As a tile contractor, your clients contract you to transform every surface from floors to walls. Similar to roofing contractors, siding contractors, and masonry contractors, chances are you assume that all you need is top-notch craftsmanship, attention to detail, and quality service. However, this is a fallacy. In your line of duty as a tile contractor, you've got to navigate risk and exposure to potential claims, which is where tile contractor insurance comes in.
Whether you are a ceramic or mosaic tile contractor, you can leverage tile business insurance policies as the first line of defense against the unexpected. Tilers insurance covers your business, assets, and reputation, whether you are involved in residential, commercial, or governmental projects.
Note that tile contractors insurance is not mandated by law, but it could mean all the difference when an accident happens. Think of it this way. When an event occurs that would bring your business to its knees, tile insurance for contractors cushions you.
Here's a breakdown of what you want as part of said package.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $300,000/$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 | Can be included |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Similar to flooring contractors, there are a vast number of calamities that can put a serious dent in your bottom line as a tile contractor. For instance, an employee could drop a customer's tile, ultimately breaking them. Or, a customer might get hurt at your commercial space while at a consultative meeting. Or you could very well be sued by a competitor for reputational damage for something that was said by either you or your employees.
Each of these scenarios represents a situation where you could be found liable. The consequence will often be dragged out legal processes which come with mounting fees. Even if the courts rule in your favor, lawsuits still take a toll on your finances.
An essential part of your tile contractor liability insurance package is general liability insurance. You don’t only need this for protection but also as a requirement for getting hired by general contractors and other clients.
This foundational coverage protects your business from the financial liability linked to lawsuits associated with bodily injury and property damage filed by an aggrieved third party. Use the table above to compare the general liability insurance of companies we recommend.
Let's look at real-life situations where tile contractor general liability insurance comes in:
You are tiling the bathroom wall. You accidentally dropped the tool and it leaves an ugly crack on the bathtub
You were applying aerosolized coating on the client’s recently installed tile flooring. During the work, the client’s kid came to watch and experienced breathing difficulties afterwards
General liability policy for tile contractors covers these expenses when a claim is filed:
Medical treatments
Reimbursements for property damage
Attorney fees, court filing fees, and other legal expenses
Court judgments
An insider tip would be to have your carrier include products/completed operations coverage in your general liability insurance. This policy covers any liability that arises after you've completed the project.
Consider this. You are contracted to install a kitchen backsplash, and at the end of the project, everyone's happy. Unfortunately, after a few days, the entire installation comes tumbling down, cutting the client's hand. In such a case where the completed project causes harm, the products/completed operations policy steps in to pay the arising costs.
Similar to the general liability insurance of concrete contractors and fence installation contractors, your general liability insurance can have these add-ons:
Hired non-owned auto liability coverage
Rented premises liability coverage
Tools and equipment coverage
| 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 |
Other than the general liability, another type of tile contractors insurance you ought to purchase is a professional liability policy. Use the table above to compare the professional liability insurance of companies we recommend.
Contractors professional liability insurance protects you from any claims against the services you offer. Commit an issue and clients will ask for reimbursement since tiling mistakes can plague a building for years. The policy covers claims of:
Failure to deliver promised services
Negligence in providing services
Errors and oversights
Inaccurate advice
Insurance companies sell professional liability insurance for tiling contractors as a claims-made or occurrence coverage. We recommend the second because it provides lifetime protection so long as a covered peril happens during the policy duration.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
| 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 |
You rely on specialty equipment just like cabinetry contractors and plastering contractors. Implements are integral because, without them, you can’t do your job well. If these were to be stolen, vandalized, or damaged, you’ll face heavy losses. it could mean the closure of your business.
Fortunately, if you've invested in a tools and equipment policy, you are assured of little to no downtime. Use the table above to compare the tools and equipment insurance of companies we recommend.
This insurance steps in paying for the cost of repair or replacement. The tools and equipment policy covers the following:
Mortar mixer
Tile saw
Manual tile cutter
Drills
Suction cups
Tile trowels
Tile leveling systems
Electronic tile installation gadgets
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | Thimble | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $16,000 | $25,000 | $25,000/$500,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | Included | $5,000/$10,000 |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | Included | $1,000 |
| 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 | Excluded | $10,000 |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | Included | $2,500 |
All tile contractors need a physical location that clients can visit and where equipment and merchandise can be stored or sold.
Tile contractor insurance packages offer a commercial property policy. This allows you to protect the investments you’ve made in renovating and furnishing the office and warehouse of your tile installation business. Use the table above to see the features of commercial property insurance from companies we recommend.
