Skid steer and bobcat insurance
Skid steer loaders of any make, new or used, with the price for the whole term set on day one.
- Any make
- Attachments
- Dry hire
- Up to 40 years old
Skid steer insurance through EquipCover is a multi-year policy for skid steer loaders used in your business, including Bobcat and other makes. The price for the whole term, up to five years, is set on day one, and machines up to 40 years old can be covered.
Insurance indication
Skid steers, fixed for up to five years.
The machine, its value, your state, the term and registration, then your ABN. About ninety seconds, no proposal form, and you see your indication before we ask for a name, mobile or email.
An indication is an estimate, not a quote or an offer of insurance.
Financing it? See the finance repayment and the insurance together in the calculator, before you give any details.
Your insurance indication
Each policy covers up to $2 million of equipment. Above that, our partner sets up more than one policy, each with its own fixed premium.
Same state and term as the first item. Different state or term? Tell our partner when they contact you.
Done. We have your details.
- NowYour indication and details reach our team, who pass them to our specialist insurance partner.
- Same business dayThe partner emails you an e-brochure for your consideration, with the policy wording.
- When you acceptAccept online, and your certificate of currency follows in about five minutes.
- ABN
- State · term
- Average per year (incl. GST)
- Pay upfront
- Pay by the month
- Re-rated during the term
- No, set on day one
The problems this solves
What fixed cover solves for skid steers.
A machine that goes everywhere
Skid steers move between jobs on a trailer and work in tight spaces, so damage and theft are the risks that matter. The policy covers sudden and unforeseen damage, theft and total loss.
The attachments are half the job
Forks, buckets, augers and sweepers are covered when they’re listed on your schedule. Add each one when you apply.
Hired out between jobs
A machine on dry hire is covered when a written hire agreement is in place. What the agreement needs.
Working out what to charge
Insurance is a small part of a machine’s hourly cost. The hourly rate calculator shows how small.
What’s covered
What the policy covers, and what it doesn’t
| Sudden and unforeseen damage | Yes |
|---|---|
| Theft | Yes, with conditions for equipment left in the open and machines on hire |
| Total loss | Settled at that year’s insured value |
| Finance payout after a total loss | Up to an extra 30% of that year’s insured value |
| Attachments | Yes, when they’re listed on your schedule |
| Extra costs while it’s off the job | Yes, such as hiring a substitute machine, within the schedule limit. Lost revenue isn’t covered |
| Recovery costs | Yes, within the schedule limit |
| Dry hire | Yes, with a written hire agreement |
| Third party property damage | Registered machines, where your schedule shows it |
| Public liability and injury | No. That’s a separate policy |
| Machinery breakdown | No, except mechanical damage caused directly by covered damage |
| Wear and tear | No |
| Private use | No |
A summary only. The policy wording decides what’s covered, and limits are on your schedule.
By the numbers
The numbers behind it.
Construction businesses operating in Australia at 30 June 2026, up 3.4% in a year.
Source 1Rise in insurance prices paid by Australian households in the five years to June 2026, about double the 24.1% rise in all prices.
Source 1New plant and equipment finance written for small businesses in 2025-26, about 35% of their new fixed-term borrowing. ABS counts a loan as small business when the lender’s exposure is under $1 million.
Source 1What can be covered
Skid steers on the approved list.
New or used, up to 40 years old, used wholly or predominantly for business. One item or several on one policy, up to $2 million per policy.
Approved items
- Skid steer loaders
- Attachments (augers, buckets, hammers)
When this isn’t the right fit
- Equipment used mainly for private or household purposes. Cover is for business use only.
- Equipment you already own that was bought more than 60 months ago (it can be covered, but not on a multi-year policy).
- Equipment more than 40 years old (it can be covered, but not on a multi-year policy).
- Items that are not on the approved item list, or worth more than $2 million on one policy (they can be covered, but not on a multi-year policy).
Not sure? Call us on 0457 932 988 or email info@equipcover.au, and we’ll tell you where you stand.
FAQs
Common questions.
Can’t see yours? Every question we answer is on one page, or call us on 0457 932 988.
How much does skid steer insurance cost?
It depends on your state, the machine, its value, the term and its registration. You can see your indication in about 90 seconds, before we ask for a name, mobile or email.
Is a Bobcat covered?
Yes. Bobcat is a brand, and skid steer loaders of any make are on the approved item list.
Is a posi track or compact track loader covered?
They aren’t named separately on the approved list, so give us the make and model and our partner will confirm how it’s treated.
Are attachments covered?
An attachment is covered when it’s listed on your schedule with the machine.
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Counts of Australian Businesses, June 2022 to June 2026 (released 18 August 2026)
- Policy wording from our specialist insurance partner: Multi-Year Plant & Equipment Insurance (6 October 2025)
- Product information and approved item list from our specialist insurance partner (August 2026)
Updated 1 November 2026. Reviewed by James Rock (National Partnerships Director). General information only, not personal advice. Read the policy wording before you buy.
Why fixed
Priced once.
Not every year.
A standard annual policy is re-rated at every renewal for claims, inflation and market changes. A multi-year policy sets the price for the whole term on day one.
Annual policy
Re-rated yearlyFour renewals, four re-ratings. Bar heights are illustrative, not real premiums.
Fixed multi-year policy
Locked on day oneOne price for the term you choose, set on day one and never re-rated. The bars show the insured value: 100% in years 1 and 2, then a 10% depreciation each year from year 3.
In the five years to June 2026, insurance prices paid by Australian households rose 47.9%, about double the 24.1% rise in all prices (ABS). Why premiums keep rising.
| Year | Annual policy | Fixed multi-year policy: insured value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starting premium | 100% |
| 2 | Re-rated at renewal | 100% |
| 3 | Re-rated at renewal | 90% |
| 4 | Re-rated at renewal | 81% |
| 5 | Re-rated at renewal | 72.9% |
