Hutch Underwriting's New PI Insurance: Comprehensive Protection for Tradies

The updated PI insurance is tailored for licensed trades such as electricians, carpenters, painters, and other professionals who offer reports, advice, or design services for individual or low-rise residential and commercial projects valued below $10 million.

Ross Chambers, Head of Financial Lines at Hutch Underwriting, highlighted the challenges brokers face when placing PI for construction-related risks that include design or advisory components. He noted that brokers often have to piece together multiple policies or wait extended periods for responses, even for well-managed small to medium-sized enterprises. The new wordings focus on clear appetite, streamlined questions, and digital access to address these issues.

The enhanced PI policy features civil liability coverage with limits generally available up to $5 million, and up to $10 million in aggregate. Notably, cyber cover is included as standard, with sublimits for specific events such as data security breaches, client network infections, and cybercrime losses.

Optional extensions are also available, including sudden and accidental pollution, previous business activities, mitigation costs, and, for design and construct projects, proportionate liability waivers and novated contracts.

These new PI design and construct and PI trades wordings are accessible to brokers via the Sunrise Exchange platform, streamlining the process of obtaining comprehensive coverage for tradies.

For Australian tradespeople, this development offers a more straightforward and inclusive insurance solution, ensuring that their professional services are adequately protected against a range of potential risks.