Crane Insurance Australia

Review crane insurance for mobile cranes, truck-mounted cranes and specialist lifting operations. The insurance structure can depend on the crane type and value, lifting work, wet or dry hire, road use, sites and contractual responsibilities.

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What Is Crane Insurance?

Crane Insurance is generally arranged around the crane or mobile plant and the work it performs.

Depending on the insurer and policy selected, cover may respond to eligible physical loss or damage, theft and selected liability exposures involving the insured crane.

The insurance needs of a truck-mounted crane can differ from those of an all-terrain, crawler, tower or fixed crane because road use, lifting activities, ownership, hire arrangements and operating sites can all affect the risk.

Built Around the Machine and the Work It Performs

The crane type, lifting capacity, attachments, road registration, ownership structure, lifting activities and contractual responsibilities should be accurately disclosed when arranging insurance.

What Does Crane Insurance Cover?

Crane insurance can involve several different policy sections or products. The cover actually available depends on the insurer, crane, activities and policy wording.

Material Damage & Theft

Selected plant or machinery policies may respond to eligible accidental physical damage, theft or malicious damage involving the insured crane.

Registered Plant & Road Risk

Truck-mounted or road-registered cranes can create motor and road-use exposures that should be reviewed alongside the plant or machinery cover.

Broadform & Public Liability

Third-party injury or property-damage exposures arising from lifting and other business activities may require separate Public Liability protection.

View Public Liability →

Hook & Lifted-Goods Liability

Liability for property being lifted, suspended or handled by the crane can require specific policy wording. Lifted goods should not be assumed to be automatically insured.

Hired-In Plant

Cranes or plant hired from another party may require Hired-In Plant cover depending on the hire agreement and responsibility accepted by the business.

Machinery Breakdown

Mechanical or electrical breakdown is not automatically covered by ordinary material-damage insurance and may require a specific machinery-breakdown section or policy.

Loss of Income & Increased Costs

Selected financial protection may be available following an insured event, subject to waiting periods, benefit periods, limits and the policy selected.

View Truck Downtime →

Personal Accident & Sickness

Personal Accident is a separate personal-risk exposure for eligible operators or individuals and should not be assumed to form part of the crane’s plant or motor insurance.

View Personal Accident →

Important: lifted goods, wet hire, dry hire, road use, hired-in plant and contractual liabilities may require separate policy sections, extensions or insurer approval. They should not be treated as automatically included.

Crane Types and Operations We Can Discuss

Crane Insurance can apply to a wide range of lifting equipment, but the appropriate insurance structure depends on the machine and how it is actually used.

Truck-Mounted Cranes

Crane equipment mounted to a registered truck can involve both commercial motor and mobile-plant exposures.

Mobile & All-Terrain Cranes

Mobile cranes travelling between worksites may involve high equipment values, road exposure and a variety of lifting environments.

Crawler & Tracked Cranes

Crawler and tracked cranes used on construction, civil or industrial sites may require specialist mobile-plant underwriting.

Tower, Gantry & Fixed Cranes

Fixed or semi-fixed lifting equipment can involve different site, installation, property and liability considerations from mobile cranes.

Who May Need Crane Insurance?

This page is most relevant to crane owners, crane operators, lifting contractors and businesses responsible for crane or mobile-plant operations.

The insurance need can change depending on crane type and capacity, the lifting work performed, whether the equipment is owned or hired, wet or dry hire arrangements, road use, operating sites and contractual obligations.

Businesses performing unusual lifts, specialist work or subcontracted operations should disclose those details so the insurer can assess the actual exposure.

Crane Owners

Businesses owning mobile, truck-mounted or specialist cranes may need to review physical damage, theft, liability and operating exposures together.

Crane Hire Businesses

Wet hire and dry hire can create different responsibilities for equipment, operators, customers and third parties.

Lifting Contractors

Businesses undertaking construction, civil, industrial or specialist lifting work may have additional contract and site requirements to consider.

How Crane Operations Can Affect Insurance Needs

The insurance assessment should reflect both the crane itself and the work performed with it.

Information About the Crane and Plant

✓ Crane type, make, model and year

✓ Market or replacement value

✓ Maximum lifting capacity

✓ Boom, jib, hook and attachment details

✓ Road registration where relevant

✓ Owned, hired-in or hired-out arrangement

✓ Modifications and specialist equipment

Information About the Work Performed

✓ Typical lifting activities and load types

✓ Maximum values of property being lifted

✓ Construction, civil, industrial or other sites

✓ Wet hire or dry hire activities

✓ Operators and subcontractors

✓ Road travel between jobs

✓ Customer contracts and liability requirements

Need insurance reviewed for a crane or lifting operation?

Tell us what equipment you operate, what you lift, where you work and how the crane is hired or used.

What Should You Check Before Choosing Crane Insurance?

