Construction · General Contractors

General Contractor Insurance for Projects, Crews, and Subcontractors

Project type, payroll, vehicles, subcontractor controls, equipment, completed operations, and owner contract requirements shape the insurance review. BLIS organizes those details with loss history and current project information.

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We only use this information to review your insurance request. BLIS is licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Florida. CA License 0M74955.

Submitting this form does not bind coverage and does not promise a specific quote, price, or coverage outcome. BLIS reviews submitted details and may follow up for information needed to evaluate the account.

What to expect

What to expect after you submit

A BLIS representative reviews the information you submit and follows up if something important is missing.

  1. A real person reads it

    Your details get read against what carriers actually want for your kind of account — not routed through a form stack.

  2. Your account gets matched

    How you operate maps to the coverage lines and markets that fit the risk.

  3. Gaps get filled

    If something important is missing, a few targeted questions — not another long form.

  4. Options get laid out

    Coverage, exclusions, carrier fit, and cost — side by side, not just price.

  5. Bound? We stay on.

    Certificates, endorsements, audits, renewals, policy changes — handled.

Prefer to talk it through? Call (818) 306-8333Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT

Your operation

How general contractors operations shape the insurance review

You signed a contract with the owner. Every sub on the site is working under your name. When a claim surfaces — a sub's injury, a defect found two years later, a Builder's Risk gap — it flows to the party in contract for the finished product. That is you. The insurance program has to be in place before the first sub mobilizes, structured around what your contracts and project mix actually require.

Read the insurance schedule before you sign. The owner's contract specifies minimum GL limits, required endorsements, and coverage conditions that must be satisfied before a shovel goes in the ground. Lenders layer on their own demands — GL minimums, umbrella thresholds, and sometimes named endorsements for the lender itself. Standard policies do not always match what those schedules require.

Finding a gap after execution creates both a scheduling problem and a legal one. BLIS reviews owner and lender insurance schedules against the current policy so mismatches surface before they become problems.

A certificate stack that falls behind is a liability that falls on you. Most GC subcontracts require subs to provide a certificate before work starts — naming the GC as additional insured, with limits that meet the subcontract minimum. For GCs running multiple active projects, keeping that stack current is an ongoing operational task, not a one-time checkbox.

Expired certificates, mid-project carrier changes, and subs who submit a certificate missing required endorsements all create gaps. When a claim involves a sub's work, those gaps redirect to the GC.

The job closes. The exposure does not. A framing defect can show up as a structural issue years after occupancy. A mechanical sub's work can trigger water damage months after the GC collected the final payment. In both cases, the GC's name ends up on the claim — because the GC was in contract with the owner for the finished product.

The completed operations aggregate on the GL policy is where those post-close claims land. On commercial and multi-family projects, knowing that limit and what the policy says about sub-performed work matters.

GC payroll spans multiple WC class codes. Superintendents, project managers, field supervisors, admin staff, and laborers each may carry a different code. Running a superintendent's payroll under the admin classification creates audit exposure when the carrier compares stated codes to actual job duties.

Staffing agency workers add another question: confirm whether they are covered under the agency's WC policy or whether the GC's own policy needs to include them. The audit at year-end will examine both.

Superintendents and project managers drive between sites every day. The trucks are company-owned. Personal auto policies do not cover company-owned vehicles — full stop. Commercial auto must reflect the actual fleet, the drivers, and how each vehicle is used. GCs who send employees on site errands in their personal vehicles need hired and non-owned auto coverage to close that gap.

A claim from a superintendent in a company truck without commercial auto is an uninsured claim.

Scaffolding, fencing, compressors, generators, and portable site offices move between projects. Standard commercial property coverage does not follow them there. Inland marine — equipment floaters and installation floaters — is built for assets that travel. Before each new project starts, confirm that equipment moving onto the site is covered at that location.

The gap between a fixed-location property policy and a remote jobsite is where tools and temporary structures fall through.

