Apply for a Certificate of Insurance

A Certificate of Insurance is required for residential building projects valued at over $20,000 including GST. You should purchase a Certificate of Insurance before commencing work on the project and before taking any money, including a deposit under the building contract.

Who needs HBC insurance

Any licensed builder, spec builder or tradesperson intending to work on a residential building project with a contract value of over $20,000 must purchase Home Building Compensation insurance for that job (unless otherwise exempted under the Home Building Act 1989). 

What icare HBCF covers

Essentially, the HBCF is a safety net for homeowners. We provide homeowners, including subsequent purchasers, with compensation if they experience a financial loss in having their residential building project completed or defects rectified because their builder:

• becomes insolvent
• dies
• disappears
• has their licence suspended due to non-compliance with a money order in favour of the homeowner by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) or a court. 

Learn more about how we work with builders

When to apply to us

You should apply to us for your Certificate of Insurance before commencing work on the project and before taking any money, including a deposit under the building contract.

To obtain a HBCF Certificate of Insurance, all licensed builders must first have a HBCF Certificate of Eligibility.

Once we grant you a Certificate of Eligibility, you will need to submit a completed project application form to seek our approval of your Certificate of Insurance. Our approval typically takes  less than 24 hours from the submission of your completed project application form.

We may take longer to approve incomplete forms and larger projects.

Apply for a certificate of eligibility

How to apply

You must apply for HBC insurance through a HBCF-approved distributor (insurance broker).

Your insurance broker will provide advice and arrange insurance through icare HBCF.

You must fill out a project application form and submit this to your broker.

You can also submit your project application in the Builder Self-Service Portal.

You can download a project application form below.