Hard-to-Place Risk Insurance for Australian Construction

Some construction and trade risks don’t fit a standard underwriter’s appetite — tall buildings, combustible cladding, asbestos exposure, high-risk hot works, remote mining access, demolition, heavy loss history, or niche contract terms. When the mainstream market says no, a specialist hard-to-place broker is the difference between winning work and walking away.

Silverback Insurance Brokers places difficult and declined risks across construction, demolition, trades, and specialty contracting. We know which underwriters have appetite for which exposures — and we present submissions that get quoted.

Common Hard-to-Place Scenarios We Solve

• Combustible cladding exposure — buildings with ACP/EPS or uncertified façades post-Lacrosse/Grenfell
• Height and high-risk works — structures above 3 storeys, tower cranes, façade and rope-access trades
• Demolition and asbestos — Class A/B licensed works and contaminated sites
• Heavy loss history — builders and trades declined by standard markets after frequency or large single claims
• Remote, regional, and mining projects — FIFO sites, resources access works, civil in cyclone and bushfire zones
• New or unrated entities — newly licensed builders, recent company restructures, phoenix concerns

How Silverback Places Difficult Risks

• Detailed submission packaging — we tell your story with loss commentary, risk controls, and project schedule evidence
• Specialist underwriter relationships — Lloyd’s syndicates, approved overseas markets, and Australian specialty insurers
• Multi-layered programmes — primary plus excess layers where capacity is tight
• Conditional and subjectivity management — surveys, warranties, and risk improvements scoped up front

Classes We Arrange as Hard-to-Place

• Public and Products Liability — high limits for builders, demolition, asbestos, façade, and hot works contractors
• Contract Works / Construction All Risks — combustible materials, high-rise, complex engineering
• Professional Indemnity — design-and-construct, engineering, and consultants with claims history
• Plant and Equipment — specialty kit, used imports, and mobile plant in remote locations
• Management Liability and Statutory Liability — directors and officers for distressed or restructuring entities

Why Silverback for Hard-to-Place Risks?

• Construction focus — builders, tradies, subcontractors, developers, and head contractors are our primary clients
• Specialist market access — direct to the Australian and London underwriters who write hard-to-place construction
• Advocacy and submission quality — we don’t just email the market; we package a story that warrants a quote
• Claims support — you’re not on your own when a claim is notified

Request a quote for a hard-to-place risk — or call us on 0410 152 835 to discuss what’s been declined and what we can do about it.