Commercial Plant & Equipment Insurance For Aussie Businesses
Commercial plant and equipment insurance addresses risks to machinery used in construction, manufacturing and other industries. Theft, accidental damage and breakdown can disrupt work, making cover for owned or hired equipment an important consideration.
Explore our equipment insurance articles, guides and news - or connect with a participating plant and equipment insurance broker from our Australia-wide referral partner network who can discuss your needs, and compare rates and options.
Plant and Equipment Insurance
Accidental Damage
Machinery Theft Risks
Machinery Breakdown Cover Options
Hired Plant Insurance
Mobile Plant Insurance
Equipment insurance quotes are provided by a selected broker from our referral network and may not represent all providers in the market. We may receive a referral fee at no cost to you. We do not provide financial advice or credit assistance directly.
At Insurance Online, we refer you to a participating insurance broker who can help you compare plant and equipment insurance quotes from Australian insurers available to them. Whether you're in construction, manufacturing, or logistics, find options to help protect your machinery, tools, and heavy equipment. Comparisons are limited to options available through the participating broker and may not represent all options in the market.
What's Covered?
Cover varies by policy and may include the following, subject to terms, limits and exclusions. Some cover may need to be added separately.
Accidental Damage: Covers unexpected damage to your plant or equipment on-site or in transit.
Theft and Vandalism: Protects against loss or theft of your valuable machinery.
Machinery Breakdown: Options to cover mechanical or electrical breakdowns.
Hired Plant Equipment: Options to include cover for leased or hired equipment.
Why Choose Us?
Access to plant insurance quotes from multiple insurers through a participating broker
Flexible cover options for a range of equipment and machinery
Access to pricing through a participating broker, who can discuss cover for your industry and requirements
Don't let equipment downtime cost you valuable business. Secure plant and machinery insurance to help protect your business assets against insured events. Request a referral now through Insurance Online to compare available policies with a participating broker.
Personal Advice
Insurance Online does not provide financial product advice or claims assistance. Your enquiry is referred to a licensed participating insurance broker from our Australia-wide referral partner network after you submit a quote request. The broker may provide quote comparisons, claims assistance or personal advice where these fall within their services and authorisation.
A participating Business Insurance Broker may be allocated to your enquiry based on your location, the basic information you provide about your requirements in your plant and equipment insurance quote request, and operational factors such as availability and bidding settings. Broker allocation is part of our referral process and is not a full assessment or personal advice from us. For this reason, it is important that you provide complete and accurate answers when you submit your enquiry.
Explore your business insurance needs with our Business Insurance Calculator. Use different cost assumptions and business scenarios to estimate potential insurable amounts and better understand the factors that may affect your calculations.
Safe Work Australia’s latest Key Work Health and Safety Statistics, released on 12 October 2026, provide a fresh reminder that construction remains one of the country’s highest-risk work environments. The national data records 41 construction worker fatalities in 2025 and shows construction accounted for 11.7% of serious workers’ compensation claims in 2024-25, making the figures directly relevant to trade businesses reviewing safety systems, contracts and insurance arrangements. - read more
A damaging hailstorm across Victoria’s Mallee has turned a promising harvest into a difficult insurance and cash-flow test for affected grain growers. ABC Rural reported on 6 November 2026 that hail swept through districts including Birchip, Wycheproof and Quambatook, damaging thousands of hectares of wheat, barley, lentils, canola and other crops just as many paddocks were ready to harvest. - read more
A recent Australian Financial Complaints Authority decision has highlighted a difficult but common issue for strata communities: damage that happens during a storm is not always insured storm damage. The dispute, reported on 5 November 2026, involved an owners corporation claim for a collapsed parapet wall, with the insurer declining cover on the basis that defective design, materials or workmanship were the dominant cause rather than the weather event itself. - read more
A new Australian healthcare professional liability market update points to a sharper divide between general insurance market conditions and the experience of healthcare organisations arranging malpractice and professional liability cover. Lockton’s 1 November 2026 update says established insurers remain selective, claims inflation is affecting attachment points and underwriters are looking more closely at how clinical governance works in practice, not merely whether accreditation exists. - read more
Western Australia’s updated Working With Children Check laws are a timely reminder that fitness business risk is not limited to physical injury, equipment damage or venue incidents. The changes, in effect from 17 September 2026 and highlighted by AUSactive in October, mean certain adverse Working With Children outcomes from other Australian jurisdictions can now affect a person’s ability to work with children in WA. - read more
In the bustling world of business, safeguarding your assets is crucial. This is especially true for industries reliant on machinery and equipment. One essential type of coverage for such businesses is plant and equipment insurance. It provides financial protection against risks associated with the loss or damage of your essential tools. - read more
Hiring plant or equipment can help Australian contractors stay flexible, but insurance responsibilities are not always straightforward. This guide explains how dry hire, wet hire, hired-in plant cover, damage waivers and hire agreement terms can affect who is responsible for loss, damage, theft, liability and downtime. - read more
Plant and equipment insurance claims generally involve securing the site, gathering evidence, notifying the insurer, assessing the loss and agreeing on repair, replacement or settlement options. The exact process depends on the policy wording, the insured event and the insurer's claims criteria. - read more
When it comes to running a small business, particularly in sectors like construction, having the right insurance is essential. This is where plant and equipment insurance comes into play. It protects your valuable machinery and tools, allowing you to focus on your projects without the constant worry of potential financial loss. - read more
Machinery breakdown insurance can help commercial plant and equipment owners manage the cost of sudden mechanical or electrical failure, but it is not the same as cover for theft, accidental damage or wear and tear. - read more
Knowledgebase
Incontestability Clause: A provision in a life insurance policy that prevents the insurer from voiding coverage due to a misstatement by the insured after a certain period.
