Your broker or insurance company issues it, and a standard one should not cost you anything. A certificate of insurance is a one page summary of your policies, limits, and dates, and a charge for it is unusual. Morrow clients issue their own online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge. Only a policy change (called an endorsement) goes through the broker. Who this is for: brick, block, stone, and repointing contractors sending proof of insurance to a contractor, an owner, or an equipment yard.
The short version
- Only your broker or insurance company can issue it, and a standard one should be free.
- Morrow masonry clients issue their own online in about a minute, day or night.
- Work at height and heavy material push masonry limits above the finish trades.
- Scaffold and lift companies want a copy before they set up or deliver.
- A higher limit is a policy change, not a certificate. Ask well before you set scaffold.
Who asks a masonry contractor for proof of insurance?
Masonry runs above people and next to finished buildings, so the list is long and fussy.
| Who asks | What they want | How often |
|---|---|---|
| General contractor | Higher limits, the contractor named on your policy, and the endorsement pages | Once per contract |
| Building owner or condo board | Their own copy for facade or repointing work | Once per project |
| Scaffold company | Proof before they erect, plus their firm named on your policy | Each job |
| Lift or telehandler rental | Auto and equipment coverage before the machine leaves | Each rental |
| City or county | The city named when scaffold sits over a public sidewalk | Every permit |
If the general contractor is asking, see what a general contractor checks.
What does a masonry certificate need to show?
Insurers and owners treat masonry as heavier work than the finish trades.
| Policy | Common requirement | Why it matters for masonry |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $1,000,000 for one incident and $2,000,000 for the year, often $2,000,000 commercial | A dropped brick, a swinging load, mortar on cars, damage to the building next door |
| Cover after the job ends | Your customer stays protected after you leave | Water through a wall, cracking, and loose veneer surface years later |
| Workers comp | What your state requires, plus the part that pays if a worker sues you, commonly $100,000 each accident, $500,000 policy limit for disease, and $100,000 each employee for disease. Contracts often ask that all three go to $500,000 or $1,000,000 | Falls, scaffold, and heavy block make this the largest line on your bill |
| Commercial auto | $1,000,000 combined | Trucks and trailers hauling block and mixers |
| Umbrella | $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 on multi story jobs | A second layer above the rest, which owners insist on for work at height |
One warning on that row. The state funds in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming pay nothing when a worker sues, so you need stop gap coverage there.
Why is masonry insurance harder to place than other trades?
Height and weight. Many insurers limit how many stories they will cover, some will not write scaffold work at all, and a few price repointing on occupied buildings as its own category. That is why masonry hears no more often, and often sits on limits a commercial job will reject.
The certificate is not where you find that out. Read the insurance section before you bid, and price the fix into the job. More on the second layer: commercial umbrella insurance.
What can I issue myself, and what needs my broker?
| You can do this in a minute | This needs your broker first |
|---|---|
| Add a contractor, owner, scaffold firm, or city | Adding them to your policy so they can use it if they are sued |
| Type the address or permit number in the description box | Keeping that protection alive after the wall is finished |
| Send a copy to a lift yard | Your insurer agreeing not to chase your customer for money it paid |
| Reissue at renewal on a long job | Raising a limit or adding an umbrella |
What does a masonry certificate cost?
Nothing, in almost every case. The changes behind one do cost money. These figures are illustrative for a small masonry contractor.
- Adding a contractor or owner to your liability policy: often free with automatic wording, otherwise about $50 to $300 each.
- Your insurer agreeing not to chase your customer on a workers comp claim: usually 2 to 5 percent of the workers comp premium for that job, an illustrative range that varies by insurer and state. A few states use their own form or restrict it, and in the four state fund states it goes through the fund.
- A $1,000,000 umbrella: roughly $2,000 to $6,000 a year, more above three stories.
Workers comp is the biggest line on a masonry bill. See workers compensation insurance.
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 masonry contractor in New York takes a repointing job on a six story building. The manager wants $2,000,000 for one incident, a $5,000,000 umbrella, and two names on the policy.
What went wrong: His policy stops at $1,000,000, and his insurer will not write above three stories. Finding one that would took two weeks, and the scaffold company had booked a crew.
What it cost: About $6,500 in scaffold standby and rescheduling, plus a higher price than a planned placement would have cost.
The fix: In masonry the paper is fast and the coverage is slow. Send the requirements to a broker at bid time, not at mobilization.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can I get a free, instant certificate of insurance for my masonry business?
Only the broker or insurance company that holds your policy can issue one. With online access you type the contractor name and download it in a minute. Morrow clients pay nothing for it.
Q: Should I ever be charged for a masonry certificate?
No, not for a standard one. It is routine service on a policy you already pay for. Being charged is a reason to shop.
Q: Why do masonry jobs ask for higher limits than drywall or painting?
Because of what falls and what it lands on. Material at height, scaffold, and work beside occupied buildings raise the size of a claim.
Q: The scaffold company wants to be on my policy. Is the certificate enough?
Usually not. Naming them on the certificate only reports coverage. Adding them to the policy is a separate change that takes one to three business days and takes effect the day the insurer issues it. It does not reach back, so a firm added Wednesday is not covered for Monday, and permission to start early does not create coverage.
Q: Can I still get a certificate if my insurance is placed through a specialty market?
Yes. Specialty insurers that write what standard companies will not still issue normal certificates, and your broker can usually give you the same online access. Watch one thing: contracts set two tests for your insurer, a financial strength rating, commonly A minus VII or better, and on public work that the insurer be licensed (admitted) in your state. A specialty policy can fail that second test even when the certificate looks perfect.
Q: Why do owners want cover that keeps running after the wall is done?
Because masonry problems appear late. Water through a wall, cracking, and loose veneer show up years after final payment, and owners want your policy to answer then.
Q: How long does it take to raise my limit for a bigger job?
A limit increase on an existing policy is often one to three business days. A new umbrella can take a week or two.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Masonry contractors get told no more often than other trades, so lining up the right limits and instant paper before you bid is the part we handle.
- 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.