Three moves: shop many insurers at once, describe your work accurately, and buy only the limit your contracts require. Getting your trade and revenue right on the application matters most, and Florida roofers and coastal residential contractors have the fewest insurers to choose from. Who this is for: a Florida contractor whose general liability renewal came in high, or who is buying a first policy.
The short version
- Your trade and revenue set most of the price. Describe both accurately, and do not let an old description follow you.
- Buy $1,000,000 for a single incident if that is what your contracts ask for. Bigger limits only if a contract requires them.
- Uninsured subcontractors get charged to your policy at audit. Collect their certificates.
- Specialty insurers add about 5 percent in Florida state tax and fees, but for roofing they are often the only option.
- Never drop the part of the policy that covers damage showing up after the job is finished. That is where most construction claims live.
What drives my general liability price in Florida?
| Factor | Why it matters | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Trade | Roofing and height work cost many times what painting costs | Make sure the policy describes what you do now, not five years ago |
| Revenue or payroll | The base the rate is applied to | Give a realistic estimate, and report a drop mid year |
| Residential versus commercial | Florida residential work, especially coastal condos, draws more defect claims | Report the split honestly. Some insurers price commercial lower. |
| Subcontracted work | Insurers charge for subs who cannot show their own coverage | Collect a certificate from every sub |
| Claims and years in business | Insurers want five years of loss runs, and new Florida contractors pay more for three years | Explain closed claims, and shop again at year three |
What limit do I actually need in Florida?
Florida's license requires $300,000 liability and $50,000 property damage for general and building contractors, and $100,000 and $25,000 for every other category, including residential and roofing (Rule 61G4-15.003). Those are floors. The $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 limits most contractors carry come from customer contracts. See what the Florida license requires.
The cheapest correct limit is the highest one any contract you hold requires. Watch the aggregate too: it is the most the policy pays in a whole policy year across every customer, so one bad claim can use it up. If a contract wants the yearly limit to reset for each job (a per project aggregate), that is a separate endorsement on the liability policy, and an umbrella will not supply it. See how much a contract requires.
Where do Florida contractors overpay?
- The wrong trade description. A remodeler described as a general contractor, or a painter whose policy still says work at height, pays the higher rate.
- Inflated revenue. The estimate from a busy year becomes next year's base unless you correct it.
- Paying per customer. If you pay an illustrative $50 to $300 each time a customer wants to be added to your policy, ask whether automatic blanket wording is available for your trade. Blanket is not unlimited: it reaches the party you signed the written contract with, for work in progress. Owners, lenders, and coverage lasting after the job take their own endorsements.
- The wrong market. Sitting with a specialty insurer at a high minimum when a standard insurer would take you now.
Should I take a specialty insurer's quote?
Specialty insurers, also called surplus lines insurers, write what standard companies will not: roofing, demolition, new businesses, and contractors with claims. Their policies carry a 4.94 percent Florida premium tax plus a service fee (0.03 percent from July 1, 2026), so expect about 5 percent added plus any policy fee. The premium below is a national illustrative figure.
| Item | Standard insurer | Specialty insurer |
|---|---|---|
| Premium, $1,000,000 for one incident | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| Florida tax and fees (about 5 percent) plus a $200 policy fee | none | $498 |
| Total | $6,000 | $6,498 |
Take the specialty quote when it is the only one, or when it is cheaper after the tax. Read the exclusions first: specialty policies more often exclude roofing, exterior finishes, or condominium work, and a policy that excludes your main work is not cheap.
What should I never cut to save money?
- Products and completed operations coverage. Most construction claims arrive after the job is done, and this part of the policy answers them. It comes with the standard form, so check that no endorsement removed it and that its own yearly limit is intact.
- The additional insured wording that continues after the job is finished. A separate endorsement from the bullet above, and the one general contractors reject certificates over. Your contract usually needs both.
- Contractual liability. Florida caps how much of a customer's own negligence you can be made to pay for (F.S. 725.06), but you will still sign indemnity clauses, and this coverage stands behind them.
How do I get accurate quotes fast?
Send one broker your declarations pages (the front pages showing limits and dates), five years of loss runs, revenue by type of work, sub costs with certificates, and the insurance sections of your biggest contracts. Expect quotes in two to five business days. See also cheaper contractor insurance in Florida.
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 painting contractor in Pensacola pays an illustrative $9,800 a year for general liability. About 40 percent of the work is subcontracted to two crews, and the policy still says the business works at height.
What went wrong: Neither sub crew has ever sent a certificate, so the insurer rates their sub costs as if they were the painter's own payroll. The stale description keeps him in a higher rate class.
What it cost: The broker collected certificates from both subs, corrected the description to painting at grade, and shopped the policy. The best quote came in at an illustrative $6,900, a saving of about $2,900 with the same limits.
The fix: Sub certificates and an accurate description are free. Ask for both before every Florida renewal.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can I find cheaper general liability insurance in Florida?
Shop many insurers with one application through an independent broker, make sure your trade and revenue are described accurately, collect certificates from your subs, and buy the limit your contracts require.
Q: Why is general liability so expensive for roofers in Florida?
Roofing is a high risk trade everywhere, and Florida adds storm repair volume and a history of roofing claim disputes. Many standard insurers do not write it, so most Florida roofers buy from specialty insurers at higher minimums.
Q: Does a specialty insurer's policy cost more in Florida?
It carries a 4.94 percent state premium tax plus a service fee, so about 5 percent on top of the premium, plus any policy fee. Sometimes it is still the cheapest option, and for some trades the only one.
Q: Can I drop the coverage for work I have already finished?
Damage showing up after the job is done is where most construction claims live, and it comes with the standard policy. Do not let an endorsement remove it. Every Florida general contractor checks your certificate for it.
Q: My revenue dropped this year. Can I get some premium back?
Often. Liability premium is usually based on an estimate of your revenue, and the year-end check trues it up. Tell your broker as soon as the drop is real, because some insurers adjust mid term.
Q: Will an umbrella make my yearly limit reset for each job?
No. A per project aggregate is an endorsement on the liability policy itself. No umbrella supplies one, so if a contract asks for it, have your broker add it underneath.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Shopping general liability for Florida contractors, including the roofers and coastal builders standard insurers turn down, is a daily part of our work.
- 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.