Workers’ compensation, liability, builders risk and certificates for general contractors, developers, subcontractors and construction firms across California. We compare carriers that understand high-hazard construction operations so your team gets the right coverage at the best rate.
Required for any California employer. Construction carries some of the highest class-code rates, so proper classification, payroll allocation and experience-mod management make a significant difference in premium.
Covers injuries and property damage to others, including after a project is finished.
For trucks, vans and trailers your business owns or employees drive for work.
Covers structures under construction against fire, weather, theft and vandalism until the project is complete.
Health, dental, vision and other benefits that help you attract and retain skilled tradespeople and project managers.
Most commercial and public-works jobs require proof of coverage before you mobilize. Send us the contract requirements and we can usually turn a certificate around the same day. We also handle additional-insured endorsements, waivers of subrogation and any other documentation your project requires.
Every carrier rates differently. These are the factors that matter most.
How your payroll splits across job types.
Whether your subs carry their own coverage.
Residential, commercial, new construction or remodeling.
Past claims and your experience mod.
Every job site mixes heavy tools, ladders, moving vehicles and other trades working in the same space. That is why contractor insurance in California is built around a few big risks, not one policy.
The right mix depends on what you build, who you work for and whether you use your own crews, subcontractors or both.
This covers injuries and property damage you cause to others. For contractors, two parts matter most: coverage while the work is going on, and completed operations coverage for claims that show up after the job is done. Ask how long completed operations coverage lasts under your policy and whether it has its own limit.
Watch for exclusions that can quietly shrink your coverage. Depending on the policy and carrier, these can include certain residential or multifamily work, work above a set number of stories, earth movement, and damage to the specific part of the property you’re working on. Contracts may also ask you to defend and protect the owner or general contractor, which ties back to how your policy treats contractual liability.
Workers’ compensation pays medical bills and lost wages for employees hurt on the job, and most policies include employers liability for related lawsuits. Learn more on our workers’ compensation page.
Covers vehicles your business owns. If employees drive their own trucks for errands or supply runs, ask about hired and non-owned auto coverage, since your business can be pulled into a claim from a vehicle it doesn’t own.
Tools and equipment that move between sites usually need inland marine or contractor’s equipment coverage, because a standard property policy often doesn’t follow them. On new construction or major remodels, the owner or contractor may also need builder’s risk coverage for the structure while it’s being built.
An umbrella policy adds limits above your general liability, auto and employers liability. Larger commercial jobs often ask for it. Many contractors bundle these pieces together, which we cover on our business packages page.
Workers’ compensation. California requires workers’ compensation for every employer with at least one employee, including part-time employees. There’s no minimum headcount.
Officers and owners. Corporate officers and directors who own at least 15 percent of the company, and LLC managing members, can generally exclude themselves by signing a written waiver with the insurer. Everyone else on payroll still needs coverage.
Contractors with no employees. Since January 1, 2026, every CSLB license holder must carry workers’ compensation to keep the license active, even with no employees (Senate Bill 216).
Subcontractors. Under California Labor Code § 2750.5, a worker doing licensed work for an unlicensed subcontractor can be treated as your employee. That’s why carriers and project owners insist on a license check and a current certificate from every sub.
Contractor licensing. Most construction work in California requires a CSLB license, including specialty trades such as roofing, electrical, plumbing and painting, each under its own classification. CSLB also requires contractors licensed as an LLC to carry liability insurance, so check that your policy meets the requirement for your license.
Workers’ compensation premium is based mainly on payroll, split by class code. Each code describes a type of work, like carpentry, concrete or clerical, and carries its own rate. California uses the classification system from the WCIRB.
If your crew does more than one kind of work, keep payroll records that show hours by job type. Without them, a carrier may put more payroll in a higher-rated code at audit. Office staff who never go to job sites usually belong in a separate clerical code.
At the end of the policy term, the carrier audits your actual payroll and your payments to subcontractors. Uninsured subs are often added to your payroll, which can create a bill you didn’t plan for. General liability for contractors is often audited too, based on payroll, sales or subcontracted costs.
Before you start a job, expect a contract that lists insurance requirements. Common ones include:
Many of these are endorsements that must be on the policy itself. A certificate only shows what the policy already says, so send us the contract before you sign whenever you can.
We’re an independent local broker focused on contractor insurance in California, so we can shop your account with multiple carriers instead of one. We review contract requirements against your policies, help you prepare for audits, and walk through your coverage each year at renewal.
When a job needs proof of coverage, use our certificate request form. We’ll review each request against your policy before anything is issued.
Send us the requirements from your contract, lease or credentialing packet, including the certificate holder, additional insured and waiver of subrogation, so we can review your request.
Possibly. Under California law a general contractor can be responsible for injuries to an uninsured subcontractor’s employees. Many carriers and contracts expect proof of coverage.
Your carrier may add what you paid uninsured subcontractors to your payroll at audit, which can raise your premium. Collect current certificates from every subcontractor.
Send us the certificate holder’s name and address and the contract requirements through our certificate request form, and we’ll review your request.
No, you can buy coverage without a state license. But if your work requires a residential or general contractor license, the licensing board has its own insurance requirements, so your policy should be set up to meet them.
It’s the part of general liability that responds to injury or damage caused by your work after the job is finished. Many contracts ask for additional insured status that includes completed operations, so check that your policy can provide it.
An LLC’s managing members can generally exclude themselves from workers’ compensation by signing a written waiver with the insurer. Any employees the LLC has still need coverage, starting with the first one.
The carrier compares the payroll and subcontractor costs you estimated with what actually happened during the policy term. It reviews payroll records, tax forms and certificates from your subs, then sends either a refund or an additional bill.
It depends on the contract. On new construction or major renovations, either the owner or the contractor is usually responsible for insuring the structure while it’s built. Check the contract to see who is required to carry it.
It means your policy pays first for a covered claim, without asking the certificate holder’s own insurance to share the cost. It usually takes an endorsement on your policy, not just wording on the certificate.
Tell us about your business and crew. We’ll compare options from multiple carriers.
Tell us a little about your business. A licensed broker will follow up.
