General Liability Insurance for Commercial Roofing Contractors

CG 00 01 — Commercial General Liability Occurrence Form

The foundation of every roofing contractor's insurance program. This ISO form covers bodily injury and property damage arising from your operations, including damage caused by falling debris, materials, or tools during roof tear-offs and installations. Roofers need the occurrence form rather than claims-made because roofing defects often surface years after project completion.

CG 20 10 — Additional Insured — Owners, Lessees or Contractors

Nearly every general contractor and property owner requires roofing subs to add them as additional insureds. This endorsement extends your liability protection to the upstream party for claims arising out of your ongoing operations. Without it, you will lose bids consistently. Make sure the version you carry matches the contract requirements — older editions provide broader coverage.

CG 20 37 — Additional Insured — Completed Operations

This companion to CG 20 10 extends additional insured status into the completed operations period. Many GCs now require both endorsements. For roofers, this is critical because roof leaks discovered months after job completion can trigger claims naming the GC, who will demand coverage under your policy.

CG 24 04 — Waiver of Transfer of Rights of Recovery

A waiver of subrogation endorsement required by most commercial roofing contracts. Without it, your insurer could pursue the GC or property owner to recover claim payments — damaging your business relationships and violating your contract obligations.

Acuity

Acuity is one of the most roofing-friendly carriers in the market. They write new ventures with as little as two years of industry experience and offer competitive rates for residential and commercial roofers. Their GL policies include a built-in per-project aggregate, which many competitors charge extra for. Acuity also does not impose a steep-slope exclusion on standard policies, making them a go-to for contractors handling varied roof types.

Hartford

Hartford's appetite for roofing has tightened considerably. They generally prefer established contractors with five-plus years in business and strong loss histories. Their pricing tends to run 15-25% higher than Acuity for comparable operations, but they offer broad blanket additional insured endorsements and a strong claims handling reputation that appeals to contractors working on large commercial projects.

Kinsale

As an E&S carrier, Kinsale steps in where admitted markets decline risks — new ventures, contractors with prior losses, or those doing exclusively steep-slope work. Expect rates 30-50% above standard market, but Kinsale provides capacity when no one else will. Their policies often carry a residential work exclusion or a height limitation endorsement, so review the policy carefully.

FCCI

FCCI offers strong GL programs for mid-size roofing contractors in the Southeast and Midwest. They are competitive on completed operations coverage and typically bundle GL with commercial auto for package discounts of 10-15%. FCCI requires detailed subcontractor management documentation and will audit annually, but their renewal stability is excellent for contractors who maintain clean loss runs.

$485,000 — Falling Debris Injury, Dallas, TX

During a commercial roof tear-off on a three-story office building, a crew member knocked a bundle of old shingles off the roof edge without checking the ground-level perimeter. The debris struck a pedestrian walking on the adjacent sidewalk, causing a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury. The contractor's GL policy responded under bodily injury coverage. After litigation, the claim settled for $485,000 including $310,000 in medical expenses and $175,000 in pain and suffering. The contractor had failed to maintain proper barricades, which contributed to the high settlement.

$127,000 — Water Damage from Open Roof, Nashville, TN

A roofing crew left a section of commercial flat roof exposed overnight during a re-roofing project. An unexpected thunderstorm moved through, sending water cascading into the building's server room and executive offices below. The property damage claim totaled $127,000, covering ruined IT equipment, damaged flooring, and business interruption costs. The GL policy covered the claim under property damage to third-party property, though the carrier non-renewed the contractor at the next renewal due to the preventable nature of the loss.

$62,000 — Third-Party Vehicle Damage, Phoenix, AZ

While loading removed roofing materials into a dumpster positioned in a strip mall parking lot, wind caught a sheet of metal flashing and sent it into three parked vehicles, scratching paint and shattering one windshield. The property damage claim came to $62,000 after one vehicle owner claimed diminished value on a luxury SUV. The GL policy paid the claim, but the contractor's rates increased 18% at renewal. This incident underscored the importance of securing materials and debris in windy conditions common to the Southwest.