Coordinated insurance for general contractors, subcontractors, and trade contractors. General liability, commercial auto, workers compensation, inland marine for tools and equipment, builders risk, contractors professional liability, commercial umbrella, and surety bonds. Florida construction industry expertise including DBPR licensing requirements, subcontractor warranty programs, and Florida workers comp rules.
Contractor insurance isn't a single policy: it's a coordinated program across multiple lines that need to work together. A typical contractor has general liability for third-party claims, commercial auto for trucks and vehicles, workers compensation for employees (mandatory in Florida at one employee for construction), inland marine for tools and equipment, builders risk for active projects, contractors professional liability for design-build work, commercial umbrella for excess limits, and often surety bonds for license compliance or larger contracts. Each line addresses a different exposure, and gaps between them are some of the most common claim disputes in construction.
Florida and Georgia construction also has industry-specific rules that don't apply to other commercial classes. Florida workers comp rules are stricter for construction (one employee triggers mandatory coverage, vs four for non-construction). Florida construction sole proprietors must either carry workers comp or file an active exemption with the state. Subcontractor warranty programs (formal requirements that subs carry their own coverage) affect general contractor premium and exposure. The DBPR licenses several construction trades through the Construction Industry Licensing Board with specific insurance requirements per license. We coordinate insurance, licensing, and bonding to keep contractor operations compliant and competitive.
Premises and operations liability, products and completed operations (the long-tail exposure for finished work), personal and advertising injury, plus legal defense. $1M/$2M is the baseline; higher limits common for larger commercial work.
Mandatory in Florida for construction at one or more employees (stricter than non-construction). Pay-as-you-go options work well for variable construction payroll. Coordination with subcontractor warranty matters significantly.
Coverage for trucks, vans, trailers, and other business vehicles. Standard personal auto excludes business use; commercial auto is required. HNOA for employees driving personal vehicles for work is typically also needed.
Coverage for tools and equipment regardless of location: shop, vehicles, job sites, in transit. Standard property doesn't cover off-premises tools; inland marine fills the gap. Critical for trades with significant equipment investment.
Property coverage for buildings under construction. Single-project or reporting form for contractors with multiple ongoing projects. Coverage from break-ground through completion. Often required by lenders and contracts.
E&O for design-build contractors, contractors providing technical specifications, project managers, and similar professional services. Increasingly required by larger commercial contracts and institutional clients.
Standard GL excludes losses caused by the contractor's own faulty workmanship; insurance covers consequential damages from faulty work, not the work itself. Warranty obligations are contract liabilities, not insurance claims.
GCs often face exposure for subs who lack proper coverage. Subcontractor warranty programs (requiring subs to carry coverage and provide certificates) protect the GC's policy. Uninsured sub exposure may be picked up by the GC's policy with significant audit adjustments.
Standard GL excludes pollution. Contractors working with paints, solvents, fuels, asbestos remediation, mold, or other environmental exposures need specialty contractors pollution liability coverage.
Construction operations that cause subsidence, settling, or earth movement on adjacent properties may face liability claims that fall under specific exclusions on standard GL. Excavation and foundation contractors face particular exposure.
Contractors handle customer financial data, employee information, and often rely on cloud-based estimating and project management systems. Cyber and crime exposure isn't addressed by contractor insurance; separate cyber and crime coverage is needed.
Surety bonds are financial guarantees, not insurance. Bonds guarantee performance and payment; they don't pay claims for losses. A common misconception is that a surety bond replaces insurance coverage. The two are complementary and separate.
Florida construction is regulated through the DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). License types include general contractor (CGC), building contractor (CBC), residential contractor (CRC), and specialty trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, swimming pool, etc.). Each license type has minimum GL requirements typically $300K to $500K, with higher limits standard for commercial work. Florida workers comp rules are stricter for construction: one or more employees triggers mandatory coverage (vs four for non-construction), and sole proprietors must either carry coverage or file an active construction industry exemption. Florida's 2018 reforms eliminated ghost policies. Hurricane season planning affects active construction projects, and the Florida Building Code applies during construction with specific requirements in HVHZ (high-velocity hurricane zones) in South Florida.
