As a paving contractor, you will often work with different machines and tools just like drywall contractors, EIFS contractors, and concrete contractors.
Other than the risk of injuring others, you ought to also protect your business from possible pollution infractions and hazardous waste issues.
That's where paving contractors insurance comes in. Also sold as asphalt paving insurance, this policy is a specialty product meant to protect the business and operations of pavers.
Get a paving contractor insurance package, and reduce your worries in case equipment accidents, third party liability lawsuits, business property damage, and other unfortunate things happen. Continue reading below to know the common inclusions in asphalt insurance for paving contractors, the cost of premiums, and where to get the best coverage.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000/$4,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $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 | $100,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | Excluded |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | Excluded |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Yes |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
By nature of your trade, you are going to require liability insurance for paving contractors.The first paving liability insurance policy you'll need is general liability insurance.
Depending on where your business is located and where your projects are, general liability might be required by authorities for licensing purposes or giving you the permit to commence projects.
Further, most contractors and homeowners won't hire your services if you don’t have general liability insurance. Use the table above to compare the general liability insurance of companies we recommend for paving contractors.
So what risks does general liability insurance cover? This type of commercial paving insurance covers claims for bodily injuries, property damage, and reputational harm. Here are some specific situations where this is useful:
Your paving machine gets defective and spews hot asphalt to cars parked nearby
Someone trips and fall on a fallen warning sign you placed on the road
A person demands compensation from your business after stepping on a fresh pavement
Now let’s talk about how general liability insurance for paving contractors work in practice. Your business can use general liability insurance to cover these expenses when a claim is filed:
Medical treatment
Compensation for property damage
Legal fees
Court judgments
Similar to the general liability insurance for other contractors, your business’s general liability insurance will automatically have all or only some of these add-ons:
Hired/non-owned auto liability insurance
Rented premises liability/tenant legal liability insurance
Waiver of subrogation
Tools and equipment insurance
Paving, similar to flooring and swimming pools, can display defects once finished. Product liability insurance for paving contractors protects you as the insured against liability for death, bodily injury, or property damage resulting from defects in the pavement you've worked on. To be more specific, here are some reasons for claims that product liability insurance can take care of:
The asphalt wasn’t applied well enough, resulting in a soft pavement
Your asphalt material is poor. As a result, the pavement easily cracks with the summer heat
The water resistance of the pavement is poor, and this results in slips and falls
With product liability insurance, you can easily cover legal costs and settlements. It will even cover the extra labor and lost revenues that result from correcting a defective pavement you previously worked on.
General liability insurance automatically comes with product liability insurance.
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included | No |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 | $500 |
Other than general liability insurance, you ought to purchase professional liability insurance. Also sold as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, this policy covers claims against your business for mistakes or oversights in the performance of your duties as a paving contractor, breach of contract, or professional negligence.
Use the table above to compare the professional liability insurance of the carriers we recommend for paving contractor business insurance.
Here are some concrete situations where professional liability insurance for paving contractors, masonry contractors, and electrical contractors becomes useful:
You didn’t place warning signs before operating
There were errors in the design and build of your paving project
You failed to finish a project on time
Your paving didn’t follow the design and build that the client and you agreed upon
A filed a claim because you asked for additional pay after receiving the commission for your work
While some of the claims might be downright unfounded, the cost implications still warrant purchasing professional liability insurance. With this policy, if a client were to sue because of the reasons above or those related, your professional liability policy would cover the legal costs as well as awarded settlements.
Other than being a financial cushion, paving contractor professional liability insurance will help you safeguard your reputation as clients essentially see your commitment towards quality service.
| NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $5,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $5,000/$25,000 |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $5,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | No |
| Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | No |
| Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 |
As a paving contractor, your entire business and trade are reliant on your equipment and tools.
You want to stay proactive in protecting these with equipment and tools coverage. Use the table above to compare the equipment and tools coverage of companies we recommend for paving contractors.
