Business Owners Policy for Commercial Roofing Contractors

BP 04 02 — Broadened Coverage Endorsement

This endorsement expands a standard BOP to include additional property and liability coverages commonly needed by roofing contractors. Additions include coverage for personal effects of employees, newly acquired property, outdoor signs, and valuable papers. For a roofing contractor's office, this means coverage for blueprints, contracts, and estimating records that would be costly to recreate. The broadened endorsement also extends coverage to property of others in your care — such as a customer's building plans stored at your office — which the base BOP excludes.

BP 15 10 — Contractors Professional Liability Endorsement

Some BOP programs offer a professional liability endorsement specifically for contractors. This provides basic coverage for design errors, specification mistakes, and consulting failures within the BOP structure rather than requiring a standalone professional liability policy. For smaller roofing contractors who occasionally provide design recommendations or roof condition assessments, this endorsement fills the professional liability gap at a fraction of standalone policy costs — typically $1,000-$2,500 annually.

BP 04 05 — Business Income Extended Period Endorsement

Extends the business income recovery period beyond the standard 12 months. For roofing contractors whose premises suffer a total loss — fire destroying the office, equipment storage, and vehicle maintenance facility — rebuilding can take 18-24 months. Without the extended period endorsement, business income coverage terminates while the contractor is still displaced and operating at reduced capacity. This endorsement extends coverage to match the actual recovery timeline.

Equipment Breakdown Enhancement

Many BOP carriers offer equipment breakdown coverage as a built-in or low-cost addition. This covers mechanical and electrical breakdown of office equipment, HVAC systems, and shop tools stored at the covered premises. For roofing contractors with office-based equipment like large-format printers, plotters, and computer systems, this enhancement prevents out-of-pocket expenses for equipment failures not covered by standard property perils.

Hartford

Hartford's BOP program for contractors is one of the most popular in the market, offering competitive pricing and broad standard coverage. Their BOP includes $25,000 in blanket tools and equipment coverage, $10,000 in hired and non-owned auto liability, and business income with a 12-month extended period — all built in. Hartford's BOP eligibility for roofing contractors requires annual revenue under $5M and no more than 25 employees. Their online quote-to-bind process can place a BOP in as little as 15 minutes for qualifying contractors.

Acuity

Acuity's BOP for roofing contractors integrates with their GL and workers' comp package, creating a comprehensive single-carrier program. Their BOP includes hired and non-owned auto, blanket inland marine up to $100,000, and identity theft recovery services for the business owner — a unique addition. Acuity's BOP pricing for roofing contractors typically runs $2,500-$5,000 annually depending on property values and revenue, competitive with dedicated BOP carriers. They also allow the BOP to serve as the property coverage component of their package policy.

Travelers

Travelers' BOP for small contractors — their BOP Plus program — includes industry-specific coverages selected by class code. For roofing contractors, this includes debris removal from the insured premises up to $25,000, pollution cleanup from the insured premises up to $10,000, and water backup and sump pump overflow coverage. Travelers' BOP supports higher property limits than most competitors — up to $10M in building coverage — making it suitable for roofing contractors who own their office and shop facilities.

Erie Insurance

Erie offers BOP coverage for roofing contractors in their 12-state operating territory at pricing that is consistently 10-15% below national competitors. Their BOP includes a unique "contractor's package" endorsement that adds tools and equipment coverage, valuable papers coverage for blueprints, and transit coverage for materials being moved between locations. Erie's BOP does not require a companion GL policy, providing flexibility for contractors who want to place liability coverage with a different carrier while keeping property coverage with Erie.

$175,000 — Office and Shop Fire, Louisville, KY

An electrical fire originating in the wiring of a roofing contractor's shop building destroyed the office, equipment storage area, and records room. The BOP's property coverage paid $175,000 for building repairs, furniture replacement, and damaged tools stored inside the building. The business income coverage paid an additional $48,000 over four months while the contractor operated from a temporary office. The valuable papers coverage reimbursed $8,000 for recreating customer files, contracts, and warranty records. The total claim reached $231,000, and the contractor was fully operational within five months.

$42,000 — Sewer Backup Damage, Milwaukee, WI

A roofing contractor's ground-floor office suffered extensive damage when a municipal sewer line backed up through the building's plumbing. The BOP's water backup endorsement covered $42,000 in damage to carpeting, drywall, office furniture, and two desktop computers. The standard BOP would have excluded this loss because sewer backup is not a covered peril under basic property coverage. The water backup endorsement cost the contractor $150 annually, making it one of the highest-value endorsements available. Business income coverage paid an additional $6,000 during the two-week cleanup and restoration period.

$95,000 — Theft of Office Equipment and Vehicles, Omaha, NE

Burglars broke into a roofing contractor's premises overnight, stealing three laptops containing customer data, estimating software, and project records, along with $35,000 in tools from the shop area. The BOP's crime coverage paid $95,000 for stolen property replacement, including $25,000 in computer equipment, $35,000 in tools, and $15,000 in forced entry damage repairs. The cyber liability endorsement on the BOP covered an additional $20,000 for data breach notification and credit monitoring for customers whose information was on the stolen laptops.