What Insurance Should a Roofing Contractor Have in Florida? (And How to Check It)

What insurance should a roofing contractor have in Florida? Two policies, general liability and workers’ compensation, and from our experience most homeowners never ask to see either one. That gap is where roofing scams in South Florida often start. Checking is simpler than most people expect, and this guide covers what each policy pays for, how to read a certificate of insurance, and how to confirm it is real.

What Does a Roofing Contractor’s General Liability Insurance Cover?

General liability pays for third-party injury and property damage caused by the contractor’s work. If a crew member drops a tool that cracks your lanai pavers, or a shingle slips and dents a car in the driveway, this is the policy that responds.

Florida Administrative Code Rule 61G4-15.003 requires certified and registered roofing contractors to maintain public liability and property damage insurance. The rule lists $100,000 in public liability and $25,000 in property damage for roofing contractors. Those are the minimums for licensing, so check the limits on the certificate against your contract instead of assuming they are enough.

Florida roofing contractor licensing requirements include maintaining insurance, but only a current certificate shows the policy is active today. Our guide to the signs of a bad roofing job covers problems that show up after the work is done.

What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover, and Who Needs It in Florida?

Workers’ compensation pays medical bills and a portion of lost wages for a worker who got hurt on the job. Roofing carries real risk here, from falls to nail gun injuries to heat illness.

The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation requires construction industry employers with one or more employees to carry coverage. That includes owners who are corporate officers or LLC members, unless they hold an exemption.

Corporate officers and LLC members in construction can apply to exempt themselves. The officer must own at least 10 percent of the corporation or LLC. No more than three officers per company can be exempt, and a construction exemption lasts two years before it must be renewed.

An exemption covers only the person who holds it, never the crew. An exempt owner with three employees still needs an active policy for those three workers.

What Happens If an Uninsured Worker Gets Hurt on Your Property?

With no workers’ compensation policy, no benefits are in place to pay the worker’s medical bills or lost wages. An injured worker with nowhere else to turn may look to other parties, and that can pull a homeowner into a dispute.

How far that reaches depends on the facts, so a Florida attorney is the right person to ask about a specific situation. The practical step, however, is to confirm coverage before anyone is on your roof.

How Do You Read a Certificate of Insurance?

A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary issued by the contractor’s insurance agent. It is not the policy itself, but it shows the details that are important. In Florida, both policies should appear on it, unless the roofer is a one-person company with a current workers’ compensation exemption.

• Named insured: The name should match the name on the contractor’s Florida license. A business that operates under a different trade name should still show the licensed company name.
• Policy dates: Both policies should be active on the day work starts and through the expected finish date.
• Coverage types: General liability and workers’ compensation should appear as separate lines as one does not substitute for the other.
• Certificate holder: Ask to be listed as the certificate holder. It does not promise you will hear about a cancellation, so check the policy is still active again before your final payment.

Tip: Check the dates twice. Look on the day you sign, and again if the job runs past the policy end date.

Attach the certificate to your agreement. Our guide to understanding roofing contracts in Florida explains where it belongs.

How Do You Confirm a Certificate Is Real?

A certificate is a summary, so confirm it against two other sources. The first is the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation website at myfloridacfo.com. Its Proof of Coverage database lets you search the company name and confirm a workers’ compensation policy is active. Its Exemption Search shows whether an owner holds an exemption and whether it is current. A sole operator who says they are exempt should appear there with a current date.

The second is the insurer or agent named on the certificate. Ask whether both policies are in force for the dates shown, and ask the agent to email the certificate to you directly.

Compare all three. If the company name or dates differ between the certificate, the database, and the insurer, ask the contractor to explain before you sign.

The license is a separate thing to look up. Our guide on how to verify a Florida roofing contractor license covers those steps. Our questions to ask a roofer before hiring includes asking for the certificates.

How Does FoxHaven Handle Insurance?

We would rather show our certificate before anyone asks. It is the question we get least and the one we wish we got most.

FoxHaven Roofing Group is a family-owned roofing contractor founded in 2017 in Jensen Beach, Florida, installing residential and commercial roofs across Martin, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach counties. The company operates from offices in Jensen Beach, 772-249-4954, and Palm Beach Gardens, (561) 220-1140, under Florida license CCC1331638, installing metal, tile, and shingle roofs for homeowners and TPO, EPDM, and metal systems for commercial buildings.

We are a licensed and insured roofer, and we provide proof of insurance on request. You can read more on the about FoxHaven page.

Asking for proof of coverage is a normal request, and it takes one email. You are welcome to ask us for ours before you decide on anyone.

Ask for Our Certificate of Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of insurance should a roofer have?

A roofer should carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation. General liability covers injury and damage to others, and workers’ compensation covers injured workers.

How do I verify a roofer’s insurance in Florida?

Ask for the certificate of insurance, then compare it with the Proof of Coverage database on the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation website and with the insurer named on it. All three should agree on the company name and dates.

Does a roofer need workers’ compensation in Florida?

Yes, if the company has one or more employees, because Florida requires it of construction employers. Corporate officers can apply for an exemption for themselves, but it never covers other workers. Confirm any exemption in the Division’s Exemption Search.

Is a licensed roofer automatically insured?

No. A license and insurance are separate, so check both. Our guide on how to verify a Florida roofing contractor license covers the license step.

What happens if an uninsured roofer gets hurt on my property?

No workers’ compensation benefits are in place to pay the worker’s medical bills or lost wages, and that can draw a homeowner into a dispute. A Florida attorney can advise on a specific situation.

What should a roofer’s certificate of insurance show?

It should show the same company name as the Florida license, current dates for the whole job, and general liability and workers’ compensation as separate lines. If workers’ compensation is missing, the owner should hold a current exemption you can confirm in the Division’s Exemption Search. From our experience, if any of those three is missing or different, ask before you sign.