Insurance for Specialty & Trade Contractors
Specialty contractors perform defined scopes of work outside standard trades. This may include waterproofing, demolition, concrete restoration, facade work, and similar services.
Exposure is shaped by how the work is performed and the conditions on site. Projects may involve specialized methods, materials, or existing structures. Because the scope is concentrated, the impact of that work can be more direct. We review how your operations are structured before making any recommendation.
Where Risk Shows Up in Specialty Contracting Work
Specialized Scope of Work
Tasks often require specific methods or expertise. Performance depends on how those methods are applied in the field.
Work on Existing Structures
Many specialty contractors operate on renovation or repair projects. Existing conditions can influence how work is performed and the outcomes.
Material & Method Selection
Projects may involve non-standard materials or processes. Differences in application or conditions can affect results.
Site Conditions & Access
Work may occur in constrained or complex environments. Access, sequencing, and coordination can influence risk.
The Stack Most Specialty & Trade Contractors Carry.
Design work usually needs contractors professional liability on top of GL. Public work usually needs surety bonds.
Hover a layer to see what it covers. Every firm is different, so treat this as a starting point.
Carriers Don’t Always Understand What You Do.
Contractors who also design or consult carry a professional exposure that a standard contractor policy often excludes.
When the work is misread
- Design and consulting work excluded on a contractor’s general liability policy
- Design-build work with no professional coverage
- Additional insured and waiver wording that does not match the contract
- Subcontractor requirements left unchecked
How we submit your firm
- Your design and consulting work described separately from building
- Contractors professional liability where it fits
- Certificates and endorsements matched to each contract
- Subcontractor requirements reviewed with you
Rated 5.0 on Google by Architects, Engineers and Design Firms.
Where Scope and Conditions Interact
Existing structures that differ from initial assumptions, methods that adjust during execution, coordination that affects sequencing or access.
Questions We Hear From Specialty & Trade Contractors.
Contractors ask about certificate wording from general contractors, design work under build contracts, and bonds for public jobs.
Answers are general. Your policy and your contract always control.
Ask yours on a 15-minute callThe GC wants additional insured for ongoing and completed operations.
Very common. The completed operations part matters because claims often come after the job. Many general liability policies include blanket wording when a written contract requires it. We check your endorsements before the certificate goes out.
We do some design under our build contracts. Is that covered?
General liability usually excludes professional services. Contractors professional liability covers design and design-assist work you do or subcontract.
A contractor wants workers' comp even though I have no employees.
This is common when you do site work for a builder. Many contractors will not accept an owner-only exemption. A policy that covers you as the owner, with a waiver of subrogation if the contract asks for one, usually solves it. State funds and private carriers differ on what they can add, so we compare both.
The public job needs a bond.
Bid, performance and payment bonds are underwritten on your finances and experience. Start early, because the first bond takes the longest.
Straight Answers
Not sure how your firm was classified?
Send us your current policy or application. We’ll tell you how your work reads to an underwriter.
Review My CoverageTell Us About Your Firm. We’ll Tell You What We See.
Starting out or renewing, with a policy in hand or not. If something is worth discussing, we’ll call. If not, we’ll say so.