Contractors insurance built for New York

• Workers' compensation: required for virtually every New York employer with employees, including part-time workers and, in many cases, family members. It pays medical bills and lost wages for job injuries.
• Disability benefits (DBL) and Paid Family Leave (PFL): required once you employ one or more people on at least 30 days in a calendar year. DBL pays employees for injuries and illnesses that happen off the job; PFL provides paid time off for qualifying family reasons.
• Commercial auto: vehicles used in your business must meet New York's auto insurance requirements, and business use often isn't covered by a personal auto policy.

Sole proprietors and some one- or two-owner corporations with no employees may be exempt from workers' comp and DBL/PFL. If you're exempt, you'll still need to file proof of the exemption with the Workers' Compensation Board before many municipalities will issue permits.

• General liability: injuries to third parties and damage to their property, including completed work.
• Tools and equipment (inland marine): your tools, equipment and materials at the job site, in transit or in storage.
• Builder's risk: a building under construction or renovation, until the job is finished.
• Commercial umbrella: additional liability limits above your general liability, auto and employer's liability policies.
• Professional or pollution liability, depending on your trade.

New York Labor Law Sections 240 and 241, known as the Scaffold Law, hold property owners and contractors liable for many gravity-related injuries, such as falls from heights or being struck by falling objects. New York is the only state with a law like it. As a result, general contractors and owners often require subcontractors to:

• Carry higher general liability limits, sometimes $2 million per occurrence or more.
• Name them as additional insureds on a primary and noncontributory basis.
• Sign contracts that shift liability for injuries to the subcontractor.

Some carriers exclude or restrict these claims in New York. We read the exclusions and contract requirements before you sign, so your policy matches what the job demands.

Most jobs require a certificate of insurance before work begins. We issue certificates quickly, with additional insured and waiver of subrogation wording when your policy supports it. Request one any time through our certificate of insurance page.

Contractor premiums vary widely by trade, payroll and claims history, and not every carrier writes every trade in New York. We match you with carriers that accept your work, compare coverage and price, and review your contracts so you're not surprised by an exclusion after a claim.