, with GST, stamp duty and fees included. BizCover's customers paid an average of $39 a month in 2023–24. Your occupation, turnover and cover limit move the price most, followed by claims history and your state's stamp duty.

This is general information, not financial product advice, and it doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for any policy, and consider getting advice. For what the cover does and when you need it, see our guide to public liability insurance.

Public liability costs at a glance

BizCover's $39 a month works out to $468 a year. All figures as published by the source, checked 17 October 2026.

Methodology: where these numbers come from

How we compiled this page (checked 17 October 2026)

• What we included. Figures published by a named insurer, broker or comparison service that state what they measure (an average paid, a starting quote, real quotes or policy data) and the period they cover. Every row names its source and period.
• What we left out. Undated "from" prices (Smart Business Insurance publishes some), ranges a source itself calls ball-park estimates without naming its data (National Cover), and overseas figures. We kept one dated broker estimate (All Trades Cover) and label it as an estimate. We didn't request quotes or sign up for anything, and we haven't tested any product.
• Why the numbers differ. An average of what customers paid includes bigger and riskier businesses. A starting quote is the cheapest case (small sole trader, lowest limit). A single real quote reflects one business. Some figures include GST, stamp duty and fees (upcover's do; BizCover's trade quotes include platform and card fees), others don't say (Trade Risk).
• Whose customers. BizCover is an online platform acting for its insurer partners; upcover, Trade Risk and All Trades Cover are brokers or authorised representatives. Each sees only its own customers, so none is the whole market.
• Older data. BizCover's cover-level averages are from 2018–19 and its NSW tradie and cafe tables from 2021–22. We show them because they're still the only published averages by limit, and we label the year on every row.

How much is public liability insurance by occupation?

The table below lists every occupation for which we found a published public liability figure with a stated basis and period. Figures of different types aren't directly comparable, so read the "type" column before comparing rows.

All figures as published, checked 17 October 2026. upcover's occupation ranges don't state a cover limit or data period beyond "published occupation cost guides". Trade Risk says Queensland electricians and Victorian plumbers "have unique insurance requirements that result in slightly higher premiums".

Three patterns stand out. Plumbing is priced above the other trades in every BizCover trade table. A bigger business at a higher limit can pay several times the starting price for the same trade (a $2 million carpenter at $20 million paid $2,282 against $474 for a $120,000 carpenter at $5 million). And office-based professions such as bookkeeping sit well below trades.

What businesses in each occupation spend on all their insurance

BizCover also publishes what customers in each occupation pay for all the business insurance they buy through it, which can include professional indemnity, tools, personal accident and business packs as well as public liability. These figures show total insurance spend, so they're higher than public liability alone for most trades.

Source: BizCover occupation pages, checked 17 October 2026. Periods are financial years (1 July to 30 June). The 2025–26 figures come from what BizCover calls its Marketing Pricing Expectations Report; the others from its Customer Average Monthly Payment Report.

Cost by industry

BizCover's industry averages for public liability (customers, 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024):

upcover's industry figures (its policies arranged 2022 to 2026, total payable including GST, duty and fees):

upcover says its annual and monthly figures come from different groups of policies, so the monthly figure multiplied by 12 won't match the annual one. It left out health and medical practices because it had too few standalone policies. At the top end, upcover reports larger cleaning operations paying up to $10,825 a year and larger trade businesses up to $5,552.

Cost by cover level: $5m vs $10m vs $20m

As published, checked 17 October 2026.

Read the averages carefully. In BizCover's 2018–19 data, $20 million customers paid $34 a month more than $10 million customers, about 60% more. That doesn't mean the extra cover costs 60% more. Businesses that buy $20 million tend to be bigger, work on larger sites or have contracts that demand it, so the average mixes in their higher risk. When the same business is quoted at each limit, the step is smaller: upcover says entry-level quotes rise by roughly $60 to $70 a year per level. For its handyman example, $10 million to $20 million is a 25% increase; for the electrician, 13.6%.

The practical takeaway: if any client or landlord is likely to ask for $20 million in the next year, ask your insurer to quote both limits before you decide.

Cost by state

BizCover's average monthly public liability premiums by state (its customers, 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024):

The spread is narrow, and it reflects the mix of businesses in each state as well as stamp duty. The ACT charges no duty yet averages the same as NSW and Victoria.

