Insurance for framing contractors.

General liability, workers’ comp, commercial auto, and tools, for framing crews on houses, multifamily, and light commercial, with the completed operations terms builders write into their contracts.

What framers usually carry

General liability, $1M / $2M
Workers’ comp
Commercial auto
Tools and equipment
Umbrella
Builder’s risk, when the contract puts it on you

Watch for these in a framing policy

Condos, townhomes, and tract homesMany framing policies exclude condominium and townhome work, or cap the number of homes in one development, because those projects draw construction defect suits. Check before you sign with a production builder.
Wind on open framingIf wind drops walls or trusses before the sheathing is on, general liability won’t pay to reframe them. That is a builder’s risk loss, so know whose policy is on the job.
Cranes and truss settingSome policies exclude crane work, and a rented crane with your crew rigging the load puts the lift on you. Tell the carrier if you set trusses or wall panels with a crane.
Residential and commercial payrollFraming houses and framing commercial buildings are usually different workers’ comp classes. If your records don’t split the payroll, the auditor can put all of it in the higher-rated class.
Your subcontractorsMany policies require certificates from every sub you hire, and uninsured subs get charged at audit.

What builders and GCs ask framers for

Additional insured, ongoing and completedCG 20 10 and CG 20 37, or a blanket version, naming the builder and often the owner.
Completed operations for yearsProduction builders often require you to keep completed operations coverage, with them still named, for several years after the house closes.
Indemnity backed by insuranceA hold harmless clause, backed by the contractual liability in your policy. Some policies narrow that coverage, so check before you sign.
Waiver of subrogationOn general liability, workers’ comp, and auto.

Questions framers ask

Straight answers.

The questions we hear most, answered plainly.

Why does the carrier ask how many units are in the project?

Because condos, townhomes, and large tract developments bring more defect suits. Many policies exclude them or rate them separately, so the answer decides which policies fit.

Does my policy cover a house I framed if the builder is sued years later?

Completed operations answers for injury or damage your finished work causes. Under most policies, the one that pays is the policy in force when the damage happens, so a gap in coverage can leave you exposed.