Roofing contractor insurance, built around the work at height
General liability, workers' comp, auto, equipment and umbrella coverage for roofing contractors, placed by licensed brokers who check the height, hot-work and residential exclusions before you bind.
Quick answer: Most roofing contractors need general liability with completed operations, workers' comp, commercial auto, inland marine for tools and equipment, and an umbrella sized to what GCs and owners ask for. Workers' comp is usually the largest line, because roofing is one of the deadliest jobs in the country: roofers had a fatal injury rate of 48.7 per 100,000 full-time workers in 2024, against 3.3 for all workers (BLS). Premium is driven by payroll in roofing class 5551, your experience mod, your residential and commercial mix, hot work and how well you document subcontractors. Where it goes wrong is the fine print: height limits, residential, hot-work or mold exclusions, and uninsured subs that get charged back to you at audit. Read every endorsement against the work you actually do before you bind.
Why roofing is hard to insure
Roofing contractors recorded 120 fatal work injuries in 2024, and 96 of them were falls, slips or trips (BLS CFOI, table A-1). Fall protection for construction, 29 CFR 1926.501, is again the standard OSHA cites most often (OSHA). Carriers price that injury exposure, plus the fire, water and leak claims that can surface during the job or years after it.
Falls from edges, ladders and skylights
Under 29 CFR 1926.501, roofing workers need fall protection at 6 feet, and the allowed systems differ for low-slope roofs (4 in 12 or less) and steep roofs. A CPWR study found roofs accounted for one third of construction fall deaths, and 67% of roof fall deaths were at establishments with 1 to 10 employees (CPWR, via CDC). One fall can mean a severe comp claim and, if the worker is not yours, a third-party lawsuit.
Torch-down and hot-work fires
Torch-applied membranes can ignite insulation, decking or debris that smolders after the crew leaves. NRCA says its CERTA torch-applicator certification is a condition of general liability coverage with some insurers (NRCA), and some policies carry hot-work exclusions.
Water intrusion during tear-off
An open roof and a storm that arrives early can soak ceilings, drywall, inventory and electronics below. The owner, their property carrier and the GC will all look to your general liability policy for the interior damage.
Leaks after the job is paid
A flashing detail that fails two winters later is a completed operations claim, not a current one. If the work was done by a subcontractor, an endorsement such as CG 22 94 can strip the subcontractor exception from the your-work exclusion, and IRMI notes residential contractors are particularly likely to see it (IRMI).
Mold, moisture and old materials
IRMI names roofers among the contractors who commonly carry mold and EIFS exclusions, because their work can be tied to moisture getting into a building (IRMI). Tear-offs of older roofs can also disturb asbestos-containing roofing material, which EPA's asbestos NESHAP rules address (EPA), and a standard GL pollution exclusion will not respond.
New York's Scaffold Law
New York Labor Law 240(1) puts the duty to provide proper ladders, scaffolds and other fall devices on contractors and owners and their agents, with a carve-out for owners of one and two-family homes who do not direct the work. That is why New York GCs push hard on roofing subs' additional insured and indemnity terms. See our Scaffold Law guide.
The coverage roofing contractors actually need
General liability
Covers injury to third parties and damage to their property, including interior water damage during a tear-off and leaks that show up after the job under the products-completed operations hazard. Owners, GCs and licensing boards all ask for it. More on contractor general liability.
Watch for: Height or story limits, residential or habitational exclusions, hot-work or torch exclusions, mold exclusions and subcontractor exclusions such as CG 22 94. Any one of them can void coverage for the job you just bid.
Workers' compensation
Required for employees in most states, and in Florida and Illinois proof of comp is part of getting a roofing license. Roofing's injury severity makes it the biggest premium line for most crews. More on contractor workers' comp.
Watch for: Payroll that belongs in a lower-rated code, such as office staff or a permanent yard, being left in 5551, and subcontractors without their own certificates being added to your payroll at audit (1099 subs and comp).
Commercial auto
Covers pickups, box trucks, dump trailers and the material loads they carry to and from jobs. More on contractor commercial auto.
Watch for: Trailers and racked ladders not scheduled correctly, and no hired and non-owned auto for employees who run to the supply house in their own vehicles (hired and non-owned auto).
Inland marine (contractor's equipment and installation)
Covers ladders, hoists, conveyors, nail guns, torches and kettles wherever they are, plus materials staged on site before they are installed. Property policies usually stop at your own address (inland marine guide).
Watch for: Theft from unattended trucks and job sites, unscheduled items over the per-item limit, and whether shingles or membrane sitting on the roof before install are covered.
Commercial umbrella
Sits over GL, auto and employer's liability so you can meet the higher limits commercial GCs and owners write into subcontracts.