BizCover also publishes the same trade starting prices for WA as for its national (NSW) page, both as at April 2025:

Monthly, sole traders with revenue up to $50,000, $5 million cover, $500 excess, including platform and card fees.

Within a state, location still matters. Finder lists airports, construction sites, railway stations and mine sites as locations that affect price, and Trade Risk says airports, railway stations, power plants, mines and marine ports are commonly excluded from standard policies altogether.

Stamp duty and GST on public liability premiums

Every state and territory except the ACT charges insurance duty, and the Commonwealth charges GST. The order matters: GST is calculated on the premium before duty, and duty is then calculated on the premium including GST, as RevenueSA explains.

Rates as published by each revenue office, checked 17 October 2026. Victoria's rate depends on the date the policy is taken out or renewed, not the date you pay.

The NSW exemption is easy to miss. It isn't automatic: Revenue NSW says the insurer decides whether it applies based on a small business declaration that only the insured can complete, and you need a new one at each renewal. If you're in NSW, under $2 million turnover and your quote shows stamp duty on public liability, ask why.

Worked example: from base premium to the price you pay

Illustrative. Suppose an insurer quotes a base premium of $600 for a liability-only policy. The base premium is the insurer's price before government charges (NRMA defines it this way). Here's how the same quote becomes the final price in each state.

The arithmetic, using Queensland: $600 × 10% = $60 GST. $600 + $60 = $660. $660 × 9% = $59.40 duty. $660 + $59.40 = $719.40 payable. A GST-registered business claims the $60 back, so its cost is $659.40, which is generally the deductible amount.

On the same $600 quote, the difference between the ACT and South Australia is $72.60 a year. The Victorian and NT revenue office pages we checked don't spell out whether GST sits inside the duty base; we've used the GST-inclusive method the other states describe, so check the tax lines on your own quote. If a broker or platform adds a fee, GST applies to the fee, and in NSW intermediary fees are excluded from the duty calculation.

At the bottom of the market the same steps apply. NRMA's published minimum base premium of $220 becomes $242 with GST and $263.78 with Queensland's 9% duty.

What changed in 2026

• Victoria's duty cut again. Business insurance duty, which covers public and product liability, dropped from 8% to 7% for policies taken out or renewed from 1 July 2026. SRO Victoria's schedule cuts it by one point each 1 July until it reaches nil from 1 July 2033. Renewing on or after 1 July 2027 means 6%.
• Fresher price data. upcover published a cost analysis in August 2026 covering policies to 2026, and several BizCover occupation pages now quote a 2025–26 report. BizCover's main cost page still mixes 2018–19, 2023–24 and April 2025 data, so check the year on any figure you rely on.
• Claims costs keep rising. Finder, citing APRA's National Claims and Policy Database, reports average finalised public liability claim costs rising about 5.5% a year since 2013 (see below).

What moves your premium

Sole traders, part-timers and minimum premiums

Sole traders are usually at the cheap end, but not always at the cheapest possible price. upcover's figures for sole traders (policies arranged 2022 to 2026, including taxes):

Source: upcover, published August 2026; checked 17 October 2026.

Two cautions. Trade Risk says a part-time business often still pays the insurer's minimum premium, so cutting your hours may not cut the price. And BizCover's NSW data from 2021–22 showed sole trader tradies paying about $50 a month on average, so the April 2025 starting quotes of around $43 a month are a floor, not a typical price. For other covers a sole trader may need, see sole trader insurance.

Monthly or annual?

Allianz and AAMI say they let you pay monthly at no extra cost. BizCover's published trade prices include monthly platform and credit card fees. Other insurers may load monthly instalments. upcover suggests comparing the annual and monthly price on the same quote; multiply the monthly figure by 12 and compare.

