Contractor Insurance · Florida

Contractor insurance in Florida, built around the work you actually do.

Written and reviewed by Mikhail Kozlov, licensed insurance agent, M&K AgencyUpdated September 26, 2026

General contractors, roofers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC and specialty trades across Florida: we help you line up general liability, workers’ comp, work-truck and tools coverage, and get certificates to your clients when a job needs them. In English, Spanish or Russian.

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What Florida contractors are up against

Florida is one of the busiest construction markets in the country. U.S. Census Bureau permit data shows 178,297 new housing units authorized by building permits in Florida in 2025. More jobs means more general contractors asking for certificates, more crews on ladders and roofs, and more trucks and trailers moving between job sites.

The claims that hurt contractors usually come from the same few places:

Damage to a client’s property: a ladder through a window, a water line hit during demo, overspray on a neighbor’s car.
Injuries to people who aren’t on your crew: a homeowner who trips over materials, a delivery driver hurt on site.
Injuries to your own workers: falls, cuts, heat illness, back injuries from lifting.
Accidents on the road: the work truck or a loaded trailer on the way to a job.
Stolen or damaged tools and equipment from the truck, the job site or the shop.
Contract requirements: GCs, property managers and HOAs often require specific limits, additional insured wording or a certificate before you can start.

Coverage that usually fits a contracting business

General liability

Responds to claims that your work or your crew caused bodily injury or property damage to others, subject to the policy terms. It’s the policy clients ask for most often on a certificate.

Workers’ compensation

Pays medical bills and lost wages for employees hurt on the job. In Florida’s construction industry the requirement starts with the first employee.

Commercial auto

For pickups, vans and box trucks titled to the business or used mainly for work, plus the trailers you tow to the job.

Tools & equipment

Often called inland marine. Helps repair or replace tools and equipment that are stolen or damaged on the job, in transit or in storage.

Business owner’s policy

For eligible businesses, bundles general liability with coverage for business property such as a shop, office contents or inventory.

Umbrella / excess liability

Adds liability limits on top of your general liability and auto policies when a contract asks for more than your base limits.

Florida rules contractors should know

Workers’ comp starts with one employee in construction

Under Florida Statutes § 440.02, most private employers need workers’ compensation once they have four or more employees, but in the construction industry the threshold is one employee. The same section counts sole proprietors and partners engaged in construction, and independent contractors working in construction, as employees for workers’ comp purposes.

Corporate officers can elect an exemption instead. In construction, no more than three officers of a corporation (or a group of affiliated companies) may be exempt, and each must own at least 10% of the company and be listed as an officer with the Division of Corporations; an LLC member who owns at least 10% counts as an officer (§ 440.02). The exemption is filed electronically with the Department of Financial Services, and a certificate is valid for two years (§ 440.05).

Your subcontractors are your problem too

Section 440.10 says a contractor shall require a subcontractor to provide evidence of workers’ compensation insurance, or a copy of an officer’s exemption certificate. If a sub has no coverage, the contractor can end up liable for that sub’s employees. Collect certificates before a sub starts and keep them on file.

Licensed contractors attest to insurance

Contractors certified or registered by the Construction Industry Licensing Board must attest, when the license is issued and at each renewal, that they carry workers’ compensation as required by chapter 440 and public liability and property damage insurance in amounts set by board rule (§ 489.115). Electrical contractors are licensed by a separate board (§ 489.507). You can look up any license on the DBPR license search.

What to have ready for a quote

Your trade(s) and license number, if you have one
Business name, entity type (LLC, corporation, sole proprietor) and years in business
Estimated revenue and payroll for the next 12 months
Number of employees and how much of the work you sub out
Residential vs. commercial work, and any new construction
Vehicles (year, make, model, VIN) and who drives them
Tools and equipment you want covered, with approximate values
Contract or certificate requirements you’ve been given: limits, additional insured, waiver of subrogation
Claims in the last three to five years

Need a certificate for a job?

Send us the insurance section of the contract or the GC’s certificate request. We’ll go through the wording with you and tell you what your current policy can and can’t satisfy before you sign.

Have an agent call me Call (305) 859-3953

Talk to our team

M&K Agency is a family-owned agency in Florida City serving business owners across Florida by phone, text and email. When you call, you talk to one of us, in English, Spanish or Russian.

Mikhail KozlovOwner & Founder

Jose Egues ChalelaLicensed Insurance Agent

Craig FernandesLicensed Insurance Agent

Contractor insurance: common questions

Do I need workers’ comp if it’s just me?

It depends on how your business is set up. Florida law counts a sole proprietor or partner working in construction as an employee for workers’ comp purposes. A corporate officer or LLC member who owns at least 10% may be able to file an exemption with the state instead (up to three officers per company in construction). Many general contractors will ask for either a policy or an exemption certificate before you start. Call us and we’ll walk through your setup.

Does general liability cover my own tools or truck?

No. General liability is for injury or damage you cause to other people and their property. Your tools need tools and equipment (inland marine) coverage, and a work truck needs a commercial auto policy.

Can a client be listed as additional insured on my certificate?

Often, yes. Many general liability policies include or can add additional insured endorsements, but the wording varies. Send us the request and we’ll confirm what your policy supports before you promise it to a client.

Do you quote newer contracting businesses?

Yes. Insurance companies will look at your experience in the trade, the type of work you plan to take on and your expected revenue, so have those ready when you call.

Do you only work with contractors near Florida City?

No. Our office is in Florida City, but we work with contractors across Florida by phone, text and email, in English, Spanish and Russian.

This article is general information, not legal advice or policy language. Coverage depends on the terms, limits and exclusions of your policy, and eligibility rules can change. Talk with a licensed agent about your situation.

Sources

Legal facts on this page were checked against these official sources on September 26, 2026.

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