Insurance for drywall contractors in California

A big share of drywall work is commercial tenant improvement (TI): offices, retail and medical suites inside buildings that are still open. Those jobs come with strict insurance terms:

• A certificate of insurance (COI) showing GL of $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate. Some commercial jobs want more through an umbrella, which a CalRisk agent quotes by phone.
• Additional insured status for the GC, the building owner and often the property manager, on ongoing and completed operations.
• Primary and non-contributory wording and a waiver of subrogation.
• Workers' comp proof before you can badge onto the site.

On residential jobs, homeowners usually just want to see that you carry GL. Remember that a certificate holder is not an additional insured; our certificate of insurance guide explains the gap.

Drywall seems low risk right up until a screw finds a pipe. General liability (GL) steps in when your work hurts another person or damages property you do not own. Where claims come from:

• Pipes and wires behind the board. A screw or nail through a water line can leak for weeks before it shows. By then the wall, the floor and the unit below are ruined.
• Dust and overspray. Sanding dust and texture spray land on an occupied home's furniture, floors or HVAC system, or on the next tenant's inventory.
• Trips and falls. Stacked board, buckets, cords and scaffolding in a home or an open office where people still move around.
• Completed operations. Ceilings that sag or come loose after you leave, or fire-rated assemblies that were not built to spec.
• Other trades' finished work. Gouged door frames, cracked windows or chipped tile from carrying board through a finished space.

Ladders and stilts are where your own crew gets hurt, and those injuries are a workers' comp matter, not GL. GL also does not pay for your tools, your truck, or the cost to rehang or refinish work that was wrong.

• Mold and fungi. Many GL policies exclude mold, and drywall is exactly where mold grows after a leak. A mold exclusion can take a big bite out of a water claim. Read it carefully.
• Water damage. See whether the policy limits or excludes water damage, especially leaks found late.
• Tract homes, condos and multi-family. Some policies leave out residential new construction of these types because of construction-defect suits.
• Height and scaffolding. Some forms limit work above a certain height or number of stories.
• Classification. If you also do framing, metal studs, insulation, painting or acoustical ceilings, say so in the questions. Coverage may not reach work outside your class.
• Contractual liability. TI contracts often include an indemnity clause. Check that the policy covers the indemnity you agree to.

Every quote on your board shows what is included and excluded, so you can compare before you submit.

General information from the CSLB, not legal advice.

• Workers' comp. Under B&P §7125, each licensee must file either a workers' comp certificate or an exemption with CSLB. A C-9 with no employees can file the exemption today. SB 216, as delayed by SB 1455, makes workers' comp mandatory for every licensee on 1/1/2028. We quote it online from your license number, same as GL. See the workers' comp guide.
• LLC licenses. For an LLC with 5 or fewer people on the personnel of record, CSLB requires liability insurance with at least a $1,000,000 aggregate, rising $100,000 for each additional person to a $5,000,000 cap, written by a California-admitted or eligible surplus line insurer. See the LLC requirement.
• Other entities. GL is not required by law for non-LLC licensees, but CSLB strongly recommends it, and commercial GCs require it by contract.
• Working directly for a homeowner. The contract must include a "Commercial General Liability Insurance (CGL)" notice with your insurer and its phone number, or another statement the law allows, such as that you have no CGL (B&P §7159 / §7159.10).
• Small jobs. Starting 1/1/2025, someone without a license may only take jobs under $1,000 in labor and materials, with no permit and no hired help. See the $1,000 limit.

1. Enter your CSLB license number. We find your business in the CSLB public record and match it to A-rated insurance companies that write C-9.
2. Confirm you are the owner with your name, mobile and email.
3. Answer about a minute of tap-to-answer questions: homes or businesses, new construction, sales, payroll, subs, crew, years, claims, current insurance and start date.
4. Your quote board shops A-rated programs live. Each price shows its deductible, limits and what is included and excluded. The link is also texted and emailed to you.
5. Tap "Submit for approval." A licensed agent handles it. Expect approval in 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the carrier; the final quote then comes by email for your signature.

Nothing is bound until you sign. When coverage starts, we send your GC the certificate. Your price depends on sales, payroll, residential versus commercial, new construction share, subs and claims; the cost guide explains the drivers. Commercial auto, umbrella and bonds go through a licensed agent by phone or text at (877) 940-4313, English or Spanish. CalRisk Insurance Center, CA Lic. 0K97400, 713 W Duarte Rd, Suite G747, Arcadia, CA 91007. Browse the insurance by trade page for other trades.