Equipment and tools coverage is a type of asphalt paving insurance that will pay repair or replacement expenses if your pavers, graders, sweepers, and other paving tools and equipment gets damaged or lost because of:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Electrical shorts
Operator error
Mechanical issues
Note that most insurance companies offer tools and equipment insurance for paving contractors, carpentry contractors, and siding contractors as optional coverage in general liability insurance. But still, it’s possible for you to get stand-alone equipment coverage if the value of your equipment and tools exceeds $100,000.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/$10,000 | Included |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Excluded |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Included |
Paving businesses need an office to entertain clients, store important documents, and do transactions. A warehouse or any other related facility is also essential for storing tools and equipment.
Any building that your business uses for its day to day operations can be insured with commercial property insurance. This paving contractor insurance grants a reimbursement if something happens to your paving business’s office or warehouse.
Reimbursement will be based on:
The cost of the damage to your building
The cost of replacing your building if it’s completely destroyed
So when can your paving business use commercial property insurance? Commercial property insurance grants coverage in the event of damage or destruction because of:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Civil commotion
Lightning
Volcanic action
Sinkhole collapse
Impact
Vehicle
Aircraft
Other covered perils
You can also use commercial property insurance for paving contractors, roofing contractors, and general contractors if tools and equipment, important documents, accounts receivable, furniture, and appliances get lost or damaged while in the warehouse or office.
| NEXT | Nationwide | |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability bodily injury coverage aggregate limit (minimum) | $100,000 CSL | $300,000 CSL |
| Auto liability property damage aggregate limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $25,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage limit | $100,000 | $50,000 |
| Rental reimbursement coverage aggregate limit | $900 | Excluded |
| Trailers can be added to commercial auto insurance? | Yes | No |
| Roadside assistance coverage included | No | No |
| Safe driving discounts included? | Yes | Yes |
The dump trucks, sweepers, graders, bulldozers, and tractors of your paving business can be insured with commercial auto insurance. Purchasing this policy is very important, especially if you usually work with public highway paving projects.
Use the table above to compare the commercial auto insurance of companies we recommend for paving contractors.
Commercial auto insurance takes care of the exposures that lurk while your motorized paving equipment is on the road. Here are the things that this paving contractors insurance will do on your behalf:
Cover the cost of third parties’ medical treatment and reimbursement for property damage if your dump trucks, sweepers, graders, and other motorized vehicles cause a road accident
Pay for parts repair or replacement expenses if your motorized equipment get damaged because of collision, fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils
Cover the medical treatment of the driver and passenger (if there are any) if your paving business’s motorized equipment gets involved in an accident caused by an uninsured/underinsured driver
You can cover any portable equipment and tools with inland marine insurance. Inland marine insurance reimburses your losses if equipment and tools become lost or damaged while in transit due to fire, theft, vandalism, vehicular accidents, mysterious disappearance, and other covered perils. Depending on which insurance company you work with, this is available as an add-on to tools and equipment coverage or commercial property insurance for paving contractors.
Even as a small paving business, chances are you rely on additional labor, whether permanent or part-time. By virtue of leveraging said physical labor, you want to protect your business with a workers' compensation policy.
Consider this. One of your employees gets a chemical burn while pouring the asphalt. This could mean significant downtime and mounting medical bills.
When you have the workers' compensation policy, it steps in to protect both you and your employee. The policy covers the following if a work-related injury or disease is sustained:
Immediate medical care, including emergency room expenses
Ongoing medical care, including the cost of rehabilitation
Partial lost wages
Death benefits and funeral costs
It is prudent to mention that there are circumstances where an injured or aggrieved employee will end up suing your business following injury.
To protect yourself from this eventuality, consider asking your carrier of choice to include an employer's liability policy as part of your workers' compensation insurance. Employer's liability policy caters to the following:
Attorney's fees
Court costs
Court judgments, including settlements
Note that if you are a paving contractor in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, or Wyoming, you will be required to purchase the employer's liability cover for paving contractors as a standalone policy.
As highlighted, working on pavements or roads with asphalt and any other material or equipment, there's an increased risk of bodily injury. If you were to get hurt, the personal injury policy steps in to pay for the medical fees and any ongoing expenses that arise from the accident.
