Builder in liquidation: South Australia
This page covers what is specific to South Australia. The steps to take first, and where to get help, are on the main page and apply wherever you are.
South Australia, like Western Australia, uses private insurers rather than a government fund.
Your claim is against a named insurer
Building Indemnity Insurance is taken out by the builder with a private insurer for your specific contract. The claim goes to that insurer. Consumer and Business Services regulates builder licensing and can help you establish the position, but it is not the insurer.
South Australia is also the clearest of the states about what its scheme is not. Building Indemnity Insurance is a last resort product: it responds to death, disappearance and insolvency, and to nothing else. Delays do not trigger it, and neither does a dispute with a builder who is still trading.
First step
Find the certificate of insurance in your contract documents. It names the insurer. If you cannot find it, CBS can tell you whether a policy was required for your contract.
The scheme
Residential building work in South Australia is covered by Building Indemnity Insurance, provided by private insurers.
Cover is not automatic and it is not unlimited. There are thresholds, time limits and exclusions, and a claim is made against the policy for your contract — not against us, and not against the administrator. Consumer and Business Services is the authority on how it applies in your case.
South Australia: the numbers
- Scheme
- Building Indemnity Insurance, placed with a private insurer — currently QBE or Assetinsure
- Required on
- building work that needs development (council) approval and is $20,000 or more, taken out before any physical work starts
- What triggers cover
- last resort only: the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent
- What does not trigger it
- delays to the work, or a dispute between you and a builder who is still solvent and trading
- Maximum
- $250,000 for policies established on or after 10 November 2025 — the total for all claims on the project, non-completion and defects together
- Deadline — defects
- up to five years from the date the work was completed
- Securing the property
- covered, including security fencing, doors and locksmith costs
- Not covered
- an excess of up to $400, building report fees, legal fees, rent losses and interest on loan payments
Read from South Australian Government Financing Authority (SAFA) on 2026-09-14. Schemes change — Victoria's changed this year and the ACT's limits changed in January 2025 — so check the source before you rely on any of it. We publish the date we read it so you can see how old this is.
Questions about South Australia cover
When can I claim on South Australian Building Indemnity Insurance?
Only if the builder has died, disappeared or become insolvent. BII is a last-resort product: it is not a first line of defence, and a claim cannot be made where there are only delays, or a dispute with a builder who is still trading.
How much does SA Building Indemnity Insurance pay?
The policy limit in the Building Work Contractors Regulations is $250,000 for policies established on or after 10 November 2025. That limit is the total compensation available for every claim on the project — non-completion and defects together — not a figure per claim.
How long does SA cover defects for?
Up to five years from the date the building work was completed, within the same overall policy limit.
How do I find out who my SA insurer is?
The certificate of insurance in your contract documents names them. If the certificate was issued by QBE or Assetinsure, each publishes an Insurance Certificate Register you can search by address to confirm the cover matches. If you cannot find the certificate at all, report it to Consumer and Business Services.