High-Hazard Operations Policy Feature Checklist
What to confirm in a high-hazard operations policy — what's standard, what's often limited, and what to add if needed — plus the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current general liability policy and its endorsements, and check the box next to each feature you can confirm — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Operations Fully Described | A classification limitation can exclude any work not listed — confirm every operation appears. | Standard | |
| General Liability Limits Meeting Contracts | Confirm limits and additional insured wording satisfy owner and contractor requirements. | Standard | |
| Products & Completed Operations | Confirm completed work is covered and not excluded for prior or residential work. | Standard | |
| Injury to Employees & Contractors | E&S policies often exclude injuries to your own or subcontractors' workers — confirm. | Often limited | |
| Subcontractor Warranty Conditions | Missing a subcontractor certificate can void coverage — know the conditions. | Often limited | |
| Contractual Liability | Indemnities you sign may be stripped out — confirm insured contract coverage. | Often limited | |
| Pollution | Total pollution exclusions remove dust, fuel, and smoke releases — may need a separate policy. | Often limited | |
| Cross-Suits Between Insureds | Can bar claims from additional insureds — confirm the wording. | If needed | |
| Earth Movement / Subsidence | Excluded for many excavation and demolition risks. | If needed | |
| Umbrella Following Form | Confirm the umbrella covers the same operations without new exclusions. | If needed |
The gap most often missed in this coverage
The gap most often missed with high-hazard coverage is the restrictive endorsements. Surplus lines policies for this work — a market that wrote a record $143 billion in 2025 — often exclude injuries to workers and subcontractors, limit coverage to the operations listed, strip contractual liability, or add a subcontractor warranty that voids coverage if a certificate is missing. Read every endorsement before binding, list every operation, and track subcontractor insurance on every job.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your high-hazard operations coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: High-Hazard Operations Insurance · High-Hazard Operations Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What should a high-hazard operations policy include?
Standard features to confirm in a high-hazard operations policy include Your Operations Fully Described, General Liability Limits Meeting Contracts, Products & Completed Operations. 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 high-hazard operations 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.