Ways to lower the cost without being underinsured

1. Claim the NSW small business duty exemption if you're eligible. On a $600 base premium it's worth $59.40 a year.
2. Match the limit to real requirements. Buy what your licence, lease and contracts require, then price the next step up rather than guessing.
3. Describe your occupation precisely. A tighter description can price lower, but leaving out work you do can void a claim.
4. Choose your excess deliberately. A higher excess usually lowers the premium; only choose one you could pay several times in a year.
5. Get two or three quotes. Direct insurers, brokers and platforms price differently, and an online discount may apply on a first-year policy. If a broker or platform charges a fee on top of the premium, ask for it in writing so you compare like with like.
6. Keep your claims record clean. Deal with hazards, keep incident records, and talk to your insurer before agreeing to pay anyone yourself.
7. Manage subcontractors. Collect certificates of currency so their risk isn't loaded onto you.
8. Check annual versus monthly. Some insurers charge nothing extra for monthly payments; others do.
9. Review at renewal. Update turnover, staff and activities so you're not paying for a business you no longer run (upcover recommends declaring turnover accurately at renewal).

Why premiums keep rising

Claims, not admin, drive prices. Finder, citing APRA's National Claims and Policy Database, reports that public liability claim frequency is at a 13-year low (26,583 claims) while the average cost of finalised claims has risen about 5.5% a year since 2013. LegalVision, citing an Insurance Council of Australia submission and APRA analysis, reports average premiums up about 40% since 2015, attributing the rise to bodily injury and psychological claims. AAMI notes that personal injury claims can range from a few thousand dollars to several million, and Finder points to rising legal costs. Fewer, larger claims mean even a business that never claims shares the cost. Brokers such as Trade Risk also describe the market cycle: a "soft" market, when insurers compete on price, and a "hard" market, when prices rise and terms tighten. Your renewal price moves with that cycle as well as with your own business.

These are secondary reports of APRA and Insurance Council data, checked 17 October 2026; the underlying reports may define periods differently.

Is public liability insurance tax deductible?

Yes, for a business. The ATO lists insurance premiums, including public risk insurance, among the operating expenses a business can generally deduct in the income year it incurs them. If you're registered for GST, you claim the GST in the premium as a credit on your BAS, so your deduction is the premium excluding GST plus the stamp duty. In the Queensland example above that's $659.40. If you're not registered for GST, the whole $719.40 is the cost.

If you pay a 12-month policy partway through the year, the service period crosses 30 June; our guide to prepaid business expenses shows how to track it for your tax agent. See the full small business tax deductions list for other running costs.

Getting an accurate quote

Averages tell you whether a quote is in the right range; only a quote tells you your price. Before you ask, have ready your exact occupation and activities, estimated turnover for the next 12 months, staff numbers, payments to subcontractors, the sites you work on, the products you sell, the limit your contracts require and your claims history. Our public liability guide has the full list of what insurers ask and a pre-purchase checklist, and our overview of business insurance covers the other policies a small business may need, including professional indemnity and product liability.

When you compare quotes, compare the same limit, excess and products cover, and check that the occupation description and exclusions match. A cheaper quote that leaves out an activity you do is no saving.

Key takeaways

• Published averages cluster around $40 to $70 a month: BizCover customers averaged $39 a month in 2023–24 and upcover policies typically cost about $605 a year including taxes.
• Occupation matters most. In BizCover's April 2025 starting quotes a plumber paid $60.11 a month, against $43.62 for a carpenter, electrician, handyman or painter.
• Moving from $10 million to $20 million cost about $60 to $69 a year more for the same handyman or electrician in upcover's 2026 illustrative quotes.
• Stamp duty ranges from 0% in the ACT to 11% in South Australia, on top of 10% GST. NSW small businesses under $2 million turnover can claim a duty exemption.
• Victoria's duty on business liability insurance is 7% for policies taken out or renewed from 1 July 2026, falling one point a year to nil from 1 July 2033.
• Averages are a sanity check, not a quote. Describe your work accurately, match the limit to your contracts and compare at least two quotes.

Where to get help

• Your state revenue office for insurance duty: Revenue NSW (including the small business exemption), SRO Victoria, Queensland Revenue Office, RevenueSA, SRO Tasmania, WA Department of Treasury and Finance and the NT Government.
• ATO: deductions for operating expenses, including insurance premiums.
• business.gov.au: types of business insurance and links to the registers of general insurers and brokers.
• Moneysmart (ASIC): moneysmart.gov.au for guidance on buying insurance.
• National Insurance Brokers Association: niba.com.au to find a broker if your business is complex.
• Australian Financial Complaints Authority: afca.org.au if you have a dispute with an insurer or broker.
• Your tax agent or BAS agent for deduction timing and GST credits on premiums.

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