Contractor Insurance
General Liability Coverage
The foundation of contractor protection, this covers third-party injuries and property damage arising from your work. If a client trips at a job site or your crew damages their property, it pays the resulting costs and your legal defense, keeping projects protected.
Tools and Equipment Coverage
Your tools are your livelihood, and replacing them is expensive. This coverage protects hand tools, power equipment, and machinery against theft and damage, whether at the job site, in transit, or in storage, so a loss does not halt your work.
Completed Operations Coverage
Claims can surface after a job ends. This portion of your general liability responds when finished work later causes injury or property damage, protecting you from allegations that arise long after you have packed up and moved on to the next project.
Workers' Compensation Coverage
Construction work carries real injury risk, and New York requires coverage for your employees. This pays medical bills and lost wages when a worker is hurt on the job, while protecting your business from the lawsuits and penalties that missing coverage invites.
Commercial Auto Coverage
Your work trucks and vans need business-grade protection that personal policies exclude. This covers your vehicles, drivers, and the tools they haul against accidents, liability, and damage, keeping your crew and equipment moving safely between job sites throughout the region.
Certificates and Additional Insured Endorsements
General contractors and clients require proof of insurance before you start. We issue certificates and add clients as additional insureds quickly, so paperwork never delays your start date and you stay eligible to bid, work, and get paid on schedule.
Why Choose Us for Contractor Insurance
Coverage Built Around the Trades
Electricians, carpenters, roofers, and remodelers each face different risks. We understand the trades and structure coverage to fit your specific work, so your policy responds to the real hazards of your job rather than a generic contractor template that misses details.
Fast Certificates of Insurance
Work often waits on proof of coverage. We turn around certificates and additional insured endorsements quickly, so a general contractor or client never delays your project because documentation is pending, keeping your schedule and your cash flow moving without frustrating interruptions.
Protection for Tools and Equipment
Stolen or damaged tools can stop a job cold. We make sure your policy covers the equipment you depend on, at the site, in transit, and in storage, so a break-in or accident does not force expensive replacements out of your pocket.
Bundled Policies That Save Money
Contractors need several coverages, and buying them together often costs less. We combine general liability, tools, workers' compensation, and commercial auto where it makes sense, streamlining your protection and your premiums into a coordinated program built specifically for your business.
Help Meeting Bid Requirements
Many projects require specific coverage and limits before you can bid. We know these requirements and structure your policies to satisfy them, then provide documentation fast, so insurance helps you win work instead of standing between you and the job.
Support Through Job-Site Claims
When an accident or claim happens on site, you need answers quickly. We help you report it, work with the carrier, and keep the process moving toward a fair resolution, so a claim does not derail the project or your reputation with clients.
Coverage as Dependable as Your Craft
On a job site, one accident or one claim over finished work can cost more than the project ever paid, and clients will not hire a contractor who cannot show coverage. At V. Mathis Insurance Agency, we help contractors throughout Albany, NY protect their crews and businesses with coverage built for the trades, backed by fast certificates and a team that understands construction risk. As an independent agency, we bundle the protection you need at a fair price and stand with you when a claim arises. Keep bidding, building, and getting paid with confidence. Visit our contact page for a free contractor insurance quote and put dependable coverage behind every project you take on.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance do contractors need?
Most need general liability, tools and equipment coverage, workers' compensation, and commercial auto, with additions by trade. With 20+ years serving Albany, NY, V. Mathis Insurance Agency builds the right combination to keep your crew and projects protected.
Why do clients require certificates of insurance?
Certificates prove you carry the coverage a contract requires, protecting the client from liability tied to your work. General contractors and property owners request them before letting you start, so having certificates ready keeps you eligible for the jobs you want to win.
Does general liability cover my tools and equipment?
No. General liability covers third-party injury and property damage, not your own tools. Separate tools and equipment coverage, sometimes called inland marine, protects your gear against theft and damage, which is essential given how much contractors invest in their equipment.
How much general liability coverage do contractors need?
Requirements vary, but many contractors carry one million per occurrence and two million aggregate, since clients and municipalities often specify those limits. We review your contracts and trade risks, then set limits that satisfy requirements and protect your business properly.
Is contractor insurance required in New York?
Workers' compensation is required with employees, commercial auto for work vehicles, and many clients require general liability before you can work. V. Mathis Insurance Agency helps Albany, NY contractors carry everything needed to bid, pull permits, and stay compliant.
Does my policy cover subcontractors?
Coverage for subcontractors depends on your policy terms, and gaps are common. Subcontractors often need their own insurance, and you may require certificates from them. We help you understand your exposure and structure coverage so subcontractor work does not leave you unprotected.
What is completed operations coverage?
It protects you when finished work later causes injury or property damage, covering claims that surface after a project ends. For contractors, this is essential, since problems with completed construction can appear months later and lead to costly liability claims against you.
Does contractor insurance cover mistakes in my finished work?
General liability covers damage or injury your completed work causes to others, but not the cost of redoing faulty work itself. That distinction matters, and we help you understand it, adding coverage where available to address the gaps standard policies leave open.