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By trade

Subcontractor insurance requirements, trade by trade

Short answer

A roofer and a painter don’t carry the same risk, so the insurance you ask for shouldn’t be identical. Each page below covers one trade: what can go wrong, which coverages matter most, and what to check besides the certificate. We don’t give dollar limits. Those come from your contract and your broker.

Written by Liam · CertChase · Last reviewed October 3, 2026

In this section

01By tradeRoofing subsWhat insurance to ask a roofing sub for: falls, torch and hot-tar fire risk, leaks that show up later, and the workers’ comp rule in California.02By tradeElectrical subsWhat to ask an electrical sub for: fire and shock risk, damage that shows up later, helpers and apprentices, and license checks.03By tradePlumbing subsWhat to ask a plumbing sub for: water damage that shows up later, completed operations, license checks, and occurrence vs claims-made.04By tradeHVAC subsWhat to ask an HVAC sub for: rooftop falls, refrigerant handling, water damage, and the workers’ comp rule in California.05By tradeFraming and carpentry subsWhat to ask a framing sub for: falls, big crews, fake-1099 problems, and completed operations for structural work.06By tradeConcrete subsWhat to ask a concrete sub for: trucks and heavy equipment, silica dust, structural claims, and the workers’ comp rule in California.07By tradeDrywall subsWhat to ask a drywall sub for: dust and water damage, ladder falls, finishing defects that surface later, and crew size checks.08By tradePainting subsWhat to ask a painting sub for: overspray, ladders and lifts, lead paint on older buildings, and finish failures that appear later.09By tradeLandscaping subsWhat to ask a landscaping sub for: vehicles and equipment, irrigation and utility damage, tree work, and seasonal crew coverage.10By tradeDemolition and excavation subsHiring a demo or excavation sub? Check for utility-strike, collapse and pollution gaps before they start. What to ask for and what policies leave out.

How to use these pages

Start with the trade you’re about to hire. Each page lists what can go wrong, the coverages that matter, and what to check besides the certificate. Then build a one-page summary with our requirements builder.

Frequently asked questions

Do different trades need different insurance?

Often, yes. A roofer faces fall and fire risk, a plumber faces water damage, a concrete sub runs heavy trucks. Ask your broker for limits by trade.

Can you tell me what limits to require?

No. Limits depend on your contract, owner and policy. We explain the risks and coverages, and your broker sets the numbers.

Keep reading

01GuideSub insurance requirements: what to ask forWhat insurance should a general contractor ask subs to carry? The main coverages in plain English, and why each one matters.02Free templateSubcontractor insurance requirements templateBuild an editable one-page subcontractor insurance requirements summary. Every limit is yours to set.

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