Short answer
Consultant insurance for multiple industries has to account for exclusions written for each one. A consultant who works on yachts, condos, airports and aircraft can trip over them. Standard general liability often excludes watercraft and aircraft, and airports may require higher limits, auto liability and specific endorsements for airside work. Before you sign, check whether your policies have exclusions that catch the new work and what the contract requires. Whether a policy responds depends on its wording and the facts.
Why one policy may not fit all your work
Insurers write policies with an industry in mind, and the exclusions follow that industry. A form built for buildings may exclude watercraft and aircraft work. That wording protects the insurer from risks it didn’t price.
Consultants who move between sectors often meet these exclusions for the first time on a certificate request. Watercraft and aircraft exclusions are common on general liability forms. Products and completed operations wording can also restrict work on aircraft. Some professional liability forms carry similar limits, so read the definitions and exclusions on each policy.
Our article on what counts as professional services under an engineer’s E&O policy explains why the definition matters. Our article on naval architect insurance for yacht designers in Florida shows how a watercraft exclusion works in practice.
Consultant insurance for airports and fuel facilities
Airport contracts often ask for more than a typical building project. Airside access may require specific endorsements, higher limits and auto liability for vehicles driven on the airfield. Fuel facilities can add pollution questions as well.
Workers’ compensation is often required, even for very small firms. A long contract can make these requirements permanent parts of your program rather than one-time items. Read the contract before you bid, because the requirements may change what you need to buy.
Our article on insurance requirements in government contracts for engineers covers how public project requirements usually work. If you drive for work, our article on hired and non-owned auto insurance explains one option. Our commercial auto page and workers’ compensation page cover the basics.
Condo associations and HOAs
Condo associations and homeowner associations often screen vendors through an online portal. The portal may ask for specific limits, endorsements or a form with no condo-related exclusion. A policy that works for other clients may not pass that screening.
Check the requirements early, because a missing endorsement can delay your start date. Our article on HOA vendor insurance requirements for Florida engineers explains what these portals commonly ask for.
Private jets and aviation work
Work on private aircraft raises its own questions. Many general liability policies exclude aircraft, and some professional liability forms carry similar wording. Aviation products liability is also a separate market, so a standard policy may not address it.
If you plan to take aviation work, confirm the exclusions before you accept the job. Whether a policy responds depends on its wording and the facts. A specialty form may be needed, and availability can vary by carrier and by the type of work.
Building a program that follows you
A good program describes all of your services in the professional liability policy. If you inspect, test and advise across sectors, the definition should say so. It should not depend on which industry a past client came from.
Review your policies as a set before you enter each new sector. General liability, professional liability, auto and workers’ compensation can each carry different exclusions. A single review shows where one policy leaves a gap that another doesn’t fill. Our policy review page shows how we compare coverage, and our coverage stack page explains how the policies fit together. You can also read our professional liability page.
What we see at Hardcover
A small Florida consultant expects to start a long inspection contract at an airport fuel facility after years of yacht and building work. The contract is likely to require workers’ compensation, and the firm currently has no commercial auto.
This situation is common. A firm grows into a new sector, and the contract requirements arrive before the coverage does. As one Florida consultant told us, the work goes from a condo HOA project to a yacht to an airport, which is “everything under the sun.” A review before signing usually shows which pieces are missing.
Questions to ask your agent
- Do any of my policies exclude watercraft, aircraft or airports?
- What will this airport contract require?
- Do I need commercial auto now?
Related questions
Does general liability cover work on aircraft?
Many policies exclude aircraft or aviation products. Check your exclusions before taking aviation work.
What do airports usually require?
It varies, but requirements often include higher limits, auto liability, workers’ compensation and additional insured status. Read the contract.
Do I need commercial auto if I drive my own car?
If you drive for work, ask your agent. Some contracts require it, and personal auto may not respond to business use.
General education, not legal advice. Hardcover is an insurance agency, not a law firm.