Roofing Contractor Insurance in Florida
Why is roofing the hardest contractor class to insure in Florida?
Falls, wind and water. Roofing carries Florida's highest workers' comp rates in construction. Its completed-operations claims often arrive as interior water damage months after the job. Every GC and owner in the state checks a roofer's certificate before a tear-off starts. Florida specialty (Division II) contractors must carry at least $100,000 public liability / $25,000 property damage to hold the license, with DBPR as certificate holder. But GCs, owners and municipalities contract at $1M / $2M. Workers' comp is required from employee #1, and a roofer working without it, or with crews misclassified as subs, is one injury away from losing the business.
Speed up your quote: send these first. Email adolfo@nextguardinsurance.com with:
- Your current dec page (policy declarations) and 3 to 5 years of loss runs, if insured
- Gross receipts, payroll, and how much work you subcontract out
- The insurance requirements from the GC, owner or contract you need to satisfy
- Your license type and a short, accurate description of the work you actually do
Please don't send the same submission to other brokers. Duplicate submissions block carrier markets and slow your quote. Send us one complete submission and we start with the standard Florida markets for speed.
What Florida roofers are asked for, job after job
- $1M / $2M GL with additional insured on ongoing and completed operations. GCs and HOAs hold roofers to the completed-ops wording because leaks show up later.
- Workers' comp on every crew member, with valid exemptions only for qualifying officers. Day labor and "independent" crews without coverage become your liability under Florida law.
- License: Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) for statewide work. The state GL minimum for the license is only $100K / $25K, far below any real contract.
- Storm season surge: after a named storm, owners and insurers both scrutinize licensing, certificates and whether your policy excludes the roof types you install.
Coverage we place for Florida roofing contractors
General Liability
$1M / $2M standard. Written for the systems you actually install (shingle, tile, metal, flat or low-slope, coatings), because carriers rate and exclude by roof type.
Workers' Compensation
The big number in roofing. Correct class coding, accurate payroll reporting and verified sub files keep the audit from becoming a second premium. Roofing WC is a specialty placement, not a commodity.
Excess / Umbrella
Up to $1M of excess when a GC, HOA or commercial owner requires limits above your primary GL.
Commercial Auto & Inland Marine
Dump trailers, material trucks and crews on the move. Tools, nail guns, kettles and equipment covered for theft. GL alone does not cover your own equipment.
Builders Risk / Installation Coverage
Materials on the roof and in the yard before they are installed are not the owner's problem until acceptance. Installation coverage closes that gap.
Policy traps we check before you bind
Roof-type and height exclusions
Low-cost forms exclude hot work, torch-applied systems, tile, or work above a set height. If it is excluded and you install it, you are self-insured.
Prior-work and completed-operations gaps
Switching carriers can open a hole for roofs you installed under the old policy. We map your completed operations before you move, not after the first leak claim.
Misclassified crews
Paying crews as 1099 subs does not make them subs. If they have no workers' comp of their own, Florida treats their injuries as your problem, and your carrier audits their pay into your payroll.
Open-roof water damage
Tear-off exposure during Florida's afternoon storms is a known claim pattern. Owners and GCs ask how your GL responds to interior damage from an open roof, so we check that limitation before you bind.
What Florida roofers typically pay for GL
Roofing GL prices above most other contractor trades in Florida. Workers' comp, priced on payroll at roofing rates, is usually larger than the GL bill.
| Roofing profile | Typical annual GL premium* |
|---|---|
| Owner-operator, no employees, under ~$250K receipts | ~$3,500 to $8,000 |
| Small crew (1 to 5 employees), $250K to $1M receipts | ~$8,000 to $20,000 |
| Established operation, $1M to $5M receipts | ~$20,000 to $50,000+ |
| Higher-hazard or coastal work | Priced individually, often the highest |
*Estimates for general liability only, based on typical Florida pricing. Not a quote. Receipts, payroll, subcontracted costs, trade mix and loss history drive the final number. Workers' comp, auto, builders risk and excess are additional.
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Frequently asked questions
How much workers' comp do Florida roofers pay?
Roofing is among the highest-rated construction classes in Florida. The rate per $100 of payroll is several times a standard trade class, which is why accurate payroll and crew classification matter more in roofing than anywhere else. Your exact rate depends on your class codes, experience mod and loss history.
Can I work with just the state minimum $100K / $25K?
That satisfies the license, but no GC, HOA or commercial owner of any size will put you on a roof at those limits. Working contracts require $1M / $2M.
My crews are subcontractors. Do I still need workers' comp?
If your crews have no coverage of their own, Florida law can make you liable for their injuries anyway, and carriers audit uninsured crew pay as your payroll. Either your crews carry verified coverage or you price the job with them on your policy.
Do you insure new-venture roofers?
Yes, including newly licensed CCC holders. The submission has to be complete (license, experience, roof types, crew structure) because roofing markets underwrite new ventures harder than any other trade.
Do you work in Spanish?
Yes. English, Spanish and Portuguese, including certificates for GCs and HOAs.
Part of our Florida contractor cluster: contractors insurance in Florida · GCs: Miami, Tampa, Orlando · En español: seguro para contratistas de techos en Florida.