A roofers liability ranges from injuries caused to third parties during a roofing installation project, work-related accidents, to complaints of defective work, and issues because of negligence.
Commercial roofing insurance allows you to sort things out smoothly if exposures occur. Read this guide that will take you through the inclusions, the cost of premiums, and the best companies.
General liability and professional liability policies are the two types of roofing liability insurance that you must always have. By having these two, you can satisfy contract and licensing requirements.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | Progressive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$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 | $1,000,000/$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 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Excluded | Excluded |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Excluded | Excluded |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Roofing installation, repair, and maintenance is an intricate task. You use different materials and tools that can cause accidents when mishandled.
General liability insurance, also a common inclusion in roof cleaning insurance bundles, grants comprehensive protection against claims for bodily injuries or property damage that result from your roofing installation, repair, and maintenance activities. Use the table above and see which insurance company offers the best roofing general liability insurance.
These are some realistic situations where you can leverage general liability insurance to avoid financial losses:
An asphalt shingle slides and falls from the client’s rooftop. This hit a client’s family member and caused head trauma
The owner of a commercial building filed a property damage lawsuit after your roofing removal and replacement service resulted in leaks
A signage installer fell from a height while fixing the lighting of your roofing business
Yes. You can customize the general liability policy of your roofing contractor insurance package by adding these optional policies:
Customer property coverage
Business equipment coverage
Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage
General liability insurance for roofing contractors has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence limit. Insurance companies understand that general contractors might require you to get more. And so, you can increase your limits up to $5 million-$10 million by filing a request.
Yes. General liability insurance covers lawsuits filed as a result of defective workmanship that caused bodily injuries or property damage. If the claim is all about defective workmanship that caused financial losses or business interruption, then general liability insurance can’t help.
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 |
Roofing installation, maintenance, and repair needs skill and attention. It’s your responsibility if the client faces financial losses because you delayed the completion of a roofing project, you made the wrong computations, or an employee is inexperienced.
A professional liability policy is always included in a roofing contractors liability insurance package to take care of such exposures. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best professional liability insurance for roofing contractors.
Professional liability insurance will cover remunerations, legal expenses, and court judgments if a client files a claim and accuses you of committing any of the following:
Faking licenses and project portfolios
Inflating the cost of roofing materials and cheating the client of their money
Failure to recognize and correct errors in a roofing project’s design
Negligent hiring of sub-contractors
You can use a professional liability policy as a subcontractor roofing insurance because 1099 workers can be named as additional insureds in its terms. By doing so, the coverage of your professional liability insurance applies even if negligence, misrepresentation, and other misconducts are committed by sub-contractors.
No. Your existing professional liability insurance only caters roofing activities. To solve the coverage gap, we suggest you get a stand-alone professional liability policy from solar contractor insurance bundles.
A roofers public liability insurance works the same way as a general liability policy. It grants coverage against claims for bodily injuries or property damage. Public liability insurance is a common coverage in the UK. In contrast, only a few US insurance companies sell this as most offer a general liability policy.
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| 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 |
A roofing business needs a warehouse to safeguard roofing materials and an office to conduct transactions. You can avoid drastic financial losses if something happens to the warehouse or office by including a commercial property policy in your roofing business insurance package. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best commercial property insurance for roofing businesses.
Commercial property insurance will reimburse financial losses and help you continue business operations if the following happens:
A fire breaks out in your office or warehouse
Your office or warehouse catches a fire after a nearby building burst into flames
A car crashes in your warehouse or office
A plane crashes in your warehouse or office
A sinkhole forms and engulfs the entire space where your warehouse or office is located
Thieves break into your office or warehouse
Vandals destroy your office or warehouse’s storefront
Commercial property insurance covers the office and warehouse of your roofing business, and this means that anything inside is insured too. And so, the policy will also reimburse the value of roofing materials, ladders, drills, hammers, computers, air compressors, circular saws, reciprocating saws, and other valuables.
No. Commercial property insurance only covers such properties if their damage, loss, or destruction happened within your warehouse or office’s premises.
| CoverWallet | Thimble | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Not all businesses involved in roofing activities can shoulder the cost of insurance premiums without batting an eye. And this is why some carriers offer a business owner’s policy in their roofing insurance package.
