Contractor Insurance by Trade
Why Is Roofing Insurance So Expensive?
Roofing is the most dangerous trade in construction. Insurance costs reflect that risk — but there are ways to reduce what you pay without sacrificing coverage.
- ✓Fall frequency makes roofing a high-severity trade
- ✓Standard carriers restrict or exclude roofing entirely
- ✓Specialty markets exist — and rates vary significantly
- ✓Clean loss history and safety programs earn real discounts
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The Direct Answer
Roofing insurance is expensive because roofing is genuinely dangerous work. OSHA data consistently shows that falls from roofs are among the leading causes of fatal construction injuries. Carriers price their policies against actuarial data — and that data shows roofers file more claims, at higher severity levels, than almost any other trade.
The second reason is carrier appetite. When fewer carriers are willing to write a trade, competition decreases and prices go up. Most standard admitted carriers restrict or exclude roofing. That pushes roofers into specialty and excess markets where rates are higher to begin with. We work in those markets every day — and even within specialty markets, rates vary by 30–50% depending on which carrier you land with.
What Specifically Drives Roofing Insurance Premiums
Three factors compound to make roofing one of the most expensive trades to insure:
Fall risk. Roofers work at height on sloped surfaces, often without adequate fall protection. A single fall claim can exceed $500,000 in medical costs, lost wages, and legal expenses. That severity is baked into the actuarial tables carriers use to set rates.
Water intrusion liability. A faulty flashing installation can let water into a structure for months before it’s detected. By the time the homeowner files a claim, the damage can be catastrophic. Completed operations coverage — which extends GL protection to post-job claims — is essential for roofers and adds cost to the policy.
Limited carrier market. Standard carriers exit the roofing market or restrict it heavily during periods of high claims volume. When the Lloyds market tightens, roofing rates go up industry-wide regardless of individual loss history.
How to Reduce What You Pay for Roofing Insurance
Your loss history is the single most powerful lever. A clean three-year record earns meaningful discounts across carriers. Every claim — even a small one — stays on your record and affects pricing for three years after it closes.
Safety programs work. Carriers give premium credits for documented fall protection programs, safety training, and OSHA compliance history. If you have a written safety plan, we make sure that’s presented to every carrier we submit to.
Shopping specialty markets matters. The difference between the best and worst quote for a comparable roofing policy in our experience is often $3,000–$8,000/year. We submit to every carrier with genuine roofing appetite at every renewal — not just the one we used last year.
Why Cheaper Isn’t Always Better for Roofers
We’ve seen roofers buy the cheapest policy available and discover at claim time that it excluded steep-slope work, had a height restriction, or required specific fall protection equipment as a condition of coverage they weren’t following. A denied claim is infinitely more expensive than the premium difference.
The goal is the best rate from a carrier that will actually pay your claims. Those are often different policies. We help roofers understand exactly what their policy covers and what it doesn’t before they sign — not after they’ve had a loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is roofing insurance more expensive than other trades? +
Yes, significantly. Roofing GL and workers comp rates are among the highest of any construction trade — often 2–5x the rate of lower-risk trades like painting or carpentry.
Can I get cheaper roofing insurance by changing how I describe my work? +
No. Misrepresenting your operations to get a lower rate is insurance fraud and will result in claim denial. Proper classification is not optional.
Do all roofers pay the same rates? +
No. Your experience mod, claims history, safety program, and the specific markets your agent has access to all affect what you pay. Shopping multiple carriers is essential.
Does the type of roofing I do affect my rate? +
Yes. Steep-slope residential roofing typically carries higher rates than commercial flat roofing. Metal roofing and TPO systems are often rated differently by different carriers.
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