Trade coverage
Post-hole digging and mechanical augers create utility-strike and injury exposure, but claim severity is generally limited to property damage rather than catastrophic loss.
General liability responds to two different things for your trade. The first is injury or damage caused while you are working, which for fence installation work is an auger striking an irrigation line, cable, or utility service. The second is a claim that surfaces after you have finished, known as completed operations, and it is the half of the policy most often missing from a cheap quote.
Almost always admitted; it is a low-premium, moderate-severity trade with a straightforward loss profile.
These are the loss scenarios that drive claims for this trade, in the order we see them.
Each of these changes what the policy actually pays. Request them at quote stage.
General liability on its own leaves gaps that show up as denied claims rather than as missing coverage.
$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate is standard. That is the limit, not the premium. The premium depends on your payroll, your state, your subcontractor use and your claims history, and it moves most with the hazard of the trade itself, which for fence installation is moderate.
Almost always admitted; it is a low-premium, moderate-severity trade with a straightforward loss profile.
In order of how often we see them: An auger striking an irrigation line, cable, or utility service; Fence posts placed on or over a property line, triggering a boundary dispute and damage claim; Damage to a sprinkler system, septic field, or landscape lighting during digging.
These four come up repeatedly: Additional insured with completed operations; Waiver of subrogation; Per-project aggregate; Underground utility damage coverage. Get them written into the quote rather than requested after binding, because that is where the delays come from.
Alongside general liability: Inland marine for tools; Commercial auto; Workers compensation.
Yes. Their policy defends them, not you. If your work causes damage, their carrier can pay the claim and then pursue you to recover it.
Classification and carrier appetite differ by trade, so it is worth seeing how yours compares.
Tell us your payroll, state and what your contract requires.
