Articles, Guides, Checklists and Videos
Articles
Are you a director of your own limited company? You could be held personally liable if your company fails
Do you know if your company is solvent? If it’s insolvent and you continue to trade you could be in breach of the Companies Act. If the company can’t pay its bills, creditors could seek recovery directly from you personally.
Can I get insurance for breaching health & safety law?
Whether you agree with it or not, the reality for everyone in the construction sector is that ensuring workplaces are safe is not negotiable. Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of employers, sometimes things happen. If an injury occurs and a WorkSafe NZ investigation determines that it could have been prevented, you could face a fine and/or prosecution. Under the current law workplace bullying is also considered a hazard, and failure to prevent it could be a breach of the law.
How can a contractor reduce the cost of not getting paid?
It’s been reported more than 20 building companies have collapsed in Christchurch this year. And nationwide every year hundreds of construction companies cease trading and don’t make the news. Businesses in all industries face the risk of not getting paid for what they do, so what are the tools and processes you can put in place to limit this risk?
LBP, RBW and RoW – what are you liable for?
The Building Act does not prevent building companies using (potentially) cheaper, lower-skilled labour for restricted building work (RBW); this must be signed off by an LBP to comply with the law. LBPs who contact us want to know what liability they’re taking on for signing off this work, and what insurance is available to protect them.
The Mainzeal collapse – one year on and what’s changed for sub-contractors?
Mainzeal Property & Construction Limited was placed into receivership on 6th February 2013. A year on from that and the situation is clearer and closer to a resolution for unsecured creditors, but not by much.
Construction/contract works insurance – common issues to be aware of
Whether you’re building new or doing an alteration, extension or renovation, your contract will require contract works insurance be arranged to cover the work. The policy provides cover for sudden and accidental loss or damage to the works specified in the contract.
Videos
Guides & Checklists
Simple Risk Management Checklist
Use the checklist below to lower the odds of some of the most common risks faced by construction companies and tradies happening to you and your projects.
Key Risk Checklist for Builders
Work through the checklist to see how well you're managing the top 5 risks identified by builders. It's recommended to use the checklist for every job or project.
Building Contractor Risk Scorecard
Use this form to regularly assess key areas of risk. This will help identify trends in performance and indicate where action needs to be taken.
Easy Guide to Contract Works Insurance
Builtin’s Guide to Contract Works Insurance outlines some of the most important issues with this type of cover that builders need to be aware of when starting a new project.
Defective Workmanship Cover Explained
Defective workmanship—by you or your team—can expose you to thousands in liability, legal fees, and damages. Make sure you're properly protected.
Basic Tool Inventory for Builders
Use this table to work out how much your tools are worth and keep a record of them. You can save and update the list any time. You will be able to print a copy.
Builders Insurance Requirements Checklist
Use this form to check if there are any gaps in your insurance coverage compared to the areas of risk that you're exposed to.
Construction Project Risk Checklist
Use this form for each new job or project. It will help ensure you have covered off the most important tasks to mitigate risk to the project's success.
Construction Project Insurance Checklist
Every building project involves risk. The risk may be higher or lower, depending on a whole range of factors, and you will need to eliminate, isolate or minimise these risks.