01
Falls from height
The single largest loss driver in roofing, for both workers' comp (your own crew) and general liability (a homeowner or passerby below). Fall-protection compliance and documented training are what carriers reward at renewal.
Trade · Roofing
Roofing contractor insurance
Roofing is the hardest construction class to insure, and the market has only tightened. Carriers have pulled back, raised rates, and narrowed appetite for fall-exposed work. We specialize in placing roofing risk other brokers walk away from, matching your operation to the specialty markets that still write it instead of a generic contractor rate.
10+ carriers shopped · 2 hrs quote turnaround · COI in under 60 seconds
01 The short answer
What insurance does a roofing contractor need?
A roofing contractor typically needs general liability, workers' compensation, commercial auto, and tools & equipment coverage, with umbrella/excess limits added when a commercial contract requires them. Roofing carries the highest GL and workers' comp rates of any trade because of fall exposure and completed-operations risk, so carrier selection matters more here than in any other class.
02 Coverages you need
The coverages a roofing contractor builds a program around.
Each line below is a separate policy with its own pillar. We build them into one program, one quote, one renewal, one broker, so the gaps between them close. Every placement is subject to carrier underwriting.
C·01
General Liability
Roofing is the highest-rated trade for GL because of completed-operations exposure, a roof that leaks two years later is still your liability. Most GC contracts and homeowners require proof of GL before you start. We know the specialty markets that price roofing fairly instead of declining it.
C·02
Workers' Comp
Roofing class codes carry the highest workers' comp rates in construction, often $15-$25+ per $100 of payroll because of fall risk. Carrier appetite is narrow; a documented fall-protection program and clean loss runs are what unlock the better markets.
C·03
Commercial Auto
Flatbed trucks, dump trailers, and frequent material hauls mean higher mileage and more road exposure. Carriers underwrite driver MVRs carefully for roofing fleets. Personal auto will not respond to a loaded work truck.
C·04
Umbrella & Excess
A high GL base premium makes stacking umbrella limits a cost-efficient way to hit contract-mandated $5M+ requirements. A single fall or falling-object claim can exceed primary limits fast, so excess capacity is meaningful protection.
03 Trade exposures
The risks that define roofing insurance.
These are the exposures carriers underwrite for your trade. Understanding them is how you avoid the “I thought that was covered” call, and how we match you to a market that prices the work fairly.
02
Completed-operations / leak claims
A roof that fails months or years after the job is finished is a completed-operations claim. Roofing has one of the longest tail exposures of any trade, which is why occurrence-form GL with intact completed-operations coverage matters so much.
03
Falling objects & staged materials
Shingle bundles, tear-off debris, and tools staged on a roof can fall to the ground below. A falling-object injury to a third party is a severe GL claim, and a frequent one if material staging is not controlled.
04
Fire & hot-work exposure
Torch-down and hot-mopped applications introduce ignition risk. Some carriers exclude torch-applied work entirely or surcharge it heavily; the application method on your submission changes both appetite and price.
05
Weather & re-roof timing
A roof opened up mid-tear-off and then hit by a storm can flood the structure below. On larger commercial re-roofs, builder's risk or an installation floater coordinates with the building owner's coverage during the install window.
04 Cost
How much does roofing contractor insurance cost?
What drives your premium
Varies widely by payroll and work type
Roofing is the most variable trade to price. Workers' comp alone can run $15-$25+ per $100 of payroll, and GL premiums are typically several times what a low-hazard trade pays for the same limits. Steep-slope and torch-applied work, claims history, and state all move the number materially. The only way to get a real figure is to shop your exact payroll, work mix, and loss history against the specialty markets, which is what we do.
| Factor | Impact | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Steep vs. low-slope work | Major | Steep-slope residential and high-rise commercial price higher than low-slope. Height and pitch directly drive the fall-exposure rating. |
| Hot work / torch-down | Major | Torch-applied and hot-mopped systems carry fire surcharges or are excluded by some markets. Single-ply and mechanically-fastened systems are easier to place. |
| Annual payroll & revenue | Major | Workers' comp is rated per $100 of payroll and GL on gross receipts. Roofing's high class rates make payroll the dominant cost lever. |
| Fall-protection program | Moderate | Documented OSHA fall-protection training, harness use, and a written safety plan can move you from surplus-lines into standard markets and earn credits. |
| Claims history | Moderate | A fall claim or a string of leak claims narrows an already-narrow market. Carriers pull five-year loss runs and weigh frequency heavily. |
| Subcontracted labor | Moderate | Heavy use of 1099 crews without their own coverage shifts exposure onto your policy and can trigger audit premium on both GL and WC. |
| State | Minor | Litigation climate matters. New York's Scaffold Law and coastal wind states load rates relative to milder jurisdictions. |
05 In the field
Roofing claim scenarios, from real contractor jobs.
Names changed, trades and outcomes preserved. These are the kinds of roofing claims we actually field.
Case 01 · Roofing
A crew member fell from a two-story residential roof.
A foreman stepped onto a soft deck section during a tear-off and fell twelve feet. Broken ankle and wrist, three weeks off the job, two months of physical therapy.