Some projects might require you to get a surety bond. Basically, a surety bond is a type of insurance that provides reimbursements on your behalf in case you can’t complete the project, which results in the client’s losses. Surety bonds are available as a stand-alone coverage that you can’t add to your existing insurance package.
Another contract requirement might be builders risk insurance. Builders risk insurance is useful for large scale paving operations. If the pavement or its materials sustain damage before the project is even completed, builders' risk insurance will cover extra labor costs, recovery of materials, and other expenses.
If you’re just starting operations as a paving contractor, then you’ll benefit greatly from a business owner’s policy. A business owner’s policy combines general liability and commercial property insurance. Its cost is cheaper than buying general liability and commercial property insurance separately. Depending on where you get it, a business owner’s policy can also have professional liability insurance, cyber liability insurance, and other useful add-ons.
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $60 | $720 | $0-$500 |
| Professional liability insurance | $85 | $1,020 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial property insurance | $72 | $864 | $1,000-$2,500 |
| Business owner’s policy | $142 | $1,704 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $150 | $1,800 | $1,000-$1,500 |
| Workers compensation insurance | $275 | $3,295 | $2,000-$5,000 |
| Tools and equipment insurance | $15 | $170 | $500 |
| Surety bonds | 1%-15% of the bond amount | 1%-15% of the bond amount | $10,000 |
| Builder’s risk insurance | 1%-5% of the project’s cost | 1%-5% of the project’s cost | $1,500 |
The average paving contractors insurance cost is $60 per month or $720 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance.
Getting a paving contractor's business insurance is relatively easy if you have all your company information at hand. Most carriers will simply require you to provide information on your revenue and the number of employees.
Fortunately, it is relatively easy getting the policy online once you complete a free online application. The cost of paving contractor insurance depends on several factors. These include:
The type of paving you offer
Value of business property and equipment
Business income
Types of coverage purchased
Policy limits and deductibles
Previous claims history
Consider comparing insurance quotes online to ensure you land on the cheapest policy that adequately covers your paving business.
To give you a better perspective, here's how much you'd pay for a $1 million general liability insurance from the best paving contractor insurance companies
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $41.67 | $500.04 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for paving contractors |
| CoverWallet | $53.25 | $639 | Paving instructor insurance online quotes comparison |
| Tivly | $57 | $684 | Comparing paving contractor insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $65 | $780 | On-demand coverage for paving contractors |
| Hiscox | $69 | $828 | Paving contractor insurance that renews every year |
| Nationwide | $175 | $2,100 | Multiple discounts on offer |
For professional liability insurance coverage, you will pay an average cost of about $85 per month or $1,020 per year. You want to get a policy with a $1 million per-occurrence limit and a $1 million aggregate limit.
Commercial property insurance costs $72 per month or $1,704 per year. Bundle this in a business owner’s policy together with general liability insurance, and you’ll pay $120 per month or $1,440 per year
On the other hand, you will have premiums of $275 per month or $3,295 per year for workers' compensation insurance. Note that this figure is subject to where you provide your paving services, as some states will stipulate additional costs for the policy.
Commercial auto insurance will cost you, on average, about $150 per month or $1,800 per year for a $25,000 auto liability coverage and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Ideally, your commercial auto insurance must have the minimum auto liability and underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage mandated by the state.
You will pay an average of $15 per month and $170 per year for contractor's tools and equipment coverage. An insider tip would be to choose a policy with a limit of $5,000, but you could go higher depending on the value of your tools and equipment.
The cost of tools and equipment insurance depends on the value of your equipment. As for surety bonds, its cost is 1% to 15% of the amount of coverage you want to have.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Your paving business will often determine the paving contractor insurance company you go for.
For instance, if you are looking for a carrier with personalized services, you will likely be inclined towards a provider with a call center and a dedicated team of customer care representatives.
On the other hand, if you want easy management of your policy, you will likely go with a carrier that has an online presence, an easy-to-navigate website, and a mobile application.
Whatever your needs, you want to work with a paving contractors insurance company with a proven track record of providing the best possible coverage.
