Your general liability declarations page tells you what limits you carry. The endorsements tell you what those limits actually cover — and more importantly, what they exclude. As a roofing contractor, several endorsements can make or break your coverage when a claim hits. Reviewing them annually with your broker is not optional; it is how you avoid catastrophic gaps.
Additional Insured Endorsements
General contractors and property owners require you to name them as additional insureds on your GL. The endorsement form matters enormously. CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) covers the additional insured for claims arising from your current work. CG 20 37 (completed operations) extends that protection to claims arising after you finish. Many GCs now require both. If your policy only carries CG 20 10, your additional insured has no protection once you leave the site. Some carriers use proprietary additional insured endorsements that are narrower than the ISO forms — always confirm which form number is attached.
Primary and Noncontributory Endorsement (CG 20 01)
This endorsement states that your policy responds first, before the additional insured's own GL policy, and that it will not seek contribution from the additional insured's coverage. Nearly every commercial subcontract requires this language. Without it, a GC's carrier can demand your policy share defense costs and settlements proportionally, creating disputes that delay claim resolution and damage the business relationship.
Waiver of Subrogation (CG 24 04)
A waiver of subrogation prevents your GL carrier from suing the additional insured to recover claim payments. Most GC contracts require this endorsement. If you do not carry it and your carrier pays a $200,000 claim caused partly by the GC's negligence, your carrier can sue the GC to recover its share — putting your subcontract relationship and future bids at risk. This endorsement typically costs $250 to $1,000 annually.
Exclusions to Watch For
Roofing policies frequently carry exclusions that can eliminate coverage for your most common claim scenarios. Watch for these specifically:
- Residential work exclusion: Some commercial GL policies exclude residential operations entirely. If you do any residential work, even a small percentage, confirm this exclusion is not present.
- Height limitation exclusion: Certain carriers attach endorsements limiting coverage to work below a specified height — 25 feet, 35 feet, or three stories. If your projects exceed that height, claims are denied.
- Hot work exclusion: Policies may exclude losses arising from torch-applied or kettle operations. If you perform any modified bitumen or built-up roofing, this exclusion eliminates your fire-related coverage.
- Subsidence or earth movement exclusion: Rarely relevant for roofers but sometimes attached broadly to contractor policies.
- EIFS/exterior insulation exclusion: If you install any wall cladding systems alongside roofing, check for this.
Completed Operations Coverage
Verify that your GL policy includes products-completed operations coverage and that the limits match your per-occurrence limits. Some budget policies carry reduced completed operations limits — for example, $500,000 completed operations against $1,000,000 per-occurrence. For roofing contractors, completed operations claims from leaks and system failures are among the most expensive. You want full matching limits.
Classification and Premium Base
Confirm your policy lists the correct NCCI class code. Roofing is typically coded 5551 for workers comp and 98305 or 98306 for GL, but misclassification happens regularly and results in audit adjustments. If your policy shows a general carpentry or siding code, your rates are wrong and your coverage may not respond to roofing-specific claims.
Request a full endorsement schedule from your broker at every renewal. Read each one. The 15 minutes it takes can save you hundreds of thousands in uncovered claims.