Contractors Professional Liability Policy Feature Checklist
What to confirm in a contractors professional liability policy — what's standard, what's often limited, and what to add if needed — plus the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for contractors, design-builders, and construction managers. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual operations.
Tick each feature you can confirm your policy includes — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Confirm? | Policy feature | What to confirm | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractors Professional Liability | Covers design, delegated design, CM, and preconstruction errors your GL excludes. | Core | |
| General Liability | Covers jobsite injury and damage; it usually excludes professional services. | Core | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits over GL, auto, and employers liability. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation | Covers field and office employees. | Core | |
| Protective Indemnity / Rectification | Pays your own rework and delay costs from a design firm's error. | Prevalent | |
| Contractors Pollution Liability | Often combined with CPL; covers mold, spills, and disturbed contaminants. | Prevalent | |
| Builder's Risk | Covers the project under construction. | Prevalent | |
| Contractors Equipment / Inland Marine | Covers owned and rented equipment and tools. | Prevalent | |
| Project-Specific Professional Liability | Dedicated limits for one large design-build or P3 project. | Situational | |
| Owners Protective Professional Indemnity | For owner-developers; sits excess of the design team's policies. | Situational |
The gap most often missed in this coverage
The gap most often missed by contractors is the design they did not draw. Your general liability almost always excludes professional services, and on design-build or delegated-design work the owner holds you responsible for the designer's error -- even when the design firm is insolvent or its limits are gone. Confirm a CPL policy names every service you perform, check that design subconsultants carry limits matching your prime contract, and ask about protective indemnity for your own rework and delay.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your contractors professional liability coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Contractors Professional Liability Insurance · Contractors Professional Liability Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What should a contractors professional liability policy include?
Standard features to confirm in a contractors professional liability policy include . This checklist also flags the features that are often limited or sublimited and the ones to add if needed, with a plain-English note on each.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my contractors professional liability coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.