What insurance do roofers need?
Last updated
Draft — pending licensed review. This page explains coverage categories in general terms. It is not advice about your business, and it does not describe what any specific policy would cover. Requirements vary by state, by contract, and by carrier.
Most roofing companies end up carrying the same handful of policies, not because someone sold them a bundle, but because a general contractor, a lender, a state licensing board, or a hiring client asked for proof of each one. Here is what each is for.
General liability
The policy that responds when your work injures someone who does not work for you, or damages property that is not yours. A dropped bundle, a punctured membrane on the floor below, water intrusion after a tear-off left open overnight.
This is the one almost every contract names. Certificate requests usually specify a per-occurrence limit and an aggregate, and often ask to be added as an additional insured.
Workers’ compensation
Medical costs and lost wages when a crew member is hurt on the job. Roofing is classified as high-hazard work, so this is both the most expensive line most roofing companies carry and the one most closely audited.
Most states require it once you have employees. Where subcontracted crews are involved, expect to be asked for their certificates too — if a sub cannot produce one, their payroll can land on your audit.
Commercial auto
Trucks, trailers, and the dump body. Personal auto policies generally exclude business use, so a vehicle titled to the company or used primarily for work belongs here.
Tools and equipment
Often written as inland marine. Covers what moves between the shop, the truck, and the roof: nail guns, compressors, ladders, harnesses, and increasingly the tablets estimates are written on. Property policies at a fixed location usually will not follow equipment to a job site.
Commercial property
The shop, the yard, and the material sitting in it. Relevant once you own or lease a location rather than working out of vehicles.
Umbrella or excess liability
Additional limit stacked above general liability and commercial auto. Larger general contractors frequently require a total limit that only makes sense with an umbrella above a primary policy.
Surety bonds
Not insurance, though they are usually arranged alongside it. A license bond may be a condition of your state registration; a performance or payment bond may be a condition of a specific project.
What usually drives the requirement
| Coverage | Typically required by |
|---|---|
| General liability | General contractors, property managers, hiring clients |
| Workers’ compensation | State law once you have employees; GCs on any commercial site |
| Commercial auto | Lenders and lessors; most commercial contracts |
| Tools and equipment | Rarely required, commonly needed |
| Umbrella | Larger GCs and commercial projects with higher limit requirements |
| Surety bonds | State licensing boards; individual project owners |
Before you request quotes
Underwriters ask roofing companies for a consistent set of details. Having these ready shortens the process considerably:
- Payroll by role, and whether you use subcontracted crews
- The residential and commercial split of your work
- The share of work that is steep-slope versus low-slope
- Maximum stories worked
- Whether you do any hot work, torch-down, or coal tar
- Loss history, usually five years
- Vehicle schedule with VINs
- Current renewal dates
Next step
Tell us how to reach you and we will follow up about coverage for your roofing business.