Contractors and trades

Roofing contractor insurance

For re-roof and repair crews, storm restoration companies and low-slope commercial installers: the coverage roofers need, what it costs and the license and workers’ comp rules that apply.

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What similar businesses pay

General liability: About $317 a month
Workers’ comp: About $175 a month
Commercial auto: About $268 a month

Published benchmarks, not quotes. Your price depends on underwriting.

Cost

What roofing contractor insurance costs

About $317 a month

General liability

Insureon median for roofing customers, updated August 2026

About $175 a month

Workers’ comp

Insureon median for roofing customers, updated August 2026

About $268 a month

Commercial auto

Insureon median for roofing customers, updated August 2026

About $125 a month

General liability (NEXT)

NEXT average for roofing customers, data updated October 2026

Insureon’s medians come from roofing customers that mostly have fewer than five employees, revenue from around $50,000 to more than $200,000 and five years or less in business. Workers’ comp swings the most as a crew grows: Idaho’s 2026 rate for roofing class 5551 is $11.303 per $100 of payroll, against $1.919 for electrical wiring and $0.117 for clerical staff. As an illustration, $300,000 of roofing payroll at that rate starts near $33,900 a year before any experience modification. Rates move each year; the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association reports that Florida’s class 5551 rate fell 11.04% for 2026. Florin, an independent broker that compares options from several insurers, can price your mix against these figures.

What moves your price

Residential versus commercial work, and new construction versus re-roofs and repairs
Roof types and methods, including torch-down or hot asphalt work
The maximum height or number of stories you work on
Roofing payroll by class, crew size and subcontractor costs
Fall protection practices, training records and OSHA inspection history
Prior claims, especially falls and leaks, plus your limits and deductibles
Your state, which sets both comp rates and license rules

Risks

The risks insurers price for

Falls from the roof edge or ladder

BLS reports 104 fatal injuries among roofers in 2024, a rate of 48.7 per 100,000 full-time workers against 3.3 for all workers. OSHA lists its construction fall protection standard, 29 CFR 1926.501, as the most frequently cited standard for fiscal year 2026, so a single fall can bring both a comp claim and a citation.

Materials and tools dropped from the roof

A bundle of shingles slides off the eave onto a car in the driveway, or a hammer falls on a passer-by. Insureon names a person hurt by a dropped tool as a typical roofing liability claim.

An open tear-off caught by a storm

A roof left open overnight lets rain soak the ceiling, insulation and furniture below. The homeowner’s claim for interior damage lands on your general liability policy.

Leaks that appear after the job

A new roof can leak months after you finish, and the owner claims the water damage inside. Insureon lists leaks in a new roof among typical roofing claims; they fall under products-completed operations coverage.

Overhead power lines

Crews carrying ladders and metal flashing near service drops can contact live lines. ESFI finds that 42.8% of the workplace electrical deaths it tracked from 2011 to 2024 involved overhead power lines and charts roofing contractors among the six industries that had 44% of those deaths.

Uninsured subcontractors

In Florida, section 440.10 makes a contractor liable for comp for a subcontractor’s employees unless the subcontractor has secured coverage. An uninsured sub’s injured worker can become your claim at audit.

Coverage

Coverage to consider

General liability with completed operations

Covers injury and property damage to others during the job, such as a dropped bundle or a soaked ceiling, and leaks or damage that appear after you finish. The cost of redoing your own work is often treated differently, so check the exclusions.

How general liability works →

Workers’ compensation

Covers crew injuries from falls, ladder accidents, heat and carrying bundles to the roof. Insureon says it is required in almost every state for roofing businesses, and California requires it of every C-39 licensee.

How workers’ compensation works →

Commercial auto

Covers the pickups, dump trailers and material trucks that haul shingles and tear-off debris. Insureon reports a median of about $268 a month for roofers.

How commercial auto works →

Tools and equipment (inland marine)

Covers nail guns, shingle cutters, ladders and hoists stolen or damaged on a jobsite or in transit. Insureon reports a median of about $42 a month for roofers.

Umbrella or excess liability

Adds limits above general liability and auto for commercial and multifamily jobs that require more than your primary policies. Insureon reports a median of about $93 a month.

How umbrella / excess works →

Contractor license bond

Required by many state boards, including a $25,000 bond for every California license. You pay a premium, not the bond amount: Insureon reports about $9 a month for roofers.

Professional liability

Relevant if you sell roof inspections, consulting or design-build work, where a claim alleges bad advice rather than bad workmanship. Insureon reports a median of about $67 a month.

