Art can be covered under home contents as long as it's under a certain value. If you have fine art or unique collections, you might want to look into a specialist policy.
Key takeaways
- Art insurance is available through contents or specialist policies based on value.
- Contents insurance usually caps how much it will pay for art, and these limits vary widely between insurers and policies, so check your PDS.
- Expensive fine art or collections may require specialist cover offering broader protection including transit and value loss.
Many insurance providers insure art, but the type of art insurance you'll need will depend on the art's value and the kind of coverage you're looking for. Unless you own fine art, your home and contents insurance may be able to provide the protection you need.
What is art insurance?
Art insurance is a type of insurance that provides financial protection in the event that a piece of art or an art collection that you own is damaged, lost or stolen. In most cases, there are two different ways that you can insure art.
What are my art insurance options?
- Contents insurance. Getting contents insurance covers your artworks against insured events such as theft, fire and storm. Accidental damage, like knocking a painting off the wall, is usually an optional extra you pay more for, so check whether it's included on your policy.
- Home and contents insurance. If you have home and contents insurance, your art may already be covered. Home and contents insurance looks after the belongings in your home, as well as the building itself, against insured events such as theft, fire and storms. Accidental damage is often an optional extra. Most policies also cap how much they'll pay for art, and these limits vary widely between insurers and policies (see the table below). If your art is worth more than your policy's limit, ask your insurer about listing it as a specified item. Most insurers will let you do this, depending on how expensive the art is, in exchange for a higher premium.
- Specialist art insurance. If you have an expensive art collection or fine art, you may want to opt for an insurer that specialises in high-value artworks. This type of coverage is suitable for art dealers, collectors, artists and galleries and can cover you for loss or damage, burglary and theft, including while in transit. These types of companies generally specialise in fine art and so know what kind of protection it needs.
Cover your art with contents insurance
Looking for other options? Check out these similar products.
How we picked theseFinder Score - Home insurance
We crunch eligible home insurance products in Australia to see how they stack up. We rank over 50 products on 16 different features, including price. We end up with a single score out of 10 that helps you compare home insurance a bit faster. We assess home and contents, building only and contents only products individually.
Which home insurance companies cover art?
The table below outlines which home insurance companies on Finder cover art, as well as their specific limits. If you need higher limits for your art, most provide additional cover — you'll just need to pay slightly more for your premiums.
This information is accurate as of March 2026.
What does art insurance cover?
If you buy art insurance from a specialist provider, you can usually have the policy tailored to your needs. You can generally get cover for:
- Fire
- Natural disasters
- Theft
- Accidental damage
- Damage done at home and during transit
- Loaning your art, e.g. for display at exhibitions
- Restoration
- Replacement
- Lost value, e.g. if a repair reduces the market value of the artwork
- Expenses incurred due to defective title
Frequently asked questions
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Home insurance can cover paintings when damaged in a main insured event like theft and fires. The insurer may cover you for repairs or the actual value of the painting. You just want to make sure that you're insured for the right amount.
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A home and contents insurance policy may be able to cover a private collection. It's likely that you will need to apply for additional cover. Speak to your insurer to see what it can do. You may need to look at specialist cover depending on the value of your private collection.
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In most cases, no. This is the type of cover you're likely to only find with fine art insurance specialists.
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A fine arts floater policy generally covers one valuable piece of art you own. It can sometimes be added to your home insurance policy when your standard coverage isn't enough.
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Finder writers are subject matter experts and use primary sources, in-depth research and interviews with other experts to ensure you're getting accurate, up-to-date information. Articles are fact checked in line with our editorial guidelines.
- AAMI home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- NRMA home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- Budget Direct home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- Youi home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- Allianz home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- QBE home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- Honey home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- Real home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- GIO home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
- Suncorp home insurance PDS (accessed June 2025)
Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio
- Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
- Managing the cost of living
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