Commercial property insurance will reimburse your losses if something happens to the office or warehouse because of:
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Civil commotion
Falling objects
Weather
Aircraft
Vehicle
Sprinkler leakage
Other than the office, commercial property insurance can also protect valuable papers and records, HVAC system, signage, accounts receivable, merchandise, computers, and other valuables within the business premises.
| CoverWallet | Thimble | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $500,000 | $100,000 | $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 |
Stone construction insurance for tile contractors might come with a business owner’s policy. The table above compares the features of the business owner’s policy from companies we recommend.
A business owner’s policy allows you to insure your business against commercial losses and legal liabilities. It’s an insurance product that’s made by combining general liability and commercial property insurance.
With a business owner’s policy for tile contractors, you don’t need to get commercial property insurance and general liability insurance separately. You’ll also save money on premiums and enjoy easy policy management.
When one of your employees sustains work-related injury or illness, workers' compensation insurance pays medical expenses and partially missed wages.
Moreover, workers' compensation covers temporary or permanent disability and death benefits. Note that the policy steps in to cover injuries or illnesses that your employee’s health insurance might not cover. Overall, a workers' compensation policy for tiling contractors and EIFS contractors covers the following:
Immediate medical care
Ongoing medical care, including physical rehabilitation
Partial lost wages while the employee is unable to work
Death benefits to the dependents if the employee were to succumb to the work-related injury
As a tile contractor, chances are you will be driving your employees, tools, equipment, and inventory to and from work sites. This use of the commercial vehicle exposes your business to a high level of risk. Another motorist can get injured or you'd need to repair your construction truck or van.
You need commercial auto insurance. Specifically, commercial auto insurance covers the following:
Property damage
Medical bills of third parties
Medical bills of your commercial vehicle’s driver and passengers
Repair or replacement of your commercial vehicle’s damaged parts
Repair or replacement of trailers and other attachments to your commercial ve
Commercial auto insurance can’t provide coverage in case portable equipment and merchandise get damaged or destroyed during vehicular accidents.
And so, it’s important to get inland marine insurance as a tile contractor. Inland marine insurance will take care of expenses if implements, tiles to be installed, and other valuables get damaged or lost during transit because of:
Theft
Vandalism
Malicious mischief
Vehicular accidents
Mysterious disappearance
So how should you purchase inland marine insurance? This policy is available as an add-on to general liability insurance, tools and equipment coverage, commercial property insurance, or business owner’s policy.
A builder's risk insurance policy, also known as course of construction insurance, takes care of the following:
Safeguarding construction materials
Protection of any temporary structures
If you install a tile flooring and it gets damaged before the completion of the project, the builder's risk policy would reimburse losses or sees to it that you can carry on without lengthy interruptions.
Note that once you invest in a builder's risk insurance, it comes into effect before the first building material gets to the client's property.
A surety bond is a contract between your tile contracting business, your client, and your insurance carrier of choice. It guarantees that the client is paid if you fail to deliver the contracted services.
There are a number of surety bonds you can get. The first type is license bonds and permit bonds. The latter might be mandated before you can even secure a contract. These types of bonds guarantee that your business will comply with local laws and regulations.
The second type of surety bond is bid bonds. If you bid on tile contracting jobs, then you might be required to purchase a bid bond. If you win the contract but are unable to take on the project, the client will be reimbursed the difference between the bid amount and that of the lowest bid.
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $58 | $696 | $0-$500 |
| Professional liability insurance | $65 | $780 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial property insurance | $69 | $828 | $1,000-$2,500 |
| Business owner’s policy | $127 | $1,524 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $95 | $1,140 | $1,000-$1,500 |
| Workers compensation insurance | $105 | $1,260 | $2,000-$5,000 |
| Tools and equipment insurance | Cost usually added to general liability insurance | Cost usually added to general liability insurance | $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 tile contractor insurance cost is $58 per month or $696 per year for a $1 million general liability insurance. This assumes that you have 5 employees and make $500,000 or less per year. Factors that affect the cost of tilers insurance are:
Tiling services offered
Value of business property and equipment
Business income
Types of insurance coverage bought
Policy limits and deductibles
To give you a further idea of the cost of a $1 million general liability insurance, we’ve made this table that shows the rates of the best tile contractor insurance companies:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $41.67 | $500.04 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for tile contractors |
| CoverWallet | $45 | $540 | Tile contractor insurance online quotes comparison |
| Tivly | $47 | $564 | Comparing insurance quotes for tile contractors over the phone |
| Hiscox | $48 | $576 | Tile contractor insurance with automatic policy renewal |
| Thimble | $50 | $600 | On-demand tile contractor insurance |
| Travelers | $61 | $732 | Commercial auto insurance for tile contractors |
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
The best way to protect your tile contracting business is to work with the best tile contractor insurance companies. Here's a list of companies you should consider. Read 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 tile 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
The tile contractor insurance package from NEXT includes the following:
General liability
Workers' compensation
Tools and equipment
Commercial property
You have three coverage options to choose from-basic, premiere, and deluxe.
