What We Cover
Covers bodily injury and property damage you cause to others on a job, like a ladder falling on a client's car or water damage from a plumbing mistake. Most general contractors and property managers require it before you start work.
Pays medical bills and lost wages if an employee is hurt on the job. In Tennessee, construction businesses need it from the first employee, and owners must cover themselves or be on the state's exemption registry.
Also called inland marine or contractor's equipment coverage. Protects tools, ladders, and equipment against theft or damage at the job site, in your truck, or in storage — something general liability does not cover.
Covers work trucks, vans, and trailers used for the business. Personal auto policies often exclude business use, so a work-related accident on a personal policy can leave you uncovered.
Adds liability limits above your general liability, auto, and employer's liability policies. Larger contracts often require $1 million or more in excess coverage.
Covers a building under construction or renovation — materials and the structure itself — until the project is complete.
Trades We Insure
We insure artisan contractors and trades across Tennessee and Alabama, including carpenters, painters, drywall and flooring installers, cabinet and countertop installers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, tile and masonry contractors, fencing and deck builders, landscapers, pressure washers, and handyman businesses, along with general contractors and remodelers.
Each trade is priced differently. Carriers look at the type of work, how much is done by subcontractors, payroll, revenue, years in business, and claims history. That is why shopping more than one carrier matters for contractors.
Tennessee Workers' Comp
Tennessee treats construction differently from other businesses. Construction employers need workers' compensation coverage once they have one or more employees, while most other businesses don't need it until they have five. Since March 1, 2011, owners of construction businesses must also either carry coverage on themselves or be listed on the state's Workers' Compensation Exemption Registry, run by the Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
An exemption only covers the owner. It does not cover employees, and many general contractors require their subs to show either a workers' comp certificate or proof of exemption before they can work. If a contractor hires uninsured subcontractors, the contractor's own workers' comp carrier may charge for those subs at the year-end audit.
We can help you decide between an exemption and a policy, and quote coverage when you hire your first employee. Learn more about workers' compensation in Tennessee.
Certificates & Contracts
Most jobs for general contractors, builders, and commercial property owners require a certificate of insurance (COI) before you start. Many contracts also ask to be named as an additional insured, or require a waiver of subrogation or primary and non-contributory wording.
Those requirements need to be built into your policy, not just typed onto a certificate. Send us the contract's insurance requirements and we'll make sure your policy matches them before you sign.
Hard-to-Place Risks
Some contractors have trouble finding coverage: roofers, new businesses with no history, contractors with prior claims, or businesses doing work that standard carriers avoid. For those, we use excess and surplus (E&S) lines markets, specialty insurers that write risks the standard market won't.
E&S policies can have different terms, exclusions, and minimum premiums than standard policies, and they are not backed by the state guaranty fund. We'll walk you through those differences so you know what you're buying.
Commercial Carriers We Work With
Including Travelers, The Hartford, and AmTrust, plus specialty and E&S markets for harder-to-place risks.
FAQ
If you have no employees, you need to either carry workers' compensation on yourself or be listed on Tennessee's Workers' Compensation Exemption Registry, run by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Once you hire one or more employees in construction, you need a workers' comp policy for them.
No. General liability covers injury and damage to other people and their property. Your tools and equipment need inland marine (contractor's equipment) coverage, and most general liability policies exclude the cost of redoing your own faulty work.
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page summary that proves you have coverage. An additional insured endorsement extends your liability coverage to the general contractor or property owner for claims arising from your work. Many contracts require both, and the endorsement must be on the policy itself.
Contractor general liability and workers' comp are usually rated on estimated payroll or revenue, then audited after the policy year. If actual payroll, revenue, or uninsured subcontractor costs were higher than estimated, you'll owe additional premium. If lower, you may get a refund.
Yes. Some standard carriers write new contractors, especially if you have experience in the trade, and specialty E&S markets can write risks that standard carriers decline.
Often, yes. Many personal auto policies exclude or limit business use like hauling tools and materials between job sites. We'll review how you use the vehicle and whether a commercial policy or endorsement is needed.
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We'll compare carriers and follow up with options. Prefer to talk? Call (615) 241-8823.
