You do a lot of things as a carpenter. Homeowners look for your services if they wish to install a cabinet. Sometimes, you patch roofs if the roofing technicians are too busy. You might even be hired by general contractors for specialized projects. Consider investing in a carpenter insurance plan that covers the cost of lawsuits in case you commit an error or cause injuries. You can even use this to cover the cost of buying new equipment from the hardware store. Read this guide to know which carpenters insurance policies to get, the cost of premiums, review the best companies, and compare quotes online.
What insurance does a carpenter need? See to it that your insurance package offers all of these types of insurance for carpenters:
General liability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Public liability insurance
Tools/equipment insurance
Workers compensation insurance
Commercial property insurance
Commercial auto insurance
Builder's risk insurance
The first factor that affects the carpenter insurance cost is the type and number of policies you purchase. The table below outlines the cost of the most useful types of insurance for carpenters:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $40 | $480 | $0-$1,000 |
| Professional liability insurance | $65 | $780 | $500-$1,500 |
| Workers compensation insurance | $78 | $936 | $2,000-$5,00 |
| Commercial property insurance | $60 | $720 | $1,000-$2,500 |
| Business owner’s policy | $55 | $660 | $500-$1,500 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $70 | $840 | $500-$2,000 |
| Builders risk insurance | $51 | $612 | $2,000 |
General liability insurance for carpenters is $40 per month or $480 per year. This carpenter liability insurance cost estimate assumes that you have 5 employees and make $500,000-$750,000 per year.
But say, what if the annual revenues are less than $100,000 and there are no employees? How much is insurance for a carpenter in this case? Premiums will be cheaper. Expect to pay $45 per month or $540 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance.
Your choice of insurance company is a prime determinant of premiums. That said, here’s a table detailing the recommended companies’ carpentry insurance cost:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $26 | $504 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for carpenters |
| Thimble | $27 | $204 | Short-term carpenter insurance |
| CoverWallet | $30 | $540 | Carpenter insurance quotes comparison online |
| Tivly | $34 | $564 | Comparing the quotes of insurance policies for carpenters over the phone |
| Hiscox | $36 | $627.12 | Large carpentry businesses |
| GEICO | $40 | $648 | Commercial auto insurance discounts for carpenters |
| The Hartford | $45 | $696 | Carpenters looking for pay-as-you-go workers compensation insurance |
Compare quotes online to find the best deals. Click the “Get Quotes” button on this page to start. Also, enjoy cheap carpenters insurance by:
Removing floaters in general liability insurance if you don’t need them
Avail commercial property insurance discounts by renovating your carpentry shop with non-combustible or fire resistive materials
Having high deductibles on all of your policies
Bundling two or more insurance policies to get a discount
Utilizing safe driving discounts, CDL discounts, and other types of premium saving initiatives when buying commercial auto insurance
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Carpenter liability insurance is a type of business insurance that grants protection against particular kinds of claims that clients, independent contractors, members of the public, and other third parties file against you.
General liability, professional liability, and public liability insurance are the most common types of carpenters liability insurance.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Excluded |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Excluded |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
General liability insurance covers costs if you’re liable for the bodily injuries or property damage of third parties. Use the table above to compare the general liability quotes of the recommended companies for carpentry insurance.
97.5% of carpenters purchase general liability insurance. Here are some examples of carpenters insurance claims where this is useful:
A sub-contractor that your client hired demands reimbursement for medical expenses after tripping on your toolbox or cord of your drill
The client accuse you of causing damage while working and demands compensation for financial losses
You accidentally injured another person on the site while using equipment. He demands reimbursement for pain and suffering
You get $1 million-$2 million from carpentry general liability insurance. Use this to pay for the following each time a claim for bodily injury or property damage is filed:
Medical treatment
Settlement
Defense costs
Court judgments
Aside from bodily injuries or property damage, general liability insurance for carpenter also covers these exposures:
Liability over delivered products and completed services
Damage to a landlord’s property
Accidents caused by a hired/non-owned commercial vehicle
Copyright infringement, slander, and libel claims
Insurance companies that customize your carpenter liability insurance allow a general liability policy to have the following:
Customer property endorsement
Business property endorsement
Cyber liability endorsement
Certified acts of terrorism endorsement
| CoverWallet (Best) | NEXT | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $10,000/$25,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $250,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $20,000/$50,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $250,000/$2,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | No | No |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 |
It's important to get another type of liability insurance for self employed carpenter-professional indemnity insurance.