Confirm who carries Builder's Risk before breaking ground. On many commercial projects the GC must procure it — or verify the owner is carrying it and the GC is named. Builder's Risk covers the structure under construction against fire, weather, vandalism, and theft during the build period. It does not cover tools and equipment, employee injuries, or third-party liability — those are separate lines.

Assuming the owner is handling it without written confirmation is a common source of uncovered losses.

The carrier that worked last year may not fit this year's mix. Residential new construction, commercial tenant improvement, ground-up commercial, and design-build each carry distinct risk profiles. Some carriers are oriented toward residential; others toward commercial. Design-build and multi-family can affect appetite based on a carrier's own loss history in those segments.

When revenue mix shifts — larger projects, more commercial, a new design-build component — the submission needs to reflect that shift. Misrepresenting the mix at application creates coverage and audit risk.

Renovation of occupied structures is a different underwriting conversation than ground-up work. A tenant improvement inside an occupied office building exposes existing systems, active occupants, and finishes other trades already installed. Ground-up construction on a clean site does not carry those same adjacent-property and bodily injury exposures.

GCs whose work includes occupied-structure renovation should expect underwriters to ask about it directly. The context shapes both market selection and coverage structure.

Coverage

Coverages commonly considered for general contractors operations

These are common lines to evaluate, not a preset package. Your operations, current contracts, state requirements, and the carrier's policy forms determine the final program.

  • General Liability

    GL is the primary coverage in nearly every construction contract a GC signs. It covers third-party bodily injury and property damage from the GC's operations and completed work. The completed operations component is particularly significant. It covers claims that arise after a project is finished — sometimes years after. Owner and lender contracts specify minimum GL limits, required endorsements (additional insured, primary and non-contributory), and waiver of subrogation. A policy that falls short on endorsement language is where GC claims get disputed.

  • Workers' Compensation

    GCs with employees are required to carry WC in states where they operate. Payroll must be correctly allocated across class codes that reflect actual job duties. Superintendents, project managers, field supervisors, and laborers may each carry a different code. A wrong code surfaces at audit, after the policy year. WC for GCs also intersects with sub management. GCs who hire uninsured subs may be held responsible for those workers' injuries under state law. Collecting sub WC certificates before work start is part of a complete approach.

  • Commercial Auto

    GCs run company vehicles for project managers, superintendents, and site operations. Commercial auto can cover liability for accidents and physical damage to business-owned vehicles. For GCs who use employee-owned or rented vehicles for business errands, hired and non-owned auto coverage closes that gap. Personal auto policies may restrict or exclude regular business use. For GCs whose trucks carry tools and equipment, understanding how commercial auto and inland marine interact is worth reviewing at placement.

  • Builder's Risk

    GCs are often responsible for securing Builder's Risk on the projects they manage. It covers the structure under construction against fire, weather, vandalism, and theft during the construction period. Coverage starts when materials arrive on site and ends when the project is fully complete. Key variables: whether the policy covers materials in transit, what the soft-cost limit is for delays, and how the policy defines completion. GCs who do not confirm the Builder's Risk obligation before work starts are one major loss away from discovering a gap.

  • Inland Marine

    Equipment and Installation — GCs maintain tools and equipment across multiple sites. They may also be responsible for materials after delivery but before installation. Inland marine addresses this in two forms. An equipment floater covers tools and machinery wherever they go. An installation floater covers materials and fixtures in transit until they are permanently installed. Standard commercial property does not follow equipment to remote project sites. Inland marine closes the gap.

  • Umbrella / Excess Liability

    An umbrella sits above the GL and commercial auto limits and pays after those limits are exhausted. On commercial construction projects, umbrella limits are often specified in the owner's contract. Requirements of $5 million or more are not unusual on large commercial or government projects. The scale of a completed structure means one fire, structural failure, or serious injury can exceed standard GL limits. An umbrella provides the limit headroom that owners and lenders require.

