Contractor insurance and bonds for Washington builders and trades

To register as a contractor with Washington L&I, you need a continuous contractor surety bond ($30,000 for general contractors and $15,000 for specialty contractors) and general liability insurance of at least $250,000 combined, with L&I listed as certificate holder. Those are the legal minimums. Most general contractors, homeowners and commercial clients require far more, typically $1 million per occurrence with additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements.

Coverage contractors usually need

• General liability with completed operations
• Contractor registration bond and permit or performance bonds
• Commercial auto for trucks and vans
• Tools and equipment (inland marine) on the job site and in transit
• Builders risk for projects under construction
• Stop-gap employers liability alongside L&I workers comp
• Commercial umbrella for higher contract limits

Read the exclusions

Low-cost contractor policies often exclude residential work, subcontractor injuries, height limits, water intrusion, or entire classes of work. A policy that is cheap until a claim is not a bargain. We read the forms, check your subcontractor agreements and make sure the policy matches the work you actually do.