A business owner’s policy bundles general liability and commercial property insurance. Its cost is 5%-10% cheaper than buying such policies as stand-alone coverages. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best business owner’s policy for roofing businesses.
Yes. You can include add-ons to a business owner’s policy to enjoy more protection. Common optional policies are business equipment coverage, hired/non-owned auto coverage, waiver of subrogation, and inland marine coverage.
| NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $5,000/$25,000 |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $3,000/$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 |
Roofing installation equipment is integral to your business. And so, a large portion of your capital goes into curating the best equipment that allows for the speedy completion of a roofing project.
Tools and equipment insurance exclusively covers the saws, drills, ladders, air compressors,and other objects you use for installation, repairing, and maintaining a roof. Use the table above to see which insurance company offers the best tools and equipment insurance for roofing businesses.
Tools and equipment insurance takes care of repair or replacement expenses if your roof installation equipment is damaged or destroyed by:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Water damage
Electrical surge
Electrical shorts
No. Tools and equipment insurance doesn’t cover the roofing installation equipment of your subcontractors. However, coverage can apply to the implements you borrow, hire, or lease.
We suggest that you purchase tools and equipment insurance as an endorsement to your general liability policy, business owner’s policy, or commercial property policy. This way, you enjoy cheap premiums and easy policy management.
You can’t run a roofing business without employees. There must be at least clerks and roofing installation technicians to ensure smooth business operations.
Authorities will require you to cover all of your employees with worker's compensation insurance. Failure to comply will result in suspension, heavy fines, or even imprisonment.
Roofing worker's compensation insurance will take care of these expenses when an employee of your roofing business sustains a work-related injury or disease:
Emergency medical treatment
Hospitalization
Medication
Rehabilitation
Lost wages
Rehabilitation and allowance to dependents in case of death
Workers compensation insurance doesn’t grant compensation to your sub contractors who sustained a work-related injury or disease. They can be named as an additional insured at an additional cost for coverage to apply.
To make things more straightforward, we suggest you require subcontractors to get their own workers compensation insurance. You can also ask them to sign a waiver, if doing so is legal in your state.
You use a van or truck to transport employees, roofing materials, and equipment. And so, consider getting commercial auto insurance that does the following:
Cover the medical treatment of injured third parties in a vehicular accident
Cover the medical treatment of your employees if they get involved in an accident caused by an uninsured/underinsured driver
Pay the repair or replacement of parts if the commercial vehicle of your roofing business sustains damage
Avail general liability coverage as a short-term policy and you’ll have temporary roofing insurance. A short-term general liability insurance grants coverage for hours, days, weeks, or months depending on your needs. It can also be paused. But note that, you have to buy this as a stand-alone coverage, which can never be added as an inclusion in your roofing insurance package.
A roofing company insurance program is designed for big roofing businesses. Composing this are general liability, professional liability, commercial property, business owner’s policy, and workers compensation insurance with higher limits.
The answer is yes. For example, if your roofing business is involved with gutter cleaning, then your roofing insurance package might exclude this activity. And so, you need to invest in a gutter cleaner’s insurance program.
The average roofing contractor insurance cost is $292 per month or $3,504 per year for a $1 million general liability policy
The average roofing company insurance cost is $315 per month or $3,780 per year for a $1 million general liability policy.
The actual roofing insurance price you pay can be exactly the same or different to the figures we mentioned based on:
Claims history
Business history
Number of employees
Annual revenues
Location
Policy limits
In addition, the table below gives a further idea of the best companies roofing liability insurance cost based on their pricing for a $1 million general liability policy:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $83 | $996 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for roofing contractors |
| Thimble | $91 | $1,092 | Short-term roofing insurance |
| CoverWallet | $100 | $1,200 | Roofing contractor insurance online quotes comparison |
| Tivly | $112 | $1,344 | Comparing roofing contractor insurance quotes over the phone |
| Hiscox | $130 | $1,560 | Roofing insurance with worldwide coverage |
| State Farm | $289 | $3,468 | Small to large-sized roofing contractors |
We suggest you compare the roofing insurance cost estimates of different companies yourself to get the best deal. Start by clicking the “Get Quotes” button on this page.
There are several things that you can do to reduce your rates and get cheap roofing insurance, including:
● Comparing quotes from different companies.
● Obtaining advanced OSHA safety certifications.
● Going several years without major claims.
●Paying your annual rate upfront (instead of monthly premiums).
● Paying a higher deductible (the amount you agree to pay out of pocket before your insurer steps in and covers the rest).
Workers compensation insurance can be a very expensive coverage for roofing businesses. And so, we’ve made a table showing the roofing workers comp rates of the recommended companies:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $87.50 | $1,050 |
| Thimble | $88.92 | $1,067.04 |
| CoverWallet | $90 | $1,080 |
| Tivly | $100 | $1,200 |
| Hiscox | $104.50 | $1,254 |
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Every insurance company will claim to realistically know the exposures of your roofing business. We’ve made this review that gives you an idea of which company is truly committed to protecting you. Proceed below to know the best roofing insurance companies’ pros, cons, and cost of a $1 million general liability insurance.
Best overall
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Fastest general liability insurance for roofing contractors
Great customer service and reputation
Excellent rates
Outstanding value for money
Get a 10% discount if you buy two or more policies
Couldn’t find any
NEXT covers roofing contractors and roofing companies through its roofing insurance program. Policies included in it are:
General liability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Commercial property insurance
Tools and equipment insurance
Commercial auto insurance
Workers compensation insurance
The limits of your insurance policies will depend whether you buy the coverage for your roofing business as a basic, deluxe, or premiere plan.
Once you’re insured, NEXT will give you access to its online insurance management platform where you can name additional insureds and send certificates of insurance to anyone as a text message, social media post, or email.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for roofing contractors
Average cost: $83 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Compare roofing contractor insurance quotes online
Cancel your coverage anytime
Buy a coverage online or over the phone
Easy online policy management
Not an insurance company but an insurance broker
CoverWallet’s roofing contractor insurance comes from different insurance companies. That said, this company enables you to get different quotes for your business. A typical roofing insurance package will consist of:
$1 million-$2 million general liability insurance
$1 million professional liability insurance
$50,000 commercial property insurance
Workers compensation insurance
Commercial auto insurance
Best for: Roofing contractor insurance online quotes comparison
Average cost: $91 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Responsive customer service
Compare roofing contractor insurance quotes over the phone
A partner of many reputable insurance companies
BBB accredited
You need to call to get a quote
Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) covers you through its contractors insurance. There’s no pre-made insurance package. This company will curate the insurance bundle according to your actual needs. That said, call and talk with a Tivly representative to compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing roofing contractor insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $100 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Sells a short-term general liability policy for roofing businesses
Numerous add-ons to general liability and business owner’s policy
Professional liability coverage is offered as an optional policy to general liability insurance
Quick to issue an estimate of your premiums
You can’t reach customer service by calling
Thimble’s roofing insurance package offers the following:
$1 million-$2 million general liability insurance
Business owner’s policy with $1 million-$2 million general liability coverage and $25,000-$500,000 commercial property coverage
By the way, this company’s stand-alone general liability policy is available as a short-term coverage that lasts for hours, days, weeks, or months. You can pause this anytime. Policy limits are $1 million-$2 million.
Best for: Short-term roofing insurance
Average cost: $112 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Worldwide coverage
Automatic policy renewal
Fast to handle claims
Dedicated team of claims experts
Excludes high-rise roofing in its underwriting appetite
Hiscox offers general liability, professional liability, and business owner’s policy for roofing businesses. You can also purchase commercial auto and workers compensation insurance but this will come from a partner. Note that you might not be eligible if you’re involved in high-rise roofing activities.
Best for: Roofing insurance with worldwide coverage
Average cost: $130 per month
Our rating: 9/10
● Excellent reputation for quality service.
● Provide both workers’ comp and general liability coverage.
● Offices located nationwide.
● Great customer service.
● Occasional reports of denied claims.
State Farm is one of the most popular insurance providers used by construction and roofing contractors. They’ve been in business since 1922 and have built a trustworthy reputation. One of the best reasons to go with State Farm is that they provide both general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. This means that you may be able to bundle your policies together and save. State Farm has a stellar reputation for quality customer service, and they have offices around the country, which makes them easy to get in touch with when you need them most.
Best for: Small to large-sized roofing contractors
Average cost: $289 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
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!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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