Georgia construction licensing is handled through the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors and through trade-specific boards (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low-voltage). License types include residential general contractor, residential basic contractor, general contractor, and trade-specific licenses, each with minimum insurance requirements. Georgia workers comp is required at three or more employees with limited exceptions for partners and certain officers. Georgia's modified comparative negligence rule and more conventional litigation environment make contractor liability somewhat less elevated than Florida. For contractors operating in both states, coverage typically reflects the higher-exposure Florida operations.
Contractor GL limits typically start at $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate, which is the minimum many commercial contracts and licensing boards require. Higher limits ($2M/$4M, $5M/$10M) are common for general contractors on larger commercial projects, contractors working for institutional clients, or contractors with significant subcontractor exposure. Products and completed operations sub-limits matter for the long-tail exposure on finished work.
Commercial auto for contractors typically starts at $1M combined single limit (CSL), with higher limits common for contractors with multiple trucks or specialty vehicles. HNOA (hired and non-owned auto) is essential for any contractor whose employees occasionally use personal vehicles for work. Commercial auto for construction trades typically rates higher than office-based commercial auto because of higher mileage and more demanding driving conditions.
Inland marine limits should match tool and equipment inventory values. Per-item limits matter for high-value individual pieces (specialty equipment, larger tools); blanket limits cover the aggregate inventory. We help inventory tools and equipment at quote time to size inland marine accurately.
Commercial umbrella above the contractor primary GL, commercial auto, and employer's liability is among the highest-value coverage decisions per dollar of premium for contractors. Modern jury awards routinely exceed $1M primary limits, particularly in Florida. $5M to $10M umbrella above $1M primary is common for moderate-size contractors; larger commercial work often requires higher.
$1M/$2M GL + $1M CSL auto + WC
$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate general liability, $1M combined single limit commercial auto, mandatory workers comp, inland marine for tools, and license-required surety bonds. Common entry point for small contractors.
$1M/$2M+ GL + $5M+ umbrella
$1M/$2M or higher primary GL, $1M CSL commercial auto, workers comp with $1M employer's liability, $5M+ commercial umbrella, full inland marine, contractors professional liability for design-build, builders risk for active projects.
Full coordinated program: GL with higher products/completed operations, commercial auto, workers comp with sub warranty program, inland marine, builders risk (often reporting form), commercial umbrella, and contractors professional liability if design-build.
Plumber, electrician, HVAC, roofer, framer, etc. GL, commercial auto, workers comp (Florida at 1+ employee), inland marine for tools, license-required bonds. Often providing certificates of insurance to GCs as additional insured.
Smaller-scope operations may qualify for contractor BOPs that bundle GL and limited property. Workers comp still required at Florida construction threshold of 1+ employee. Florida handyman exemptions for license-free work have specific scope limits.
Higher-risk class with significant exposure tied to heights, weather exposure, and post-storm work. Roofing typically faces higher GL and workers comp premium than other trades. Florida hurricane reconstruction work creates additional contract and certificate requirements.
Specialty risk with exposure to subsidence, earth movement, underground utilities (locate compliance, OSHA), and heavy equipment operations. Higher GL limits, specialty endorsements, and sometimes pollution coverage all apply.
Contractors providing design services, technical specifications, or value engineering need contractors professional liability in addition to standard GL. Increasingly required by larger commercial contracts and institutional clients.
Trade class is the single biggest variable across all contractor coverages. Low-risk trades (painters, finish carpenters, low-volume handyman) rate significantly lower than high-risk trades (roofers, excavators, framers, general contractors with subs). Each line uses different rating bases: GL typically uses gross revenue; workers comp uses payroll by class; commercial auto uses vehicle and driver characteristics; inland marine uses tool inventory values.
