Yes, any tiler you let into your home should carry current public liability insurance, and you should see proof of it before a single tile is laid. An uninsured tiler is not just their problem: if something goes wrong on your job, the cost can quietly land on you.
This guide explains what cover an Adelaide tiler should have, exactly what to ask to see, and how to spot a certificate that does not hold up. It sits within our guide to choosing and hiring a tiler in Adelaide.
Why an uninsured tiler is your liability
Tiling involves water, weight and other people's property, so when it goes wrong it tends to go wrong expensively. Picture a few common Adelaide scenarios:
- A waterproofing membrane fails, water tracks under the tiles, and the ceiling below or the neighbouring wall in a townhouse is ruined.
- A tiler drops a stack of large-format porcelain and cracks a polished concrete slab or a glass shower screen.
- A trolley of tiles gouges the hallway floorboards on the way through, or a tool goes through a wall.
If the tiler has public liability insurance, their insurer covers the damage to your property. If they do not, you are left with 3 unappealing options: absorb the cost yourself, chase a sole trader through the courts for money they may not have, or hope your own home and contents policy pays out.
That last hope is thinner than most people realise. Many home insurers will reduce or refuse a claim if the damage was caused by an unlicensed or uninsured tradesperson you engaged. The insurer's logic is simple: you chose to bring an uninsured operator onto the property, so the risk sits with you. That is how an uninsured tiler's problem silently becomes your liability.
The insurance an Adelaide tiler should carry
There are 2 covers that matter, plus a licensing point that often gets confused with insurance.
| Cover | What it protects | Typical amount | Who needs it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Public liability | Damage to your property and injury to other people caused by the work | $5 million to $20 million | Every tiler on your job | | Workers compensation | The tiler's own workers if they are injured on site | Set by ReturnToWorkSA | Any tiler who employs staff | | Licensing (not insurance) | Legal right to do the work and consumer protection | N/A | See the licensing rules below |
Public liability is the non-negotiable one. Most reputable Adelaide tilers carry $10 million or $20 million because builders and commercial sites often demand it, and the extra cover costs them very little. Anything under $5 million is light for a trade that works around waterproofing and structural surfaces.
Workers compensation only applies if the tiler has employees or apprentices on the job. A genuine sole trader working alone will not have it, and that is fine. The trap is a tiler who brings a labourer or apprentice on site without cover, because if that person is hurt on your property the liability can flow back toward the homeowner.
Insurance is separate from licensing, though people lump them together. Whether a tiler needs a building work contractor's licence in South Australia depends on the value of the job, which we cover in do tilers need a licence in SA?. A tiler can be correctly licensed and still uninsured, or insured and unlicensed, so check both.
What to ask to see before work starts
Do not accept "yes, I'm fully insured" as an answer. It costs nothing to say and means nothing on its own. Ask for the document.
Ask for the certificate of currency
The certificate of currency is a one-page document the insurer issues each year that confirms the policy is active. Any insured tiler can forward it in under a minute, usually as a PDF. A tiler who stalls, gets defensive, or promises to "sort it out later" is telling you something.
Check 4 things on the certificate
When it lands in your inbox, spend 2 minutes on it:
- The insured name matches the person quoting you. The name on the certificate should be the business or individual doing your job, not a mate, a former employer, or a company they used to work for.
- The dates cover your job. Policies run for a year. Confirm the "period of insurance" is current and will still be valid on the days your tiling actually happens, not expiring next week.
- The cover amount is at least $5 million. It is printed on the certificate. Higher is better and completely normal.
- The type of work is tiling or building trades. A certificate written for a completely different trade or activity may not respond to a tiling claim.
Confirm it directly if the job is large
For a full bathroom, a large outdoor area, or anything running past a few thousand dollars, it is reasonable to phone the insurer named on the certificate and confirm the policy is active. Legitimate tilers will not be offended. This is standard practice on building sites, and it takes one short call to remove all doubt.
How this fits the bigger picture of vetting a tiler
Insurance is one layer of protection, not the whole story. A tiler with perfect paperwork can still do poor work, and a great tiler can let their certificate lapse without meaning to. The insurance check works best as part of a wider vetting process.
Missing or vague insurance is one of the clearer warning signs, and it usually travels with others. If you want to know what else to watch for, our guide to dodgy tiler red flags walks through the patterns that separate a professional from a cowboy, from cash-only pressure to no written quote.
For the full method of shortlisting and comparing tilers properly, including references, written quotes and warranties, see how to choose a tiler in Adelaide. The insurance certificate is simply one of the boxes that should be ticked before you sign anything.
Let us take the insurance check off your plate
The reason people skip the insurance check is that it feels awkward to demand documents from a tradesperson standing in your kitchen. You should not have to.
Every tiler we connect you with has already been checked for current licensing and insurance, so you are only ever comparing licensed and insured Adelaide tilers. Tell us about your job and we will match you with vetted local tilers who will quote properly, with the paperwork already sorted.
Get free quotes from vetted Adelaide tilers and start with the risk already removed.