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Construction Contracts and Insurance Requirements

This is the Morrow library on the insurance side of construction contracts: what a contract makes you carry, what the extra wording means, how to get limits your insurer will not write, and how to pay less for all of it. Every guide answers one question a contractor actually types into a search box, in plain English, with what it costs. Who this is for: contractors, trades, and general contractors dealing with insurance requirements in a contract or bid.

The short version

  • Four policies cover most contracts: general liability, workers comp, commercial auto, and an umbrella.
  • The extra wording (additional insured, waiver, primary and noncontributory) fails more certificates than the limits do.
  • Higher umbrella limits are placed by brokers in layers, not bought online.
  • Workers comp costs come down through classification, payroll accuracy, and shopping, not by cutting coverage.
  • Morrow reviews contracts for free and clients issue their own certificates instantly.

Which guide answers my question?

Your situationStart here
You just got a contract and want to know what to buyI Have a Construction Contract. What Insurance Do I Need?
A bid package lists insurance you do not carry yetA Bid Requires More Insurance Than I Carry. Can I Still Compete?
Your GC asked for a waiver, additional insured, or primary wordingMy GC Asked for a Waiver of Subrogation. What Do I Need to Do?
Your GC rejected the certificateMy GC Rejected My Certificate of Insurance. How Can I Fix It?
You need a higher umbrella limit than your insurer offersMy Insurance Company Won't Offer the Umbrella Limit I Need. What Can I Do?
Your workers comp bill feels too highHow Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Insurance Costs?
You need a certificate right nowHow Can I Get a Certificate of Insurance Instantly?

What does my contract make me carry?

What about bids and general contractors?

What is my GC actually asking me for?

How do I get umbrella coverage and higher limits?

How do I bring my workers comp cost down?

How do I find cheaper coverage?

Do I need pollution insurance?

How do brokers get prices I cannot get online?

How do I get a free, instant certificate?

How does my trade get a free, instant certificate?

Where are the guides for my state?

Arizona: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in Arizona?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in Arizona?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My Arizona Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in Arizona?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in Arizona?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in Arizona?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in Arizona?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in Arizona?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in Arizona?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in Arizona?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in Arizona?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in Arizona?

California: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in California?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in California?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My California Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in California?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in California?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in California?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in California?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in California?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in California?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in California?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in California?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in California?

Florida: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in Florida?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in Florida?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My Florida Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in Florida?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in Florida?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in Florida?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in Florida?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in Florida?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in Florida?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in Florida?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in Florida?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in Florida?

Georgia: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in Georgia?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in Georgia?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My Georgia Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in Georgia?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in Georgia?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in Georgia?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in Georgia?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in Georgia?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in Georgia?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in Georgia?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in Georgia?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in Georgia?

Massachusetts: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in Massachusetts?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in Massachusetts?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My Massachusetts Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in Massachusetts?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in Massachusetts?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in Massachusetts?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in Massachusetts?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in Massachusetts?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in Massachusetts?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in Massachusetts?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in Massachusetts?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in Massachusetts?

New Jersey: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in New Jersey?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in New Jersey?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My New Jersey Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in New Jersey?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in New Jersey?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in New Jersey?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in New Jersey?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in New Jersey?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in New Jersey?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in New Jersey?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in New Jersey?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in New Jersey?

New York: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in New York?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in New York?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My New York Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in New York?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in New York?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in New York?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in New York?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in New York?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in New York?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in New York?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in New York?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in New York?

Texas: Who Can Help Me Meet a Construction Contract's Insurance Requirements in Texas?, Who Can Review My Construction Bid's Insurance Requirements for Free in Texas?, Where Can I Get Commercial Umbrella Insurance for My Texas Business?, How Can I Reduce My Workers' Comp Costs in Texas?, Can I Exclude Myself From Workers' Comp in Texas?, Should Office Staff Cost Less to Insure Than Field Employees in Texas?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractor Insurance in Texas?, How Can I Find Cheaper General Liability Insurance in Texas?, How Can I Find Cheaper Workers' Comp Insurance in Texas?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Umbrella Insurance in Texas?, How Can I Find Cheaper Commercial Auto Insurance for Contractors in Texas?, How Can I Find Cheaper Contractors Pollution Liability Insurance in Texas?

What this looks like in real life

Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.

The setup: A framing subcontractor in Texas gets a 40 page subcontract on Thursday for a job starting Monday, with a six page insurance exhibit.

What went wrong: The exhibit asks for a $5,000,000 umbrella, completed operations additional insured wording, and a workers comp waiver. The sub has none of the three and finds out Friday afternoon.

What it cost: A one week delay and roughly $9,000 in idle crew cost, plus an umbrella placed in a hurry. Rushed placements go to whichever market answers first, not the market that would have priced it best.

The fix: Send the insurance exhibit to a broker the day it arrives. Every guide in this library exists so that Friday afternoon never happens.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What insurance do most construction contracts require?
General liability, workers comp, commercial auto, and usually an umbrella, with the limits and extra wording spelled out in the insurance section of the contract. Some contracts add pollution or professional liability.

Q: Who can review my contract's insurance requirements for free?
An independent insurance broker will usually do it at no charge, because it is how they learn what to place. Morrow reviews contracts and bid documents for free and marks up the insurance section in plain English.

Q: Why did my GC reject my certificate of insurance?
Usually because an endorsement the contract asks for is missing, the limits are below the requirement, or the certificate holder details are wrong. The guides in the GC section walk through each fix.

Q: Where can a small contractor get a $5 million umbrella?
Through a broker with access to specialty markets. Standard insurers often stop at $1 million or $2 million for small contractors, so higher limits are built from one or more layers placed by a broker.

Q: Can I lower my workers comp cost without dropping coverage?
Often, yes. Correct classification, accurate payroll estimates, subcontractor certificates, owner exclusion where it makes sense, and shopping the account are the usual levers.

Q: Are the state guides different from the national ones?
Yes. Each state guide uses that state's rules for owner exclusion, rating, licensing, and contract law, because the answer to the same question genuinely differs from one state to the next.

How Morrow helps

Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Sorting out the insurance section of a contract is the most common thing our contractor clients bring us.

  • Free contract review. Send us the contract or bid documents and we mark up the insurance section in plain English, whether or not you buy anything from us.
  • Free, instant certificates. Clients issue their own certificates of insurance online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge.
  • Markets you cannot reach online. One application, shopped across many insurance companies for general liability, workers comp, auto, umbrella, and pollution coverage.

One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Your contract and your policy wording control in every case. Requirements vary by customer, by state, and by insurance company, so have a licensed advisor review your own contract and your own policy before relying on any of it.

Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated September 2026.

This is the Morrow library on the insurance side of construction contracts: what a contract makes you carry, what the extra wording means, how to get limits your insurer will not write, and how to pay less for all of it. Every guide answers one question a contractor actually types into a search box, in plain English, with what it costs.