Outcome
Workers' comp paid the full medical course, replaced lost wages, and coordinated modified-duty return-to-work. The owner had no out-of-pocket cost beyond the experience-mod impact, which the carrier's safety consultant helped contain.
Case 02 · Roofing
A shingle bundle fell and struck a homeowner below.
A package of shingles staged near the eave shifted in a wind gust and fell onto a homeowner walking out to the driveway. Concussion and a fractured collarbone; a liability claim followed.
Outcome
General liability covered the medical costs and the settlement. Because the contractor carried a $5M umbrella, there was ample capacity above the GL limit had the injury been more severe.
Case 03 · Roofing
A re-roof was caught by a storm mid-install.
A 30,000 sq ft low-slope membrane job had the deck partially exposed when a fast-moving thunderstorm dropped two inches of rain. Water damaged insulation, decking, and the tenant space below.
Outcome
Coverage responded for the materials and re-installation cost, and coordinated with the building owner's property policy on the interior damage. The job slipped a week but no contract penalties were triggered.
Case 04 · Roofing
A roof installed two years earlier began leaking.
A commercial flat roof developed seam failures 26 months after completion, soaking ceiling tiles and damaging about $120,000 of inventory in the unit below. The building owner pursued the roofer.
Outcome
Roofing has one of the longest claim tails in construction, and this is why: the occurrence-form GL that was in force the day the roof went on responded to the inventory damage more than two years later, across a renewal cycle. A claims-made form might have lapsed in that window; the occurrence form is what kept the long tail covered.
06 Frequently asked
Frequently asked about roofing insurance.
The questions roofing contractors ask before they pick up the phone. If yours isn't here, the fastest answer is a call: (484) 444-3503.
Q.01What insurance does a roofing contractor need?
Most roofing contractors need general liability and (once they have W-2 employees) workers' compensation at minimum, plus commercial auto for work trucks and tools & equipment coverage for gear. Larger or commercial roofers typically add umbrella/excess liability to meet $5M+ contract requirements. The right program depends on your payroll, work mix, and the contracts you bid, all subject to carrier underwriting.
Q.02Why is roofing insurance so expensive compared to other trades?
Roofing carries the highest hazard rating in construction because of fall exposure and long completed-operations tails. Workers' comp class rates for roofing can run $15-$25+ per $100 of payroll versus under $5 for many trades, and GL is rated accordingly. Carriers have also pulled back capacity for roofing, which tightens the market. A documented fall-protection program and clean loss runs are the most effective ways to improve your terms over time.
Q.03Can you place roofing insurance if other brokers have declined me?
Often, yes. Roofing is a specialty class and many generalist brokers simply don't hold the markets that write it. We work with surplus-lines and specialty carriers that price roofing rather than declining it. We can't promise an outcome, every risk is subject to underwriting, but placing hard-to-write roofing risk is specifically what we focus on.
Q.04Does my GL cover a roof that leaks after the job is done?
If your general liability is written on an occurrence form with completed-operations coverage intact, a third-party damage claim from a roof that fails after completion is typically covered, even years later. The work itself (re-doing the defective roof) is generally not covered by GL; that's a workmanship issue. We review your form so you know exactly where the line sits.
Q.05Do you cover torch-down and hot-mopped roofing?
Some carriers exclude or surcharge torch-applied and hot-work roofing because of the fire exposure, while others will write it with hot-work safety controls in place. The application methods you use change both carrier appetite and price, so we present them accurately on your submission and shop the markets that fit your operation.
Q.06How does workers' comp work for a roofing crew?
Workers' comp pays medical costs and lost wages when a crew member is injured on the job and limits your tort exposure to that employee. Roofing is one of the highest-rated WC classes because of fall risk. Premium is your payroll divided by 100, times the class rate, times your experience modification. Documented fall protection and a clean loss history are the biggest levers on that rate.
Q.07Do 1099 roofing subcontractors need their own insurance?
Yes. If you hire subs, you should require proof of their own GL and workers' comp before they start. Uninsured subs shift their exposure onto your policy, and in most states an uninsured sub's injury can fall on you as the statutory employer. Uncovered sub labor also typically shows up as additional premium at your annual audit.
Q.08How fast can I get a certificate of insurance for a roofing job?
Once your policy is bound and the certificate holder details are available, we typically issue COIs in under 60 seconds. If a GC or homeowner needs proof of coverage before you can start, that turnaround is usually not the bottleneck.
Q.09How much does roofing contractor insurance cost?
Roofing is the most variable trade to price, so a single number is misleading. Workers' comp can run $15-$25+ per $100 of payroll, GL is typically several times a low-hazard trade's rate, and steep-slope, torch work, claims history, and state all move it. The honest answer is that we shop your exact profile against the specialty markets and show you real options. Getting that quote is free.
Q.10Do I need umbrella insurance as a roofer?
Not always, but commercial contracts frequently require $5M or more in combined liability limits, which standalone GL won't provide. Because a fall or falling-object claim can exceed a $1M primary limit quickly, umbrella/excess is often a cost-efficient way both to meet contract requirements and to protect the business from a catastrophic claim. We quote it alongside your GL when it fits.
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