Use the table above to compare the professional indemnity insurance quotes of the companies that underwrite comprehensive carpentry liability insurance.
This insurance for self employed carpenter and carpenters working at companies takes care of costs if a client files a claim and accuses you of committing:
Negligence
Misrepresentation
Violation of good faith
Violation of fair dealing
Fraudulent refunds
Breach of confidentiality
Breach of contract
Inaccurate advice
Substandard work
Professional indemnity insurance is also called professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance for carpenters is available as a claims-made or occurrence policy.
Moreover, you usually get professional indemnity insurance as a stand-alone policy. However, companies that customize your carpenter insurance can offer this as an optional coverage to general liability insurance.
Public liability insurance for carpenters grants protection against claims for bodily injuries or property damage that third parties file against your business.
You can say that general liability and public liability insurance have the same basic function.
However, as compared to the former, the latter has very limited protection. Carpenters public liability insurance doesn’t cover slander, copyright infringement, libel, and other claims covered in the language of general liability insurance.
Public liability insurance is offered as part of general liability insurance in the USA. That said, those looking for stand-alone public liability insurance for self employed carpenter might find difficulties finding the coverage they need here.
| NEXT (Best) | Thimble | |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $5,000/$10,000 | $1,000/$5,000 |
| Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | Yes | Yes |
| Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | Yes | No |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 |
Tools and equipment insurance is a common inclusion in self-employed carpenter insurance programs. Use the table above to compare the quotes of the companies we recommend.
Carpenter tools insurance covers the replacement cost of saws, drills, ladders, tape measures, hammers, and other implements you own that got damaged or destroyed because of:
Theft
Fire
Vandalism
Mysterious disappearance
Operator error
Impact
Water
So does tools and equipment insurance for carpenters cover rented equipment? By default, this insurance only covers the implements you own.
Whether or not borrowed or rented equipment is included depends on your choice of carrier. For one, we’re particularly sure that Thimble and NEXT’s tools and equipment insurance provides coverage for borrowed or rented carpentry tools and equipment.
Note that carpenter equipment insurance and tools insurance doesn’t cover damage or loss that results from normal wear and tear.
You can get carpenter tool insurance and equipment insurance as a stand-alone policy or as an endorsement to general liability insurance or commercial property insurance.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $110,000 | $15,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | Included |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | Included |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | Included |
Do you own a carpentry shop where tables, chairs, windows, frames, and other products are manufactured?
Consider getting commercial property insurance if this is the case. Use the table above to compare the commercial property insurance quotes of carriers that sell comprehensive carpentry contractor insurance.
This insurance for carpenter reimburses losses and helps cover reconstruction or repair expenses if the shop gets damaged or lost because of:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Civil commotion
Riot
Malicious mischief
Impact
Aircraft
Vehicle
Volcanic action
Sinkhole collapse
Lightning
Hail
Snow
Winds
Commercial property insurance for carpentry business also covers tools and equipment that gets damaged or lost while in your shop’s premises due to the perils above.
In a similar way, this carpentry business insurance can also help if something happens to the materials and finished products in your workshop.
The commercial property insurance of your carpentry insurance policy can be added with inland marine, business interruption, and equipment breakdown endorsements.
| NEXT | GEICO | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto liability bodily injury coverage aggregate limit (minimum) | $25,000 per injury $50,000 per accident | $100,000/$300,000 CSL | $300,000 |
| Auto liability property damage aggregate limit (minimum) | $15,000 | $50,000 | $300,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage limit | $25,000 per injury $50,000 per accident | $100,000/$300,000 | $300,000 |
| Rental reimbursement coverage aggregate limit | $1,500 | $900 | Excluded |
| Trailers can be added to commercial auto insurance? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Roadside assistance coverage included | Yes | No | No |
| Safe driving discounts included? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
It’s hard to work as a carpenter without having your own vehicle for transporting products to be installed, implements for work, and other necessities you need to deliver excellent service. Use the table above to compare the quotes of commercial auto insurance for carpentry business.
