Four places, and for most Florida contractors only two of them work. Start with the insurance company that already writes your general liability. If it says no, an independent broker can reach the specialty insurers you cannot call yourself, and that is where Florida roofers and coastal builders usually end up. Who this is for: a Florida owner whose contract asks for an umbrella and wants to know where to buy one.
The short version
- An umbrella is a second layer of coverage above your general liability, your auto policy, and the part of workers comp that pays if an employee sues you.
- Start with your current insurer. If it writes umbrellas for your trade, it is often the cheapest and fastest.
- Online insurers work for clean, low risk trades and small limits. They rarely quote Florida roofing or coastal work.
- A broker shops one application to many insurers, including specialty markets you cannot reach yourself.
- Specialty market policies in Florida carry about 5 percent in state tax and fees on top of the premium.
What am I actually shopping for?
An umbrella is a second layer of coverage above your other liability policies. When a claim uses up your liability, auto, or workers comp injury limit, the umbrella pays the rest, up to its own limit. Excess liability is its close cousin, but not the same: an excess policy follows the policy underneath and is never broader, often narrower. An umbrella can be broader. If your contract names one, buy that one.
Every umbrella insurer sets minimum limits on the policies underneath. The usual ask is $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate (the yearly total) on general liability, $1,000,000 on auto, and employers liability at $500,000 or $1,000,000 on each of its three limits: each accident, policy limit for disease, and each employee for disease. Florida's own minimums are far lower. A pickup here can be registered with $10,000 of injury protection and $10,000 of property damage, and no umbrella will sit on that.
Where can I buy an umbrella in Florida, and which one fits me?
| Where | Who it works for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your current insurer | Contractors whose liability insurer writes umbrellas for their trade | Often cheapest, one bill, no argument about which policy pays first | Many insurers do not write umbrellas for contractors, or stop at $1,000,000 |
| Online direct insurer | Clean, low risk trades with a few years in business | Fast, sometimes same day | Rarely quotes roofing, demolition, height or coastal residential work |
| Independent broker | Any Florida business, especially at $2,000,000 or more | One application shopped to many insurers, plus advice on the wording | Takes a few days and a full set of documents |
| Specialty (surplus lines) market | Roofing, new businesses, claims, large limits, coastal condo work | Writes what standard insurers will not | Higher minimum premiums, about 5 percent added in Florida tax and fees |
National version: where to get a contractor's umbrella.
Why is Florida a harder umbrella market for contractors?
Umbrella prices for construction are climbing everywhere, roughly 5 to 30 percent, and insurers hand out large limits more carefully in the trades and states where they see the biggest claims. Florida roofers and coastal residential builders sit in that group. (Source: WTW's 2026 national construction outlook.)
Three Florida facts feed an underwriter's view of you. None carries a price tag, but each shows up in the questions.
- Storms. Florida's storm seasons drive roofing volume and the disputes that follow. Expect questions about hurricane repair work.
- Defect claims. Florida's Chapter 558 process makes an owner send written notice at least 60 days before suing over a defect, and lets you inspect and offer a fix. Underwriters ask how you handle those notices.
- Roofing's history. Before 2023, Florida let contractors take over an owner's insurance claim through an assignment of benefits. That is barred for property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, and underwriters remember it.
What does a specialty market umbrella cost extra in Florida?
Specialty insurers, also called surplus lines insurers, write what standard companies will not, and a broker reaches them through a wholesaler. Florida adds a 4.94 percent premium tax plus a service fee (0.03 percent from July 1, 2026), so budget about 5 percent. The premiums below are national illustrative figures, not Florida quotes, and move with trade, revenue, claims, and limit.
| Item | $1,000,000 umbrella, standard insurer | $2,000,000 umbrella, specialty insurer |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | $1,800 | $6,500 |
| Florida tax and fees (about 5 percent) plus a $250 policy fee | none | $573 |
| Total | $1,800 | $7,073 |
Most contracts apply two tests to your insurer: a financial strength rating, commonly A- VII or better, and on public work, an insurer admitted in Florida. A specialty insurer can pass the rating test and fail the admitted one, which is the usual reason a specialty umbrella gets rejected. Check both before you bind.
What will a broker ask me for?
- Your policies with the declarations pages (the front pages showing limits and dates).
- Five years of loss runs, which is your claims history report from each insurer.
- Revenue, payroll, and the split between residential and commercial work.
- Vehicles and drivers, because the umbrella sits over your auto policy too.
Expect same day to two weeks. Before you bind, see how to find a cheaper Florida umbrella.
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 roofing contractor in Tampa with $1,800,000 in yearly revenue wins a re-roof on a Clearwater Beach condominium. The association's contract requires a $2,000,000 umbrella over $1,000,000 per occurrence general liability.
What went wrong: His liability insurer does not write umbrellas for roofing. Two online insurers decline the same day. The start date is three weeks out and the association manager will not release the deposit without a certificate.
What it cost: A broker sent one application to four specialty insurers. The best quote was about $6,500 for the $2,000,000 layer, plus roughly $320 in Florida surplus lines tax and a $250 policy fee, all illustrative. It bound in nine business days.
The fix: Florida roofers should assume the umbrella comes from a specialty market and start early. Two weeks is normal. Two days is luck.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where can I get commercial umbrella insurance for my Florida business?
From your current insurer, a direct online insurer, an independent broker, or specialty insurers reached through a broker. Start with your current insurer. If it says no, a broker shops the rest with one application.
Q: Does Florida require me to carry an umbrella?
No. Florida law sets no umbrella requirement for contractors or most businesses. The requirement comes from your customer's contract, and for construction work that is usually $1,000,000 to $5,000,000.
Q: Why will my insurer not write an umbrella for my roofing business?
Many standard insurers do not write umbrellas for roofing, height work, or coastal residential work at all. That is a national pattern, and Florida roofers feel it most. Specialty insurers fill the gap at a higher price.
Q: How much does a commercial umbrella cost in Florida?
It depends heavily on your trade, revenue, claims record, and the limit. See the table above for a worked example of a standard and a specialty quote, including the Florida tax and fees.
Q: How long does it take to get an umbrella in Florida?
Same day from your current insurer if it writes your trade. One day to two weeks through a broker or specialty market.
Q: Will a general contractor accept a specialty insurer's umbrella?
Often, but check two things, not one. Contracts usually want an A- VII or better rating and, on public work, an insurer admitted in Florida. A specialty insurer is not admitted, so have your broker read the contract first.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Placing umbrellas for Florida contractors that standard insurers turn down is a regular part of our week.
- 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.