Subcontractor use affects both GL and workers comp significantly. Documented subcontractor warranty programs (requiring subs to carry their own GL and workers comp, with collected certificates) typically reduce premium meaningfully. Uninsured subcontractors can produce significant audit charges at year-end as the GC's policy effectively picks up sub exposure.
Claims history matters at every line. A serious GL or workers comp claim can affect carrier appetite and pricing across all contractor coverages. E-mod on workers comp compounds over multiple years. Documented safety programs, return-to-work programs, and active claims management produce compounding savings across renewal cycles.
Contractor insurance offers premium levers across multiple lines and operational practices.
Requiring subs to carry their own GL and workers comp with collected certificates is the single most impactful premium and exposure management practice for general contractors. Most carriers offer meaningful credits for documented sub warranty programs.
Documented safety programs, OSHA compliance, return-to-work programs, drug-free workplace, and similar risk management practices reduce both frequency and severity of claims, producing compounding e-mod and pricing benefits.
Many carriers offer credits when GL, commercial auto, workers comp, and inland marine are written with the same carrier. Some specialty contractor markets bundle these naturally.
Pay-as-you-go workers comp matches premium payments to actual payroll, particularly useful for contractors with variable payroll across the construction season. Improves cash flow and reduces audit surprise.
Contractor insurance is one of the most underwriting-intensive commercial lines because of the combination of high exposure, regulatory requirements, and subcontractor dynamics. Annual coverage review keeps the program aligned with the contractor's evolving operations, project mix, and any licensing changes.
For Florida, the typical minimum to start most licensed construction trades is GL ($300K to $500K minimum per license type, often higher in practice), commercial auto if vehicles are involved, workers comp at one employee for construction, inland marine for tools, and any license-required surety bonds. We help confirm specific license requirements with the DBPR and CILB and get coverage in place to meet startup timelines.
Subcontractor warranty programs require subs to carry their own GL ($1M+ typical), workers comp (or active exemption for Florida sole prop), and provide current certificates of insurance naming the GC as additional insured. Documented sub warranty programs reduce GC premium and exposure. Uninsured subs can produce significant audit charges. We help with sub certificate collection processes and warranty program documentation.
If you provide design services, technical specifications, value engineering, project management, or any professional services beyond pure construction, yes. Standard GL excludes professional services errors. Increasingly required by larger commercial contracts and institutional clients. Design-build contractors and contractors providing engineering or architectural input particularly need this coverage.
Most contractors benefit significantly from commercial umbrella above primary GL, commercial auto, and employer's liability. Contractor exposure is genuinely higher than most other commercial classes, and Florida's litigation environment makes single claims commonly exceed $1M primary limits. $5M to $10M umbrella above $1M primary is common for moderate-size contractors; larger commercial work often requires higher limits.
We coordinate contractor insurance across multiple appointed carriers and wholesale brokers because no single carrier writes the full contractor program ideally. The Hartford writes contractor GL, commercial auto, and workers comp for many trade classes. NEXT writes digital-first small contractor coverage. US Assure handles builders risk for many project types. CNA Surety is one of the largest surety bond providers and a JNZ appointed partner for license bonds and contract bonds. For higher-risk trades, specialty exposures, or wholesale-market placements, Bass Underwriters, Bridge Specialty, and Ryan Specialty access additional contractor markets.
The right contractor program typically uses multiple carriers across different lines: one carrier for GL and commercial auto, another for workers comp, a specialty carrier for builders risk, and a surety provider for bonds. Coordination across the program matters significantly to avoid gaps and ensure carriers work together at claim time.
Carrier appointments and program availability vary by trade, state, claims history, and payroll/revenue. Quotes and placement depend on underwriting eligibility, trade class, subcontractor practices, and the specific operation being insured. Higher-risk trades (roofing, excavation, certain specialty work) may be placed through wholesale brokers in excess and surplus (E&S) markets.
Tell us about your trade and operations, give us a call, or request a free quote. We'll coordinate GL, commercial auto, workers comp, inland marine, builders risk, contractors professional liability, commercial umbrella, and surety bonds across our appointed contractor markets.