When you’re using a vehicle for work, it’s smart to add a commercial auto policy to your carpenter and joiners insurance plan. 31% of carpenters purchase this insurance for their business.
Commercial auto insurance is multifaceted. Here’s a quick summary of how does this insurance work for carpenters.
Cover the medical treatment or property damage of third parties who got involved in an auto accident you caused while on the way to perform a carpentry service
Provide the money for parts repair or replacement expenses because the vehicle you use for work got damaged due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils
Reimburse vehicle rental or public transportation expenses
Cover your medical treatment and that of the passengers if you got involved in an auto accident caused by an uninsured/underinsured driver
Note that this business insurance for carpenters doesn’t cover auto accidents that are caused by your involvement in criminal activities while driving the vehicle.
We recommend you get workers compensation insurance if you work with one or more part-time and full-time employees. 100% of carpenters get this for their carpentry business.
Workers comp for carpenters covers the resulting expenses if an employee sustains an occupational disease or injury. Use this insurance when:
An employee falls from a height while working on the scaffolding of the construction site
An employee gets his hands cut or crushed by equipment
An employee suffers from asthma or eye irritation because of the dust in the workplace
So what can you do with workers' compensation insurance for carpenters? Claiming this helps you pay for these costs on behalf of an employee without incurring losses:
Medical treatment
Hospitalization
Medication
Rehabilitation and retraining
Lost wages
Funeral expenses and allowance to dependents in case of death
Workers' compensation is one of the most expensive insurance for joiners and carpenters. Consider getting this as a pay-as-you-go policy to save money on insurance premiums.
So what will happen if you don’t get this type of carpenter’s insurance and violate authorities? Not getting workers' compensation insurance will result in hefty fines and penalties.
Most carpentry and joinery insurance programs offer a business owner’s policy. 79% of carpenters get this for their business.
A business owner’s policy is a combination of general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. Its cost is cheaper than when you bought the two policies individually.
Aside from cheaper costs, another advantage of a business owner’s policy is that it’s easier to manage.
Business owner’s policy works best if you’re just a carpenter with 2-3 employees and have an annual revenue of less than $100,000.
Carpentry contractor insurance plans offer builders risk insurance.
Builders risk insurance is useful when the entire project, its scaffolding and other structures, or materials get damaged or lost due to fire, theft, vandalism, explosions, winds, rain, and other covered perils.
If the work contract states that you have responsibility if something happens to the project, then getting builders risk insurance is smart. No need to get this if the opposite is true.
Short-term insurance pertains to specific types of specialized insurance plans that carpenters like you can use as temporary coverage. The most common ones are offered as hourly, daily, or monthly policies.
Carpenter insurance for one day is a general liability insurance that grants coverage for a day or a number of days.
So how much does this cost? Carpenter insurance by the day costs $15.
Consider getting one day carpenter insurance if you’re just working part-time. Another reason to get this is because you're working in an area that falls out of the jurisdiction of your present insurance company.
You can get carpenter insurance for a day from Hiscox, The Hartford, and Thimble.
A monthly carpenter insurance is a general liability policy that you can set to provide coverage for one month. You can also extend the coverage for up to three months max.
The cost of carpenter liability insurance by the month is $17.
The best option for carpenter insurance monthly basis is Thimble. It gives you the option of pausing your insurance coverage.
Another option for monthly carpenter liability insurance is Hiscox.
Carpenter insurance by the hour is a general liability policy that grants coverage for one hour up to 24 hours.
Thimble sells carpenter liability insurance by the hour for as low as $13 per one hour of coverage. Hiscox also offers this in partnership with Thimble.
Unlike carpenter liability insurance by the month, hourly general liability insurance for carpenters can’t be paused. Nonetheless, you can still do other useful things with it, such as naming of additional insureds and getting a certificate of insurance.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
These are the best carpenters insurance companies. Read to know their pros, cons, and rate for a $1 million general liability insurance.