Compare what each policy actually covers rather than comparing premium alone. Crane operations can contain several exposures that are treated differently between insurers.

Lifted Goods

Check whether liability for property being lifted, suspended or handled is included, excluded or subject to a specific sub-limit or extension.

Wet Hire vs Dry Hire

Providing an operator with the crane can create different exposures from supplying the machine without an operator.

Contractual Liability

Contracts may require the business to accept liabilities beyond ordinary legal liability. Those obligations are not automatically insured.

Road Use

For registered or truck-mounted cranes, confirm how the policy responds while travelling on public roads compared with operating on site.

Public Liability Boundary

Confirm where motor or plant liability ends and separate Public Liability cover becomes relevant.

Machinery Cover Boundary

Check the treatment of breakdown, wear, hydraulic failure and other machinery events rather than assuming every equipment failure is covered.

What Information Helps With a Crane Insurance Quote?

Clear information about the crane, lifting activities, sites and hire structure can help a broker present the risk accurately and reduce unnecessary follow-up during underwriting.

✓ Crane type, make, model, age and value

✓ Lifting capacity and equipment specifications

✓ Truck-mounted or road-registration details

✓ Owned, hired-in or hired-out arrangement

✓ Wet hire and dry hire activities

✓ Types and values of property being lifted

✓ Typical worksites and industries served

✓ Operator experience and subcontractor use

✓ Customer contracts and insurance requirements

✓ Previous claims and current insurance arrangements

Why Use a Broker for Crane Insurance?

Prepare for a More Useful Quote Discussion

A broker can help separate the crane’s physical-damage, road-use, machinery, Public Liability, lifted-goods and downtime exposures before approaching insurers.

They can also help organise the equipment schedule and explain unusual lifting work, hire arrangements or contractual requirements to insurers.

Cover remains subject to insurer acceptance, policy terms, limits, sub-limits, exclusions and excesses.

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How to Request a Crane Insurance Quote

1. Describe the Business

Explain the lifting operation, customers, worksites, hire structure and other activities performed.

2. Provide the Crane Schedule

Supply the crane types, values, capacities, attachments and registration details where relevant.

3. Review Cover Options

A broker can review suitable insurance structures for the plant, liability, road and lifting exposures.

4. Assess the Quote

Review limits, sub-limits, exclusions, excesses and important conditions before arranging the selected cover.

Need help with a Crane Insurance claim?

Existing customers can use the claims pathway to provide details of the incident and request assistance.

Crane Insurance FAQs

Not always. A crane operation may involve more than one policy or section because plant damage, motor risk, Public Liability, lifted goods, downtime and personal risks can be separate exposures.

Not automatically. Liability for property being lifted, suspended or handled may require specific hook or lifted-goods cover and can be subject to limits, exclusions and policy conditions.

Wet hire generally involves supplying equipment with an operator, while dry hire generally involves supplying the equipment without an operator. The insurance responsibilities and exposures can differ between these arrangements.

Insurance may be available for truck-mounted cranes, but the road vehicle and crane equipment can involve both commercial motor and plant exposures. The registration, equipment value and use should be disclosed.

Not automatically. Mechanical and electrical breakdown may require a specific machinery-breakdown section or separate cover. Standard material-damage insurance should not be assumed to cover every equipment failure.

Insurers may consider crane type and value, lifting capacity, work performed, sites, wet or dry hire, road use, operators, limits, excesses, claims history and insurer appetite.

Yes. You can submit the basic details through the quote form. A broker may need additional underwriting information before an insurer can offer terms, and submitting a quote request does not start insurance cover.

Useful information can include the crane schedule, values, capacities, attachments, lifting activities, property being lifted, sites, hire arrangements, operators, contracts, claims history and current insurance.

Related Cover for Plant and Transport Businesses

Plant and Machinery Insurance

Review insurance for mobile plant, machinery and specialist equipment used across construction, civil and transport operations.

View Plant & Machinery →

Truck Public Liability Insurance

Review eligible third-party injury and property-damage exposures arising from wider lifting, transport and business activities.

View Public Liability →

Truck Downtime Insurance

Review selected financial support where an eligible insured commercial vehicle cannot operate following a covered event.

View Truck Downtime →

Commercial Truck Insurance

If the operation also includes registered trucks or truck-mounted equipment, review the motor exposure separately through Commercial Truck Insurance.

Important: Crane Insurance availability, eligibility, insured equipment, road-use treatment, lifted-goods liability, hired-in plant, machinery breakdown, wet or dry hire, contractual liability, limits, sub-limits, exclusions and excesses vary between insurers and policies. Lifted goods, Public Liability, Machinery Breakdown, Personal Accident and Downtime are not automatically included. This information is general only. Review the applicable policy documentation and obtain advice based on your circumstances before arranging insurance.