  • Employment Practices Liability

    GCs with office staff, superintendents, and field management face employment practices exposure that WC and GL do not cover. EPLI responds to employee claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment. For GCs in growth mode — adding staff, handling layoffs, or managing a mixed W-2 and 1099 workforce — EPLI addresses an exposure that grows with headcount. Defense costs can be significant even when the claim lacks merit.

Quote factors

Common quote factors

These are the details that can shape eligibility, terms, and pricing. You don't need all of them to start — send what you have, and we'll follow up on anything important that's missing.

  • Type of construction work performedResidential new construction, commercial ground-up, tenant improvement, occupied-structure renovation, and design-build each carry a different risk profile. The work type affects both pricing and which insurers may consider the account.
  • Average project size and total annual revenueGL for GCs is rated on total cost of operations, not payroll alone. Average contract size signals the scale of completed operations exposure and the level of owner contract demands.
  • Self-performed work vs. subcontracted work (%)The split between what the GC's crew performs and what flows to subs affects both GL and WC rating. Carriers want to understand both sides of that split.
  • Annual payroll by class codeSuperintendent, project manager, field supervisor, laborer, and admin payroll may each carry a different WC code. Correct allocation at inception reduces audit exposure at year-end.
  • Number and type of vehiclesFleet size, vehicle weight class, and how each vehicle is used affect commercial auto structure and pricing.
  • Subcontractor certificates collectedCarriers want to know whether the GC requires subs to carry GL and WC and whether certificates are in hand before work starts. Certificate hygiene is a real underwriting factor.
  • Prior loss history (GL, WC, autolast 3–5 years) — Completed operations claim history on GL is reviewed carefully. WC frequency and severity also affect pricing. A clean, documented record matters.
  • Builder's Risk obligationWhether the GC or the owner carries it, and typical per-project values, help determine whether a blanket program or a project-by-project approach fits the work volume.
  • Existing policy declarations (upload optional)Reviewing the current policy identifies endorsement gaps and whether limits match what owner and lender contracts typically require.
  • Umbrella / excess limits currently carried and minimum required by contractsGC contracts often specify minimum umbrella thresholds. The gap between what the policy carries and what contracts require is where the underinsurance shows up.

Illustrative scenarios

Example claim scenarios

A few situations that show how coverage can respond when something goes wrong. These are examples only — not actual claims, and not a guarantee of any outcome.

  • Example scenario

    Completed operations claim from a subcontractor's work

    A GC completes a commercial office building. About three years later, a plumbing leak — tied to work by the GC's mechanical sub during construction — causes water damage to a tenant floor. The building owner's insurer pursues a claim against the GC, even though the GC did not perform the plumbing work.

    GL completed operations can respond to covered property damage and legal defense costs, subject to the policy's terms and exclusions.

  • Example scenario

    Subcontractor injury on site with certificate tracking gap

    A framing sub's employee sustains a serious fall injury on a commercial site managed by the GC. A review of the GC's certificate file shows the framing sub's WC policy had lapsed two months earlier. The injured worker's claim is potentially directed at the GC as the site-controlling employer under state law.

    This illustrates why certificate collection at work start — and periodic re-verification during the project — matters. A GL policy's handling of sub-performed work is also a coverage question worth reviewing before work begins.

  • Example scenario

    Property damage to existing systems during tenant improvement

    A GC performing a tenant improvement in an occupied building cuts through a wall and damages a fire suppression line. A partial discharge damages tenant equipment, building finishes, and stored inventory. The building owner and an affected tenant both file property damage claims against the GC.

    GL can respond to covered third-party property damage from operations in progress, subject to the policy's terms and exclusions. Renovation of occupied structures creates exposure that ground-up construction does not.

  • Example scenario

    Builder's Risk gap discovered after fire during construction

    During the framing phase of a residential development, a fire damages a partially constructed structure. A contract review shows the owner believed the GC was carrying Builder's Risk, and the GC believed it was the owner's obligation. Neither had confirmed the other's policy. Neither party had a Builder's Risk policy covering the structure.