Best overall
Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post
Fastest general liability insurance for carpenters
Great customer service and reputation
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Outstanding value for money
Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount
Couldn’t find any
NEXT offers carpenters insurance that initially offers a general liability coverage with optional tools and equipment coverage. If you’re smart, consider adding workers compensation and commercial property insurance. By doing so, you’ll get a 10% discount. Decide to work with NEXT because it has a network of certified insurance agents that are always ready to help if you don’t know what coverage to get or what to do with your policy.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for carpenters
Average cost: $26 per month
Our rating: 8/10
Get covered online
Online proof of insurance
Live chat support
Compare carpenter insurance quotes online
Carpentry insurance comes from another company
CoverWallet covers carpentry contractors. Note that the insurance you’ll get from CoverWallet are underwritten by its partners. The company simply sells you the insurance quotes and helps you manage them using the MyCoverWallet app.
What types of protection does CoverWallet offer? The company’s carpenter insurance offers general liability, commercial property, workers compensation, commercial auto, and more.
CoverWallet’s carpenters insurance services include the free naming of additional insureds, getting an unlimited number of certificates of insurance online, as well as online policy management and payment of premiums.
While this insurance broker doesn’t offer one day carpenter liability insurance online, you can try calling a representative that can hook you up with a partner who can provide the coverage.
Best for: Carpenter insurance quotes comparison online
Average cost: $30 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Responsive customer service
Compare the quotes of insurance policies for carpenters over the phone
A partner of many reputable insurance companies
You need to call to get a quote
Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) doesn’t have a carpenter insurance program. However, this company can cover you through its contractor insurance plan. Call and talk with a representative now to know if you’re eligible and compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing the quotes of insurance policies for carpenters over the phone
Average cost: $34 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Short-term carpentry insurance
Cancel a policy anytime
Has unique endorsements in its general liability insurance for carpenters
You can’t reach customer service by calling
Thimble’s carpenter insurance plan is underwritten for finish carpenters and framing carpenters. Policies you can get are general liability insurance and workers compensation insurance.
This company’s general liability insurance has numerous endorsements that other companies in this list doesn’t offer, such as customer property and cyber insurance floaters.
Thimble offers carpenter liability insurance by the day, month, or hour. However, you need to get this as a stand-alone policy.
The limit of this company’s carpenter liability insurance for one day, month, or hour is $1 million-$2 million. Though comprehensive, it doesn’t offer the floaters present in Thimble’s annual general liability insurance plan.
Best for: Short-term carpenter insurance
Average cost: $27 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Choose policy limits and deductibles
14-day money-back guarantee
Worldwide coverage
General liability insurance is the only policy offered online to carpenters
General liability policy is the only insurance included in Hiscox’s online carpenter’s insurance program. You need to speak with a representative to avail commercial property, business owner’s policy, and professional liability insurance.
Hiscox also offers carpenter liability insurance for a day, month, or hour. However, this is underwritten by Thimble. And so, when you get carpenter liability insurance daily basis, monthly basis, or hourly basis from this company, you’ll be redirected to Thimble’s online quoting platform.
Best for: Large carpentry businesses
Average cost: $36 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Intuitive online quoting platform
Issues numerous discounts on commercial auto insurance
Gives a discount on business insurance if you’re already a GEICO personal auto insurance or commercial auto insurance policyholder
Doesn’t cover carpenters with poor business profile
GEICO’s carpenter insurance allows you to avail general liability, commercial property, business owner’s policy, workers' compensation, and commercial auto insurance.
Go for GEICO if you’re a carpenter looking for cheap commercial auto insurance. This company has different kinds of discount options, such as safe driving discounts and CDL discounts.
Best for: Commercial auto insurance discounts for carpenters
Average cost: $40 per month
Our rating: 7/10
Quick to issue quotes
Sells pay-as-you-go workers' compensation insurance for carpenters
Sells short-term general liability insurance for carpenters
1.4 average rating from 54 reviews in Trustpilot
The Hartford's carpenter’s insurance program offers general liability, workers' compensation, professional liability, and commercial auto insurance policies.
While this company does offer a quote online, The Hartford is quite a hassle when it comes to getting quick coverage because you will be asked to talk with a representative. This happens if your business profile or business information is lackluster.
Hartford sells a short-term general liability policy in partnership with Putty Insurance. Note that eligibility for coverage depends on the carpentry services you provide.
Best for: Carpenters looking for pay-as-you-go workers' compensation insurance
Average cost: $45 per month
Our rating: 7/10
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
It really can't get any better than this... wow
Not all those who wander are lost.
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