General Contractors & Builders
Construction Contractor Insurance in California
Insurance for general contractors, home builders, commercial developers and specialty trades working on new construction, tenant improvements and renovation projects. We can help you compare coverage options and request the certificates and bonds your project owners ask for.
Insurance Built Around Construction Work
Construction contracting comes with its own expectations. Project owners and developers send contracts with specific insurance requirements, builders risk has to be placed and coordinated before materials arrive, and multi-trade job sites create high-severity bodily injury and property damage exposures your insurance program needs to account for.
Owner & Subcontract Requirements
Project owners, developers and upstream contractors require additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory wording, and minimum limits before your crews access the site.
Builders Risk Timing
Structures under construction need builders risk placed before materials arrive and coordinated with the owner’s program so there is no gap or duplicate coverage.
Jobsite Safety & OSHA
Multi-trade job sites create serious bodily injury and property damage exposures. High-severity claims are common, and OSHA compliance affects both safety and insurability.
Bonds on Public & Private Work
Bid, performance and payment bonds are often required to win and keep contracts — and a contractor license bond is required to hold an active CSLB license.
Capital & Co Insurance Services is a California insurance agency that works with commercial contractors. We help general contractors and specialty trades review their operations, understand the coverage their contracts call for, and compare options from the carriers we work with for a program that fits how they actually build. If you perform multiple trades, see our broader contractor insurance page as well.
Who We Work With
We work with construction businesses that build and renovate commercial and residential projects, including:
General contractors and construction managers running new build and renovation projects
Home builders and residential developers on single-family and multi-family projects
Commercial builders and tenant improvement contractors working under owners and developers on office, retail and industrial build-outs
Specialty trades including framing, concrete, roofing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, earthwork and paving
Design-build firms and construction managers combining design and construction under one contract
The right mix of coverage depends on your payroll, vehicles, equipment, the size and type of projects you build, and the contracts you sign.
Coverages Construction Contractors Commonly Consider
Every business is different, and coverage is always subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy issued. These are the coverages construction contractors most often ask us about.
General Liability
General liability is typically the foundation of a contractor’s program and usually the first thing an owner or developer asks to see. It is designed to respond to third-party bodily injury or property damage claims arising from your operations, and many policies include completed operations coverage for finished work.
Workers’ Compensation
California generally requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. The CSLB also requires contractors to keep a workers’ compensation certificate (or, where allowed, a certificate of exemption) on file. Many owners and GCs also require a waiver of subrogation endorsement on this policy.
Commercial Auto
Pickup trucks, dump trailers and equipment transports generally need commercial auto coverage, since personal auto policies often limit business use. Ask about hired and non-owned auto if employees drive their own vehicles for work.
Builders Risk
Builders risk covers a structure under construction — and often materials and equipment on site — against causes of loss such as fire, theft and weather. It typically needs to be in place before materials are delivered and should be coordinated with the owner’s program.
Tools and Equipment (Inland Marine)
Tools, generators and equipment move between job sites and are often stored in gang boxes or trailers. Contractor’s tools and equipment coverage can help protect this property in transit, in storage or at a job site.
Umbrella / Excess Liability
Larger projects and owner contracts may require limits above your primary policies. Umbrella or excess liability can add limits over general liability, auto and employer’s liability.
Contractors Pollution Liability
Some general liability policies limit or exclude pollution-related claims. Depending on your work — demolition, earthwork, hazardous materials — ask about contractors pollution liability for release-related exposures.
Surety Bonds
Public and many private projects require bid, performance and payment bonds, and California requires a contractor license bond to hold an active CSLB license. We can help you explore bond options alongside your insurance program.
Professional Liability (Design-Build E&O)
Contractors that provide design or design-build services take on professional liability exposure that general liability typically excludes. Professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage can address design-related claims on those projects.
Common Risks for Construction Contractors
These general scenarios illustrate the kinds of situations construction contractors think about when setting up coverage. Whether any specific claim is covered depends on the facts and your actual policy language.
Property damage during construction. Damage to the work, adjacent property or existing structures during build-out or demolition.
Bodily injury on site. A worker, subcontractor or member of the public is injured on an active job site.
Theft or vandalism of materials. Materials and equipment are stolen from a job site, gang box or storage trailer.
Fire or weather loss to a structure under construction. A structure under construction is damaged by fire, wind or other weather before it is enclosed.
Vehicle accidents. A company truck or trailer is involved in an accident while traveling between job sites.
Completed operations claims. An owner alleges that completed work caused property damage after handover.
Certificates of Insurance and Contract Requirements
For construction contractors, the certificate of insurance (COI) is often what stands between you and starting work. Owners, developers and general contractors commonly ask for:
Additional insured status on your general liability (often including ongoing and completed operations)
Waiver of subrogation on general liability, auto and/or workers’ compensation
Primary and non-contributory wording on your liability coverage
Per-project or specific aggregate limits for larger jobs
Notice of cancellation provisions and specific certificate holder wording
Builders risk / OCIP coordination so coverage is placed and endorsed consistent with the owner’s program
These items usually require endorsements on the policy itself, not just wording on the certificate. We can review the insurance requirements in your contract and help you request certificates for your projects. We don’t provide legal advice on contract terms, so have your attorney review the rest of the agreement. Send us your requirements through our contact page.
How Quoting Works
- 1
Tell us about your business. Share your trade, the type of construction you perform, payroll, vehicles, equipment, project sizes and any current policies through our quote request form.
- 2
Share your contract requirements. If you have an owner, developer or GC contract, include the insurance and bond requirements so we can factor them in.
- 3
Review options. We compare available coverage options from the carriers we work with and walk you through limits, endorsements and differences between them.
- 4
Bind and get your certificates and bonds. Once you choose a program and the carrier approves it, we help you put coverage in place and request the COIs and bonds your projects need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about insurance for construction contractors.
Capital & Co Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company. CA License #6002332. Coverage descriptions are general information only and do not modify any policy. All coverage is subject to underwriting approval and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy issued. Not all coverages are available to all businesses.
