Roofing contractor commercial auto insurance in California

Builders and general contractors who hire a roofer usually put a $1 million combined single limit in the subcontract, along with additional insured status, primary and noncontributory wording and a waiver of subrogation. Reroof work sold straight to homeowners rarely comes with that paperwork, and a $300,000, $500,000 or $750,000 limit can fit when no contract asks for more. Production roofers working new subdivisions should expect the builder's agreement to set the number. Commercial reroofs on occupied buildings can add one more request: the owner, the property manager and sometimes the lender all named on the certificate. