Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Life insurance for tradespeople and construction workers in NZ

Tradespeople and builders can get life insurance in New Zealand. Momentum Life's Quick Life (ages 18 to 65, $50,000 to $300,000) asks no occupation question at application, but it does not pay for death or terminal illness linked to a dangerous job as its wording defines one, and it excludes pre-existing conditions for 2 years. Fully underwritten cover assesses your trade before you pay.

In short

What Quick Life's wording says about jobs

Quick Life is guaranteed-acceptance life cover issued by Momentum Life Limited. It asks no health questions and no occupation question. The wording says Momentum will not pay a benefit, at any time, if the life insured dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness due to "Being involved in a dangerous job or risky pastime". The definition in the wording reads: "Any high-risk job or activity, such as" handling explosives or weapons, working 40 metres underwater, driving or riding faster than 130 km/h, taking part as a professional sportsperson, or being on active duty in the armed services. It adds that these activities "can impact your ability to claim" (Momentum Life: Quick Life Policy Wording, November 2025).

Read that closely. Scaffolding, roofing, carpentry, civil works, working at heights and operating heavy plant are not on the list. But "such as" means the list is not closed, and the wording does not say how Momentum treats any trade not named. Work that involves explosives, such as blasting or demolition, comes closest to a named item. We cannot tell you from the wording whether a roofer is in or out, so a tradie who wants certainty should ask Momentum or an adviser first and keep the answer in writing.

The other Quick Life limits apply to you too. For the first 2 years it does not pay for death or terminal illness linked to a pre-existing condition, or for suicide or intentional self-harm. Premiums are refunded if death from a pre-existing condition happens in the first 24 months and no claim is payable. The buttons on this page start Momentum's online quote. Quick Life excludes dangerous jobs and pastimes at claim time, as the wording above sets out.

How underwriters class a trade

Fully underwritten cover works the other way round: the insurer asks about your work before it agrees terms. Chubb Life and Fidelity Life publish occupation classes in their adviser guides. Chubb's classes apply to its income, disablement, trauma-with-TPD and mortgage repayment covers; neither guide publishes a price or loading by class for life cover.

Class Chubb Life Fidelity Life
1 Professional or executive, no manual work Professional white-collar, university qualified
2 Clerical, no manual work Clerical or administrative
3 Qualified tradespeople and skilled technicians in non-hazardous industries, light manual work Skilled, usually qualified tradespeople and technicians in non-hazardous industries, light manual work only
4 Skilled or semi-skilled manual workers and machinery operators not exposed to high-risk accidents or health hazards; unskilled workers and labourers are not included Skilled or semi-skilled manual workers and heavy machinery operators (including truck drivers) not exposed to high-risk accidents or health hazards
5 Homemaker, student, unemployed Homemakers, students, unemployed

Sources: Chubb Life Essential Underwriting Guide, Fidelity Life underwriting guide. Chubb's key also has an "individual consideration" category and does not say which jobs fall in it. Fidelity says classes are held in its adviser system and to contact underwriting for jobs not listed.

Three practical points follow. First, both classes turn on "non-hazardous" or "high-risk" exposure, so duties matter more than a job title. Second, Chubb says that with more than one occupation, the rating is usually based on the more hazardous one, or the second occupation is excluded. A builder who also does weekend roofing should say so. Third, Fidelity offers a pre-assessment for "medical, occupational, financial or hazardous pursuits risks" before you apply, which it describes as an indication of possible terms only, not an offer.

QuoteHub's Premium Index prices occupation class 1 only, so we publish no trade loading, and none is published. It does show how much more age moves the price: for $500,000 of life cover, stepped, non-smoker, standard rates, indicative monthly cost from insurers' published rate cards as at 8 September 2026, a man pays $30 to $40 at 30, $40 to $50 at 40, $90 to $120 at 50 and $300 to $375 at 60. Your own premium depends on underwriting.

What ACC does and does not do for a tradie

ACC covers personal injury caused by an accident, and the Accident Compensation Act 2001 (section 30) also covers injury caused by a work-related gradual process, disease or infection. It does not cover illness or sickness, or conditions related to ageing (ACC: Injuries we don't cover; Accident Compensation Act 2001). So a back injury on site is an ACC matter. A heart condition, a cancer or a stroke is not, and ACC pays no death benefit for a death from illness.

After a death from a covered injury, ACC pays a funeral grant of up to $8,236.40, a survivor's grant of $8,830.47 for a partner and $4,415.25 for each child under 18 or dependant, plus childcare help and loss-of-income payments (amounts are set by the date of death, ACC page last published 22 July 2026; ACC: Financial support after a fatal injury). See the ACC survivor's grant for the detail. The point for a tradie is the split: ACC answers a fatal accident, and only private cover answers a death from illness. Self-employed tradies should also read CoverPlus versus CoverPlus Extra and ACC versus private insurance.

Cover on a variable income

Life cover pays your family a lump sum, so it is sized to their needs: debts, years of living costs, and who relies on you. Income that moves with the work does not change that arithmetic. Our how much life insurance do I need guide shows the method.

Where income does matter is cover that replaces it. Chubb's guide asks self-employed applicants and contractors for two years of full accounts and tax returns, and says underwriting may want three years where income fluctuates or does not support the benefit applied for. By contrast, Chubb lists no financial requirements for life cover up to $2.5 million. Income protection, which tradies often need more than anyone, is covered in income protection for tradies, and the broader checklist is in self-employed insurance.

To keep cost manageable, remember that stepped premiums rise every year with age. Ask an adviser to show a stepped and a level quote side by side, and do not assume the cheaper first year is the cheaper policy.

Applying through an adviser

A fully underwritten application for a trade usually takes these steps:

  1. Write down your duties, not just your title: heights, plant, hours, any second job.
  2. Ask the adviser for a pre-assessment if your work is borderline.
  3. Answer every question completely. IFSO has published cases where insurers avoided or reduced claims for non-disclosure (IFSO).
  4. Compare the underwritten terms with Quick Life for the same amount, remembering Quick Life's 2-year and dangerous-job limits.
  5. Keep any existing cover running until the new policy starts.

Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid. Momentum Life Limited's A.M. Best financial strength rating is B (Fair), affirmed 11 February 2026, and Momentum's own table groups B in its "Vulnerable" range; read its financial strength page. See the Quick Life page and the guaranteed acceptance hub. For sibling trades, see scaffolders, electricians and forestry.

Frequently asked questions

Does Quick Life cover builders?

It asks no occupation question, so a builder is not turned away at application. At claim time the dangerous-job clause applies, and the wording does not list building work among its named examples. It also uses "such as", so ask Momentum or an adviser.

Do tradies pay more for life insurance?

Underwritten insurers class trades, but the guides we read do not publish a life cover loading by trade, and the Premium Index prices class 1 only. Age moves the price far more than anything else we measure.

Does ACC pay if I die from an illness?

No. ACC covers accident injuries. It pays funeral and survivor's grants only when death results from a covered injury.

References

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Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, How Were Paid.