Plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, carpenters, painters, flooring and tile installers — your work ends up inside other people’s homes and buildings. So does your liability, sometimes years after the job.
Coverage is subject to eligibility and carrier underwriting.
Injury to clients and the public, and damage to their property, during the job and after it is finished.
Inland marine coverage for tools, equipment, and materials at job sites, in transit, and in the truck.
Work vans and trucks, trailers, and the employees who drive them.
Required for employees in NJ and PA, and often demanded by general contractors even for owner-operators.
Higher limits for larger jobs and contracts that require them.
License, permit, and contract bonds when your license or a project requires one.
A water heater you installed fails eight months later and floods a finished basement. A connection you made overheats. A deck railing you built gives way. These claims arise after your work is finished, and they are covered by the products-completed operations part of a general liability policy.
Look closely at whether your policy carries a separate completed operations limit, whether the carrier excludes certain kinds of work, and how long coverage continues if you change carriers or close the business. For trades whose work has long-tail risk, these details matter as much as the price.
General liability typically covers damage your faulty work causes to other property — not the cost of redoing the faulty work itself. Knowing that line helps you understand what a claim will and will not pay.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Certificate of insurance | Expect to provide one before starting work, showing your limits and policy dates |
| Additional insured | The GC or owner added to your policy — for ongoing and often completed operations |
| Primary & non-contributory | Your policy responds first, without seeking contribution from theirs |
| Waiver of subrogation | Your insurer gives up the right to recover from the GC or owner |
| Workers’ comp proof | Even sole proprietors may be asked to carry it or show an exemption |
Many trades carry their own licensing requirements. In New Jersey, licensed electrical contractors, master plumbers, and HVACR contractors are regulated by their own boards, which set insurance and bond requirements as part of licensure. Home improvement contractors have separate requirements — see our home improvement contractor page.
Separately, New Jersey law (P.L. 2022, c. 92) generally requires business owners to carry at least $500,000 of liability insurance. Confirm your board’s current requirements and make sure your policy meets the highest one that applies.
State law may not require it for a sole proprietor with no employees, but many general contractors will not let you on a job without it or a formal exemption. It also matters the day you hire your first helper.
No. General liability does not cover your own tools and equipment. That is the job of an inland marine or contractor’s equipment policy, which can cover tools on the job, in the truck, and in storage.
Your policy may respond to claims arising from your subcontractors’ work, but carriers expect you to collect their certificates and be named as additional insured on their policies. Uninsured subcontractors can increase your premium at audit.
Usually based on your trade classification and payroll or revenue, with adjustments for experience and claims history. Many policies are audited after the term.
Tell us your trade, your crew, and the contracts you work under. We will match coverage to the certificates and limits your clients require.
Cadabra Asset Protection LLC is a licensed independent insurance agency serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Michael Lindner Jr., licensed insurance producer.
Coverage descriptions on this page are general summaries provided for informational purposes only. Coverage, limits, endorsements, and exclusions vary by carrier and by state, and actual coverage is governed solely by the terms of the issued policy. This page is not an offer of insurance and is not a guarantee that coverage will be issued. All coverage is subject to eligibility and carrier underwriting approval.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by its use or by contacting this agency for insurance services.
