Roofer Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a roofer business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and 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 roofing contractors. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against the applicant's actual work mix.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workers' Compensation | NCCI class code 5551 is one of the three highest-rated WC classifications in all of construction. Fall protection compliance is the single largest driver of both claim frequency and severity — an experience modifier above 1.00 here is described industry-wide as premium-crushing. | Core | |
| Commercial General Liability | Covers third-party bodily injury and property damage — the baseline for any roofing operation. | Core | |
| Hot Work Endorsement | A standard GL policy without this endorsement excludes fire damage from torch-down or hot-mopped roofing methods outright — this is not automatically included, and it's the single most common coverage gap for roofers who do any hot-work application. | Core | |
| Products & Completed Operations | Covers claims discovered after the job — a wind-uplift or leak failure traced back to installation defect, often the only coverage that responds when a manufacturer denies the system warranty. | Core | |
| Commercial Auto Liability | Covers trucks and equipment trailers transporting crews and materials. | Core | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Extends limits above GL/auto/employers liability — fall-claim severity and nuclear-verdict exposure make higher limits increasingly necessary for this trade. | Prevalent | |
| Inland Marine / Equipment Floater | Covers ladders, lifts, and roofing equipment against theft or damage away from a fixed location. | Prevalent | |
| Pollution Liability | Roofing sealants, adhesives, and coatings can be toxic if inhaled or spilled — a real, often-overlooked exposure for a trade not typically thought of as an environmental risk. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap that catches the most roofers off guard is assuming hot-work methods are automatically covered under a standard general liability policy. They are not — a policy without a specific hot-work endorsement excludes the resulting fire outright, and a single unattended torch or kettle igniting insulation overnight is one of the most severe, well-documented loss patterns in this trade. Separately, 1099 piece-rate crews without current certificates of insurance are routinely swept into the roofer's own workers' compensation audit at the roofing class code — an expensive surprise that a documented certificate-tracking process prevents.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your roofer coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Roofer Insurance · Roofer Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a roofer business need?
The core coverages for a roofer business are Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability, Hot Work Endorsement, Products & Completed Operations, Commercial Auto Liability. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
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 roofer 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.