As such, here's a list of the best paving contractors insurance companies that you must consider working with. Read the reviews below to know their pros, cons, and cost of 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 paving contractors
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
If you are keen on having an online policy management process, then NEXT is the carrier for you. While relatively new in the insurance landscape, NEXT is still able to compete with seasoned insurers offering the same protection package.
Paving and asphalt contractor insurance from NEXT costs as little as $41.67 per month or $500 annually. This is the basic package that includes:
General liability with a per-occurrence limit of $300,000
Workers' compensation with a per-accident limit of $100,000
Commercial property with a per-occurrence limit of $25,000
The most popular package is the premiere package, and includes:
General liability with a per-occurrence limit of $1 million
Workers' compensation with a per-accident limit of $500,000
Commercial property coverage with a per-occurrence limit of $25,000
To get the best paving contractor coverage from NEXT, you ought to consider getting the deluxe cover. This package includes the following:
General liability policy with a per-occurrence limit of $2 million
Workers' compensation coverage with per-accident limit of $1 million
Commercial property coverage with a per-occurrence limit of $25,000
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for paving contractors
Average cost: $41.67 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Online quote comparison
A wide variety of coverage options offered
Policyholders can manage their policies, pay premiums, and handle their claims through an online dashboard
CoverWallet is not a carrier. Instead, it offers paving contractors insurance through a third-party
If you are a small business owner looking for cheap paving contractors insurance, then CoverWallet must be top of your list. The carrier's digital wallet is simple to use, making the purchase, management, and evaluation of policies straightforward. These are the policies you can avail
General liability coverage
Workers' compensation policy
Business owners' policy
Professional liability coverage
Be sure to take advantage of the host of features offered by CoverWallet, including:
MyCoverWallet dashboard
Free certificates of insurance
Claim filing support
Best for: Paving instructor insurance online quotes comparison
Average cost: $53.25 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Compare quotes over the phone
Grants coverage regardless of your business profile
Responsive customer service
You need to call to get a quote
When you buy your coverage from NEXT, it might ask you to call Tivly to finalize the purchase. Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) can provide insurance regardless if your business profile is good or bad.
Policies it offers are general liability, commercial property, builder’s risk, commercial auto, and other insurance solutions. Call Tivly now to talk with a representative and compare paving contractor insurance quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing paving contractor insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $57 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Customizable limits and deductibles
On-demand coverage
Numerous add-ons
Quick to issue an estimate of your rates
You can’t reach customer service by calling
Thimble doesn't have a paving contractor insurance package. However, you can get coverage from this company’s insurance for businesses involved in asphalt work. Policies offered are general liability and a business owner’s policy with numerous add-ons, such as cyber liability insurance and hired/non-owned auto liability insurance.
This company allows you to choose the limit and deductibles of your coverage. For example, you can opt your business owner’s policy’s general liability insurance to have $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit.
Best for: On-demand coverage for paving contractors
Average cost: $65 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Automatic policy renewal
Worldwide coverage
Add-ons available as upgrades to your insurance policies
Get a discount if you buy two or more insurance policies
You need to call an agent to get other policies aside from general liability insurance
Hiscox’s coverage is designed for paving contractors specializing in driveway and sidewalk paving and repaving. You can get a general liability policy online. Other policies can be purchased by calling a Hiscox agent.
Your coverage from Hiscox renews every year. This means that you don’t need to undergo a lengthy reinsurance process when your coverage expires. Moreover, your general liability insurance provides worldwide coverage, meaning that it applies even if you’re working abroad.
Best for: Paving contractor insurance that renews every year
Average cost: $69 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Excellent financial strength
Variety of discounts on offer
Large pool of coverage options on offer
Claims can be filed via the phone, online, or through mobile apps
Higher premiums
Mixed customer reviews
Not available to paving contractors in Hawaii, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Wisconsin
Nationwide offers comprehensive protection packages to paving contractors in all 50 states for $175 monthly or $2,100 annually. For this price, the policyholder gets general liability coverage, commercial property insurance, and commercial auto insurance.
While significantly more expensive than other carriers, Nationwide provides different discounts, which, if a policyholder qualifies for, could significantly reduce the annual premiums.
Best for: Multiple discounts on offer
Average cost: $175 per month
Our rating: 8/10
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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