Watch for: An umbrella that repeats or adds the height, residential or hot-work exclusions from the primary policy, so the extra limit is not there when you need it (follow form umbrellas).
Contractors pollution liability
Picks up claims the GL pollution exclusion removes, such as disturbing asbestos-containing material on a tear-off or mold that follows a leak (pollution exclusion explained).
Watch for: Whether mold is included or excluded, and whether the policy is occurrence or claims-made, since leak and mold claims often surface years later.
What roofing insurance costs
In NCCI states, roofing payroll is classified to code 5551, and premium is the class rate per $100 of payroll multiplied by your experience mod. It is a hard class to place: in Arizona's assigned-risk pool, 5551 was the top class by both policy count (7.5%) and premium (8.0%) as of September 30, 2025 (NCCI), and in Illinois it ranked second by premium at 11.6% as of mid-2025 (NCCI).
- Class 5551Roofing, all kinds and driversCovers flat, sloped and built-up roofs of any material, roof waterproofing and insulation, new work, repairs and roof pressure washing (NCCI scope).
- Class 8227Contractors permanent yardCan be used to separate yard and storage payroll from 5551 in most NCCI states. NCCI's scope says Virginia and New Hampshire include yard employees in 5551 instead.
- Class 5645 / 5651Carpentry, residential dwellingsIf the same contractor performs all the carpentry on detached dwellings or dwellings of three stories or less, its roofing at those sites goes to these carpentry codes rather than 5551 (NCCI scope).
- Class 5552 / 5553Roofing, CaliforniaCalifornia uses its own rating bureau, which splits roofing payroll by regular hourly wage: 5552 below the wage threshold and 5553 at or above it. The threshold is reset over time, so check the current figure in the WCIRB classification search.
- Class 659Roofing, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania's rating bureau uses code 659 for roofing, including solar roofing tile installation (PCRB).
What moves your premium
Payroll and class code
Comp is priced per $100 of payroll by class, so every dollar left in 5551 that belongs in a clerical, sales or yard code costs you at roofing rates. Payroll estimates that run low get trued up at the premium audit.
Experience mod
Your mod compares your claims to what is expected for your payroll and classes, then multiplies the whole comp premium. In a high-rated class like roofing, a few points of mod is real money. Run yours through the EMR calculator.
Residential, commercial and building height
Carriers rate and restrict residential re-roofing, new commercial work and multi-story buildings differently, and some will not write one or the other. Your revenue split by type and height shapes both price and which carriers will quote.
Hot work
Torch-down, hot asphalt and kettles raise the fire exposure. Expect questions on CERTA certification, fire watch and extinguishers, and a higher rate or an exclusion if the answers are thin.
Subcontractor documentation
Subs without their own GL and comp certificates can be added to your payroll and exposure at audit. Clean, current certificates for every sub keep your premium on your own crew.
Fleet and drivers
Number of vehicles, trailer weights, radius of operation and driver records drive the auto premium, which can rival GL for a roofing company with several trucks.
Loss history
Carriers read your loss runs closely. A pattern of leak or water damage claims hurts GL pricing the way a serious fall hurts comp (how claims history moves rates).
What GCs, owners and licensing boards will ask for
Licensing boards, GCs and building owners all write insurance into the deal, and roofing gets some of the strictest terms because of the fall and leak exposure. These are the requirements that show up most.
- Florida licensing: certified roofing contractors must attest to public liability and property damage insurance and to workers' comp or an exemption under F.S. 489.115(5). The board's roofing application lists minimums of $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage for categories other than general and building contractors (DBPR CILB 5-I).
- Illinois licensing: the roofing application requires insurer-certified proof of at least $500,000 liability per occurrence for bodily injury and $250,000 property damage per occurrence, a workers' comp certificate, and a license bond, which is a separate surety product (IDFPR roofing application).
- Post-storm work in Florida: F.S. 489.147 bars contractors from offering inducements such as deductible waivers for roof inspections or claims, and from interpreting policies or adjusting claims without a public adjuster license, with fines up to $10,000 per violation.
- Additional insured for ongoing and completed operations: GCs and owners usually want to stay covered after you leave the roof, which takes a completed operations AI endorsement, not just ongoing (the additional insured problem).
- Waiver of subrogation on GL, auto and workers' comp, so your carriers cannot pursue the GC or owner after paying a claim (waiver of subrogation).
- Primary and noncontributory wording, so your policy pays before the GC's or owner's own coverage.
- Limits and umbrella: per-occurrence, aggregate and umbrella limits are often specified in the contract Check the insurance clause before you bid, not after you win.
