General Liability
Premises, operations, completed operations, additional insured, primary and noncontributory wording, and project owner certificate requirements.
CTRCalifornia Contractor Insurance
Coverage that keeps projects, certificates, and cash flow moving.
Contractors need more than a cheap general liability policy. Bollinsure reviews the full program: workers' comp, commercial auto, tools and equipment, bonds, umbrella limits, and contract wording before certificate issues slow a job down.
Coverage stack
Contractor insurance lines that usually work together.
The right program depends on your trade, contracts, payroll, vehicles, equipment, subs, and claims history. These are the coverages we normally review first.
Workers' Compensation
Required for California employees. Job classifications, owner exclusions, claims-based pricing factors, payroll audits, and subcontractor certificates all matter.
Commercial Auto
Owned trucks, vans, trailers, employee drivers, hired vehicles, and non-owned auto exposure when personal vehicles are used for work.
Inland Marine
Tools, equipment, installation floater, rented equipment, and property that moves between shops, vehicles, and jobsites.
Bonds
License bonds, permit bonds, bid bonds, performance bonds, and payment bonds when a project or municipality requires surety support.
Commercial Umbrella
Excess limits above general liability, auto, and employer liability when larger contracts require higher protection.
5.0 on Google · 24 reviewsCA DOI: WJB Services, Inc. agency 6013787 · Brian John Bollinger 0D94699 · Aaron Glen Bollinger 4345268 — verifyNo broker fee — we are paid by the carrier
Contract review
Many contractor insurance problems show up as certificate problems.
A policy can be active and still fail a certificate review. We look for missing policy changes before a project owner, general contractor, lender, or property manager rejects the certificate.
Send the insurance section. We review limits, wording, endorsements, and certificate instructions.
Compare against current policies. We identify gaps, unavailable wording, exclusions, or limits that need attention.
Remarket only what needs fixing. If your current policy is strong, we say so. If not, we compare appropriate available markets.
Trade classes
Built for California trades and construction businesses.
Bollinsure can help review coverage for general contractors, electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, landscapers, painters, flooring contractors, carpenters, janitorial contractors, and many other trades.
Private packet list
Prepare a certificate and submission list.
Choose what the packet is for, then mark the records already in hand. The list is created in this browser and is not saved, uploaded, or submitted.
Keep the account details out. Do not enter a business name, address, policy number, payroll figure, class code, vehicle number, or document. This list does not confirm coverage, compliance, endorsement availability, certificate timing, or carrier appetite.
FAQ
Common questions — California contractors
What insurance do California contractors usually need?
Many contractors review general liability, workers' comp, commercial auto, inland marine, bonds, and umbrella. Requirements depend on trade, license class, contracts, payroll, vehicles, and project owners.
Does general liability cover tools and equipment?
No, not in the usual sense. General liability protects against many third-party injury and property damage claims. Contractor tools and equipment usually need inland marine or equipment floater coverage.
Why do certificates get rejected?
Common reasons include missing additional insured wording, waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory wording, completed operations wording, or limits that do not match the contract.
Can Bollinsure help with subcontractor certificate requirements?
Yes. We can review requested coverage, explain what is normally insurable, and help you understand how subcontractor certificates affect your own exposure.
In-Depth Guide
The complete California contractor insurance guide.
Go deeper on the California Contractors State License Board license bond, workers' comp rules (including the classifications that cannot file a no-employee exemption), general liability and certificates, tools and equipment, builder's risk, and surety — the whole picture in one comprehensive, cited resource.
Page record
Updated date, sources, and corrections.
This California contractor page was last updated , the same date recorded on the page. It gives general information and is not a coverage determination.
Primary sources, also cited in the contractor insurance guide: California Contractors State License Board, California Division of Workers' Compensation, and California Department of Industrial Relations.
Report a correction through the editorial policy. Aaron Glen Bollinger, CA DOI 4345268, is the named producer on this page.
Read next
- ArticleA Bond Is Not Insurance: How California Contractors Lose Projects by Ignoring Bonding CapacityWhy a surety bond is a promissory note rather than a policy, and how capacity is built before the big bid.
- ArticleWorkers’ Comp in California: What Every Small Business Owner Gets WrongThe three mistakes that turn a compliance requirement into a financial one, starting with classification.
- ArticleThe Business Insurance Gap That Catches California Employers Off GuardAn employee runs an errand in their own truck, and general liability and their personal auto both stop.
Have a contract or certificate request?
Send the insurance requirements and your current policy. We will show you what is covered, what is missing, and whether remarketing is useful.
Commercial coverage review
Renewing within 120 days, or need coverage now?
Start with your contractor insurance program. A licensed California commercial broker can review the current program, identify the underwriting information carriers will need, and coordinate the next step.
