Insurance for waterproofing contractors.

General liability, workers’ comp, auto, and pollution coverage, for basement, foundation, and below-grade waterproofing and sealant contractors, with the water exclusions read before you sign.

What waterproofing contractors usually carry

General liability, $1M / $2M
Workers’ comp
Commercial auto
Contractor’s pollution liability
Tools and equipment
Umbrella

Watch for these in a waterproofing policy

Water and moisture exclusionsMany policies exclude water intrusion or the failure of waterproofing work. For a waterproofing contractor, that one exclusion can take out almost every claim.
Your lifetime warrantyA lifetime or transferable warranty you give the homeowner is your promise, not the insurer’s. Repairs under it come out of your pocket.
Mold in finished basementsBasements are where mold starts, and the standard fungi exclusion leaves little behind. Some pollution policies give back limited mold coverage.
Digging along the foundationExterior waterproofing means excavating next to the house. If the policy excludes collapse or underground damage, that digging is uncovered.
Sump pumpsWhen a sump pump you installed fails in a storm, the finished basement floods. That is a completed operations claim, and the pump itself is usually not covered.

What GCs and homeowners ask waterproofing contractors for

Additional insuredCommercial GCs require it for ongoing and completed operations, often for years after the job.
Pollution liabilityCommercial contracts for below-grade work increasingly require contractor’s pollution liability, including mold.
Waiver of subrogationOn general liability and workers’ comp on commercial jobs.
Primary and noncontributoryYour policy responds to a water claim first, ahead of the GC’s.

Questions waterproofing contractors ask

Straight answers.

The questions we hear most, answered plainly.

Does my policy pay for a basement that leaks after we waterproofed it?

Redoing your own work usually is not covered. Damage the leak causes to finished walls, flooring, or belongings may be, under completed operations, if the policy has no water intrusion exclusion.

Is my lifetime warranty covered by insurance?

No. A warranty is your promise to fix your own work, and general liability doesn’t pay for that. Many companies set aside money from each job for warranty repairs.

Do I need pollution coverage for waterproofing?

It is often worth having. Mold is excluded on most general liability policies, and sealants and coatings can be pollutants. A contractor’s pollution policy can cover both, within its terms.