How I insure my commercial property and professional indemnity through Consolidated Insurance Brokers in Brisbane, what my broker James Kirk checks, and what I'd tell other Brisbane business owners.
I used to think insurance was something you bought once a year and forgot about. Then a broker went through my cover line by line. I run Corporate Agents, a Brisbane business that builds AI automation for Brisbane businesses, and like any local business owner I need my property and professional indemnity insured properly. Here's how I use Consolidated Insurance Brokers (CIB), what my broker James Kirk checks, and what I'd tell any Brisbane business owner doing this for the first time.
The short version:
A commercial insurance broker is a licensed adviser who arranges business insurance for you across several insurers. The insurer writes the policy and pays claims. The broker's job is to work out what you need covered, find the policy that fits, and step in when you need to claim.
The part I didn't appreciate until I had one: buying direct means you are the one who has to read the policy wording and find what's excluded. With a broker, finding those gaps is their job.
Honestly, I found CIB through a Google ad. I was searching for a commercial insurance broker in Brisbane, clicked through, and rang them. Plenty of businesses advertise. What matters is what happens once you call.
What kept me there was how they work. Before they quote anything they ask what you can't afford to lose, and then they explain the cover in plain English so you can decide for yourself. They're open about it when the honest answer is to stay with your current policy, which isn't something you expect from someone selling insurance.
They're also well established. CIB has offices in Brisbane and Bundaberg, belongs to the Steadfast network, the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) and the Council of Queensland Insurance Brokers, and subscribes to the Insurance Brokers Code of Practice. At the time of writing they hold a 5.0 rating from more than 1,400 Google reviews.
James Kirk is the Compliance Manager at CIB's New Farm office. He started out in personal risk and life insurance in 2016, moved into general insurance in 2018 working with trades and small businesses, and now reviews insurance programs, policy structure and property sums insured before policies are placed.
That background is exactly why I like dealing with him. He goes through the details while there's still time to fix them, rather than after a loss or a dispute.
For a business owner, that means one person to ask when a client contract wants a particular PI limit, or when I'm not sure whether my property cover would actually rebuild what I've got. I get a straight answer and the reasoning behind it, not a sales pitch.
If you own a building or work from one, commercial property insurance isn't a single policy. It's a set of sections, and each one needs its own number.
| Section | What it protects | Usually whose job |
|---|---|---|
| Building | The structure, roof, fixed services | Owner (or the strata body) |
| Fitout | Partitions, joinery, lighting, fixtures you installed | Often the tenant, check the lease |
| Contents and stock | Equipment, furniture, stock on hand | Business operating there |
| Loss of rent | Rental income while the building can't be used | Owner or landlord |
| Business interruption | Lost profit and ongoing costs after a loss | Business operating there |
| Public liability | Injury or damage claims from third parties | Both, for different risks |
The figure that matters is what it would cost to rebuild today: demolition, debris removal, professional fees, current building codes and today's construction prices. That is not the same as the market value or what you paid for the building.
Many commercial policies have an average or co-insurance clause. If your sum insured falls too far below the real rebuild cost, the insurer can reduce your claim in proportion, even for partial damage. That's why CIB will commission a desktop building replacement estimate for clients at no cost. It's one of the most useful things a broker can do for you.
Brisbane businesses know the weather risk first-hand, from summer hailstorms to the February 2022 floods. Two things are worth checking with your broker:
If clients pay you for advice, design, reports, software or consulting, a mistake, or even just an accusation of one, can turn into a claim. Professional indemnity insurance covers your legal defence costs and any settlement or damages up to your limit.
Running a consultancy, this is the cover I care about most. These are the questions a broker should help you answer:
CIB has specific pages for consultants' professional indemnity and other professions, which are worth reading before you talk to anyone.
| Legal name | Consolidated Insurances Pty Ltd |
| AFSL | 344 121 |
| Brisbane office | 109 James Street, New Farm QLD 4005 · 07 3292 1100 |
| Bundaberg office | Shop 8, 9 Maryborough Street, Bundaberg QLD 4670 · 07 4331 5555 |
| Claims line | 07 3292 1111, answered 24 hours a day |
| Memberships | Steadfast network · NIBA · Council of Queensland Insurance Brokers |
| Covers | Commercial property and buildings, strata, professional indemnity, liability, management liability, cyber, business interruption, fleet and transport |
If you own a commercial building or need professional indemnity in Brisbane, talk to the team I use at CIB's Brisbane office.
This article shares my own experience and general information only. It doesn't take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account and isn't financial advice. Read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and get advice from a licensed broker before you decide. I'm a client of Consolidated Insurance Brokers and this isn't a paid placement.
You can buy direct, but a broker compares insurers, checks your sum insured against the real cost to rebuild, and reads the exclusions for you. If you own the building or carry a fitout, stock and rental income, that checking is where most of the value is.
Professional indemnity (PI) covers you when a client claims your advice, design, report or service cost them money. It generally pays legal defence costs and any settlement or damages, up to your policy limit.
In Australia, PI is usually written on a claims-made basis: the policy that responds is the one in force when the claim is made, not when the work was done. That is why switching insurers, letting cover lapse or retiring needs care, and why run-off cover exists.
Underinsurance means your sum insured is lower than what it would cost to rebuild or replace. Many commercial policies include an average or co-insurance clause, which can reduce a claim in proportion to how underinsured you are, even for a partial loss.
Brokers are usually paid by commission from the insurer, sometimes with a broker fee. Ask for the fee in writing. The cost is usually small against having someone check the cover and manage the claim if something goes wrong.
CIB's Brisbane office is at 109 James Street, New Farm QLD 4005, on 07 3292 1100, open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Claims are answered 24 hours a day on 07 3292 1111. They also have an office in Bundaberg.