Trade coverage
Working at height with long materials creates fall and drop hazards plus water-intrusion defect claims. Improper installation can rot a wall assembly undetected for years.
General liability responds to two different things for your trade. The first is injury or damage caused while you are working, which for siding installation work is water intrusion behind improperly installed siding causing rot or mold. 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.
Usually admitted for residential re-siding; commercial and high-limit 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 common; commercial work often requires higher 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 siding installation is high.
Usually admitted for residential re-siding; commercial and high-limit work is sometimes placed in surplus lines.
In order of how often we see them: Water intrusion behind improperly installed siding causing rot or mold; A fall from a ladder or scaffold; Dropped siding damaging a car, window, or landscaping.
These four come up repeatedly: Additional insured with completed operations; Waiver of subrogation; Per-project aggregate. 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.