How professional liability works →

Rules

Requirements and filings

Roofing licenses, workers’ comp thresholds and fall protection rules set the minimum you must carry. These are examples from California, Florida and federal OSHA, checked October 2026; confirm your own state’s rules with its licensing board.

Requirement	Applies to	What it means
Workers’ comp for C-39 roofers	Every active California C-39 roofing licensee	Required with or without employees, or a certification of self-insurance (CSLB). The same rule applies to concrete, HVAC, asbestos abatement and tree service classifications.
Contractor license bond	Every California contractor license	$25,000 bond since January 1, 2023 (CSLB).
LLC liability insurance and bond	California LLC licensees	$1 million in liability insurance for five or fewer members, plus a $100,000 employee/worker bond (CSLB).
Workers’ comp threshold in construction	Florida construction employers	Required with one or more employees, against four or more for other businesses; officers owning at least 10% can elect an exemption (Florida Statutes 440.02).
Subcontractor comp liability	Florida contractors using subcontractors	The contractor is liable for comp for a subcontractor’s employees unless the subcontractor has secured it (Florida Statutes 440.10).
Certified roofer liability insurance	Florida certified roofing contractors	At least $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage (Florida Administrative Code rule 61G4-15.003).
Storm and claim practices	Florida contractors	No rebates, gifts or deductible waivers for roof inspections or claims, and no coverage advice without a public adjuster license; fines up to $10,000 per violation (Florida Statutes 489.147).
Fall protection on roofs	Construction employers nationwide	Edges 6 feet or more above a lower level need guardrails, nets or personal fall arrest; low-slope roofs also allow warning line combinations (29 CFR 1926.501).

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Pay less

How to lower the cost

Write a fall protection plan that matches 29 CFR 1926.501 and keep signed training records for every crew member.
Tarp open roofs before leaving each day and check the forecast before starting a tear-off.
Report office, estimating and sales payroll separately from roofing payroll, since clerical work rates a small fraction of class 5551.
Collect a current workers’ comp certificate from every subcontractor before work starts.
Photograph decking, flashing and finished work so you can defend completed operations claims.
Mark overhead service drops on site and keep ladders and metal panels clear of them.

Before you start

What underwriters ask for

Split between residential and commercial work, and new construction, re-roofs and repairs
Roof types and methods, including any torch or hot asphalt work
Maximum height or number of stories you work on
Payroll by class, subcontractor costs and subs’ certificates
Fall protection program, training records and OSHA inspection history
Vehicle list with drivers and trailers
Loss runs, with details of any fall or leak claims
License number and classification, and the limits your contracts require

Common questions

Roofing contractor insurance: questions

Is workers’ comp required for a one-person roofing company?

In California it is: CSLB requires every C-39 roofing licensee to carry it with or without employees. In Florida, construction businesses need it from the first employee, though officers owning at least 10% can elect an exemption. Other states set their own thresholds.

Does general liability cover a roof that leaks after I finish?

It can. Insureon lists leaks in a new roof among the claims general liability with products-completed operations coverage handles, but the cost of redoing your own work is often treated differently, so check the policy’s exclusions.

How much does a roofing license bond cost?

The state sets the bond amount, such as $25,000 in California, but you pay only a premium for it. Insureon reports a median of about $9 a month, or $112 a year, for surety bonds bought by roofers.

Why is workers’ comp so expensive for roofers?

Because the injuries are severe. BLS reports a 2024 fatality rate of 48.7 per 100,000 full-time roofers, and Idaho’s 2026 rate for roofing class 5551 is almost six times its rate for electrical wiring.

Can a roofer help a homeowner file an insurance claim?

In Florida, section 489.147 bars contractors from interpreting policy provisions or advising on coverage unless they hold a public adjuster license, and from offering deductible waivers or gifts for claims. Fines reach $10,000 per violation.

What fall protection does OSHA require on a roof?

Under 29 CFR 1926.501, workers on roofs with unprotected edges 6 feet or more above a lower level need guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest. Low-slope roofs also allow warning line combinations and, on roofs 50 feet wide or less, a safety monitor alone.

Can roofers get a business owner’s policy?

Some can. Insureon reports that roofers who buy a business owner’s policy, which bundles general liability and property coverage, pay a median of about $125 a month.

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Sources (16)

Figures are published third-party estimates, not quotes. Coverage depends on policy terms and underwriting, and rules vary by state. Updated October 2026.