The basic package is a standalone general liability policy for your tile contracting business. This has a per-occurrence limit of between $300,000-$2 million, an aggregate policy limit of $300,000-$2 million, and zero deductibles.
Deluxe is the most comprehensive. This consists of general liability, commercial property, professional liability, and tools and equipment insurance. Workers' compensation is available as an optional policy. The worker's compensation insurance comes with an optional employer’s liability coverage with a bodily injury per by accident limit of between $100,000 and $1 million and a bodily injury by disease aggregate limit of $500,000 and $1 million.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for tile contractors
Average cost: $41.67 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Stable rates
Cancel a coverage anytime
Add an unlimited number of additional insureds easily
Compare tile contractor insurance quotes online
Not an insurance company but an insurance broker
CoverWallet covers you through its insurance package for tile and terrazzo contractors. Note that your coverage isn’t written by the company itself but by its partners.
Before you purchase insurance, CoverWallet allows you to compare its quotes that are underwritten by partners. When you’re done comparing, you can then choose to purchase coverage immediately online. You can also talk with an agent.
CoverWallet’s general liability insurance and professional liability insurance for tile contractors have a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. Note that the general liability policy may have hired/non-owned auto liability coverage and waiver of subrogation as add-ons.
Best for: Tile contractor insurance online quotes comparison
Average cost: $45 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Responsive customer service
A partner of many reputable insurance companies
Call and compare quotes over the phone
You have to call to get a quote
Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) covers tile contractors through its contractor insurance package. What you’ll get from this are builders risk insurance, general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and more. Call Tivly now and compare insurance quotes for tile contractors over the phone.
Best for: Comparing insurance quotes for tile contractors over the phone
Average cost: $47 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Automatic policy renewal
Provides coverage even if you’re working abroad
Get covered online or talk with an agent
Only sells general liability insurance for tile contractors online
Hiscox’s tile contractor insurance only offers a general liability policy. However, still try this company as it allows you to choose the policy limits and deductibles for general liability insurance. Moreover, you can get optional policies as upgrades. Examples are non-owned/hired auto liability coverage, tools and equipment coverage, and primary and noncontributory coverage.
Best for: Tile contractor insurance with automatic policy renewal
Average cost: $48 per month
Our rating: 9/10
On-demand coverage
Sells a short-term general liability insurance
Quick to issue an estimate of your rates
Professional liability insurance available as an add-on to general liability insurance
You can’t reach customer service by calling
Thimble’s tiling contractor insurance package consists of general liability and workers compensation insurance. Here’s a quick look of their features:
General liability insurance-$1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. Can be added with optional professional liability insurance, customer property coverage, and business equipment coverage
Business owner’s policy-Offers $1 million-$2 million general liability insurance and $25,000-$500,000 commercial property insurance. Can be added with optional hired/non-owned auto coverage and cyber liability insurance
Aside from these policies, Thimble also sells a short-term general liability insurance that lasts for hours, days, weeks, or months. This has a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. You can also get Thimble’s short-term coverage at Hiscox.
Best for: On-demand tile contractor insurance
Average cost: $50 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Many options for add-on coverage and discounts
Lots of bundling options
Strong industry rating
Accident forgiveness coverage for commercial auto insurance
Many discounts available
Outdated mobile application
Travelers offered its first insurance policy in 1864 but has since grown to be one of the largest insurance providers in the United States. It has since established itself as an industry leader in covering motor vehicles, which makes it the best choice for tile contractors looking for commercial auto insurance.
Travelers offer tile contractors a specialty cover tagged INDUSTRYEdge, which is a broad and tailored coverage specifically for these contractors. This policy covers the following:
Terrazzo work
Mantel work
Marble finishing
Mosaic work
Ceramic tile installation
This policy includes:
General liability
Workers' compensation
Auto liability and physical damage cover
Umbrella
The minimum coverage costs $61 per month or $730 annually.
If you were to purchase a standalone commercial auto insurance policy, you would be charged about $1,428 annually. To reduce the premiums you pay for the commercial auto insurance policy, you can leverage a number of discounts. These include:
Multi-policy discount of about 13% if you bundle the commercial auto insurance with another policy
Multi-car discount of about 8% if you have two or more commercial vehicles
Commercial property ownership discount of about 5%
Safe driver discount of between 10% and 24% if you have no accidents, claims, or violations within 3 to years
New car discount of up 10% if you purchase a commercial vehicle that's less than three years old
Early quote discount of between 3% and 10% if you switch to Travelers
Best for: Commercial auto insurance for tile contractors
Average cost: $61 per month
Our rating: 9/10
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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