Trade coverage
Water damage from a failed repair is one of the most common and expensive construction claims, and gas and sewer work adds injury risk. Leaks often surface long after the job is finished.
General liability responds to two different things for your trade. The first is injury or damage caused while you are working, which for plumber work is water damage discovered weeks after a supply line or fitting repair. 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 residential service work; commercial and high-limit plumbing work is sometimes placed in 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, but many plumbers carry $2M/$4M or higher because property managers and GCs require it. 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 plumber is high.
Mostly admitted for residential service work; commercial and high-limit plumbing work is sometimes placed in surplus lines.
In order of how often we see them: Water damage discovered weeks after a supply line or fitting repair; A sewer backup or gas leak caused by a botched connection; Damage to a homeowner's belongings from a burst or failed pipe.
These four come up repeatedly: Additional insured with completed operations; Waiver of subrogation; Per-project aggregate; Limited pollution for sewer backup. Get them written into the quote rather than requested after binding, because that is where the delays come from.
Alongside general liability: Commercial auto; Inland marine for tools; Workers compensation; Umbrella.
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.