How Aiden Risk solves each of these problems
An AI risk engine built for commercial insurance, a licensed broker on every account, and 100+ carriers, including admitted and surplus lines markets, so one partner handles the whole program.
| The problem | How Aiden Risk solves it |
|---|---|
| I don't know if my policy excludes the height, residential or torch work I actually do. | A licensed broker reviews your policy, endorsements and exclusions against your real job mix and runs a coverage gap analysis before binding, then shops 100+ carriers, including surplus lines, for terms that fit. |
| Our comp premium keeps climbing and I can't tell why. | We review your class codes and payroll split, including yard and clerical payroll, and the free EMR calculator turns your experience mod into dollars and shows what one more claim would do to premium. |
| We got hit with a big audit bill for subs we thought were covered. | A broker goes through the audit worksheet with you, advises on the certificates you need from every sub, and corrects payroll estimates mid-term so the audit does not surprise you. |
| A GC rejected my certificate and the job starts Monday. | Use the free COI checker: answer a few questions about your certificate and the contract, and it grades the certificate against what the GC requires and flags gaps like a missing additional insured or no waiver of subrogation. A licensed specialist then issues a corrected certificate, often the same day. |
| A leak claim showed up two years after we finished the job. | Before binding, a broker checks that completed operations coverage is in place and that no subcontractor or residential exclusion strips it, and negotiates with carriers where it does. |
| Standard carriers won't quote roofing, or only quote with exclusions. | Aiden places coverage across 100+ carriers, including admitted and surplus lines carriers, across 13 commercial lines, with a licensed broker on every account. |
| Our tools and trailers aren't covered once they leave the shop. | A broker schedules equipment and trailers on an inland marine and auto program, and checks theft and on-site materials terms against how your crews actually work. |
| Our business changes every season and nobody updates the policy. | Aiden's AI monitors your risk year-round, and a licensed broker acts on every change it flags, such as new states, new vehicles or a shift into commercial work. |
| I don't have time for a long application. | Intake takes about 5 minutes, and most straightforward businesses are placed in as little as 48 hours. Aiden Risk charges no fee to work with it, with no platform fee or subscription; it is paid through standard carrier commissions. |
Aiden Risk charges no fee to work with it, with no platform fee or subscription; it is paid through standard carrier commissions. Licensed in 16 states, listed on our licenses page.
Roofing insurance questions, answered
How much does roofing insurance cost?
It depends mostly on payroll, your experience mod, your residential and commercial mix, hot work and vehicles. Workers' comp is usually the largest line, priced as a rate per $100 of roofing payroll in class 5551 multiplied by your mod, so a quote built from your own payroll and loss runs is the only reliable number. You can see how your mod moves premium with the EMR calculator.
Do roofers need workers' comp?
If you have employees, almost always. Florida requires roofing license applicants to attest to comp or an exemption under F.S. 489.115, and Illinois requires a comp certificate with the roofing license application. GCs also ask for it, and uninsured subs can be added to your own premium at audit.
What is the workers' comp class code for roofing?
In NCCI states it is 5551, Roofing, all kinds and drivers. Some states use their own bureaus and codes, for example California uses 5552 and 5553 and Pennsylvania uses 659. Yard and office payroll can often go in lower-rated codes, which is worth checking with your broker.
Does general liability cover a roof leak after the job?
It can, under the products-completed operations part of the policy, which covers resulting damage like ruined ceilings and contents. It generally does not pay to redo your own faulty work, and subcontractor, mold or residential exclusions can remove coverage, so read the endorsements before you bind.
Why do some policies exclude roofing over a certain height?
Falls and severity rise with height, so some carriers add endorsements that exclude work above a set number of stories or feet, or exclude commercial or residential work entirely. If you bid taller or mixed work, have a broker confirm the policy matches it.
Do I need special coverage for torch-down roofing?
You need a GL policy that does not exclude hot work, and some insurers require your torch applicators to hold NRCA's CERTA certification as a condition of coverage. Disclose torch work on the application so the policy is written for the work you actually do.
What insurance do I need for a roofing license in Florida or Illinois?
Florida certified roofing contractors attest to at least $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage, plus comp or an exemption. Illinois requires at least $500,000 liability and $250,000 property damage per occurrence, a comp certificate and a license bond. Check the current board forms before you apply.
Guides for roofing contractors
- Contractor Premium Audits: Why Your Workers' Comp and GL Audit Bill Jumped
- Workers' Comp for 1099 Subcontractors: What Contractors Need to Know in 16 States
- The Additional Insured Problem: What You're Actually Granting When Contracts Force You to Add Clients, Landlords, and Partners to Your Policy
- New York Scaffold Law Insurance: What Labor Law 240 Means for Contractors in 2026
- Inland Marine Insurance: What It Is, What It Covers, and Why the Name Is Misleading
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