    The resulting dispute over who absorbs the uninsured loss adds legal costs to the physical damage.

The claim scenarios above are illustrative examples only. They do not represent actual clients, actual claims, or guaranteed coverage outcomes. Coverage for any specific situation depends on the policy terms, conditions, exclusions, and the facts of the claim.

After you bind

Common certificate and service needs

After a carrier binds coverage, contracts and operational changes can create new documentation needs. A certificate summarizes policy information; the policy and its endorsements control coverage.

Contract and certificate requests

  • Certificate of insurance issued to project owners and lenders — most commercial contracts require a COI before work start. Some lenders request updated certificates at each draw period. The certificate must reflect the endorsements and limits the contract requires — those need to be in the policy, not just printed on the face.
  • Additional insured endorsements for owners, lenders, and sometimes project architects — GC contracts routinely require the GL policy to name the project owner and lender as additional insureds. The architect of record is sometimes required too. Endorsement form and scope both matter when a claim reaches the policy.
  • Primary and non-contributory language — larger commercial and public projects often require the GC's coverage to respond before any other policy the owner carries. This must be in a policy endorsement — a notation on the certificate face does not create it.
  • Waiver of subrogation — many owner contracts require the GC's insurer to waive recovery rights against the owner after a claim is paid. The waiver is only enforceable if it is in the policy. BLIS confirms it is there — not just listed on the certificate.
  • Builder's Risk certificates to lenders — when the GC is the named insured on Builder's Risk, the lender often requires to be listed as a loss payee. Builder's Risk certificates are separate from the liability COI.
  • Subcontractor COI tracking — project owners sometimes require the GC to demonstrate that all active subs carry required coverage. BLIS can help establish what to collect from subs and can review sub certificates for common endorsement gaps.

Ongoing service

  • Contract insurance schedule review — before signing an owner's contract, BLIS reviews the insurance schedule against the current policy. Gaps between what the contract requires and what the policy provides surface before they become problems.
  • Mid-term endorsements for new projects — a new project with different limit requirements, new additional insureds, or new equipment at a remote location all call for a mid-term change. BLIS handles the adjustment and issues updated documentation.
  • Workers' Compensation audit support — WC audits at policy expiration examine actual payroll, class code allocation, and sub documentation. BLIS helps clients organize records before the auditor arrives, so the audit reflects what was actually paid and classified.
  • Subcontractor insurance requirement setup — a consistent standard for sub insurance requirements reduces the certificate management load across multiple active projects. BLIS helps establish the process for collecting and reviewing sub COIs.
  • Builder's Risk procurement and renewal — for GCs responsible for securing Builder's Risk, BLIS helps evaluate whether a project-by-project approach or a blanket program fits the volume. Typical project values and how frequently new projects start drive that decision.
  • Renewal strategy — renewal is where loss history, revenue changes, and project-mix shifts converge. BLIS reviews the prior year's payroll, revenue, project types, and loss runs to assess whether the existing carrier and structure still fit.
  • Claims questions and carrier coordination — what to report, when to report it, and what documentation to preserve are practical questions that matter early. BLIS helps navigate those steps. The carrier adjudicates; BLIS helps you understand the process.
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Review Contractor Coverage

Coverage availability, pricing, terms, conditions, and eligibility depend on underwriting, carrier guidelines, state, operations, loss history, policy terms, and other risk-specific factors. Nothing on this site guarantees coverage, pricing, placement, or savings.

Examples are hypothetical and illustrative. They show how a coverage can respond, not a promise that any specific claim will be covered. Actual coverage depends on your policy's terms, conditions, and exclusions.

Blue Lagoon Insurance Services, LLC is an independent insurance agency licensed in California (0M74955), Nevada (3983946), Arizona (3003332484), Texas (2966873), and Florida (L120266). BLIS does not underwrite insurance; coverage and underwriting decisions are made by the insurance carrier.