What liability insurance should a roofer have to cover damage to your home?
Short answer. A roofer working on your home should carry commercial general liability insurance for damage its work causes, workers compensation for its crew, and commercial auto coverage for its trucks. Ask for a current certificate of insurance sent directly from the roofer's insurance agent before work starts, because a roofer without coverage leaves the risk with you and your own policy.
The three coverages that matter
- General liability: pays for damage the roofer causes, such as interior water damage when a roof is left open, a dropped bundle through a skylight, or a damaged driveway. It does not pay to redo the roofer's own faulty work.
- Workers compensation: covers crew injuries. Roofing is one of the most injury-prone trades, so this protects you from a claim landing on your homeowners policy.
- Commercial auto: covers the trucks and trailers parked in your driveway.
How to read a certificate of insurance
- Check that the named insured matches the company on your contract.
- Confirm the policy dates cover your project.
- Look at the per-occurrence and aggregate limits.
- Call the agent listed to confirm the policy is active. Certificates can be outdated or altered.
- Ask whether residential roofing is covered, since some inexpensive policies exclude roofing or work above certain heights.
Insurance is not a warranty
Liability insurance handles accidents. Installation mistakes that show up later, like a leak at a flashing detail, are covered by the roofer's workmanship warranty, if the roofer is still in business to honor it. That is why company history matters as much as a certificate.
After a storm, verify twice
Out of town crews often arrive after Georgia hailstorms with paperwork that is hard to check. See how to spot storm chasers and the Georgia Roof Guide on choosing a roofing contractor.