Trade coverage
Working inside occupied homes with unknown existing conditions multiplies the ways a remodeler can damage property or injure someone. Pre-existing defects and hidden hazards make every job unpredictable.
General liability responds to two different things for your trade. The first is injury or damage caused while you are working, which for home renovation work is water damage from a plumbing or hvac change that is discovered weeks later. 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.
Mostly admitted for standard residential renovation; large, complex, or claim-heavy renovation risks often move to surplus lines.
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, and often higher because homeowners, lenders, and inspectors require elevated limits. 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 home renovation is high.
Mostly admitted for standard residential renovation; large, complex, or claim-heavy renovation risks often move to surplus lines.
In order of how often we see them: Water damage from a plumbing or HVAC change that is discovered weeks later; Dust, debris, or equipment damaging the owner's furniture and belongings; Structural damage from removing a wall that turned out to be load-bearing.
These four come up repeatedly: Additional insured with completed operations; Waiver of subrogation; Per-project aggregate; Pollution coverage for lead paint and asbestos. Get them written into the quote rather than requested after binding, because that is where the delays come from.
Alongside general liability: Builders risk; Commercial auto; Inland marine for tools; Workers compensation and pollution liability.
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.
