Growing Scaffolding Contractor, $20M Renewal at 12 Metres

A Sydney scaffolding contractor came up for renewal with a business that had grown: six staff, turnover of approximately $550,000, and work up to 12 metres across an 80 per cent residential, 20 per cent commercial project split.

The business required a $20 million limit. Height work at 12 metres, commercial projects and a specialist occupation all narrow the field of insurers prepared to quote, so a renewal at this profile is never a formality.

Rather than rolling the policy over, we marketed the renewal with the current risk profile - the height, the project split, the staff and the required limit - so the incumbent's terms could be tested against the market.

• The renewal was marketed with one complete, accurate submission to markets with genuine scaffolding appetite.
• The alternative quotations came back at more than twice the selected price at the required $20 million limit.
• The renewal was bound with the incumbent insurer at the full $20 million limit, which offered the most competitive terms of the markets approached.

A renewal marketing exercise can validate the incumbent as much as replace it. Either way, the client knows where the market sits rather than hoping the rollover price is fair.

Growth changes a scaffolding risk. Working height had moved to 12 metres and commercial work was now a fifth of the book - both details that must be disclosed and priced, not discovered at claim time.

The $20 million limit kept the placement in specialist territory. The task was presenting the grown business accurately so insurers priced the real risk, while making sure the limit and wording still matched the contracts being signed.

Products and public liability was renewed at the $20 million limit with the incumbent insurer.

The contractor kept the limit its contracts require, with the height change and project split disclosed and priced into the renewal.

This case records one historical outcome; current insurer appetite, premium, timing and terms depend on the complete risk at the time of application.

For the wider buying context, see our scaffolding insurance cost guide and scaffolding quote requirements checklist.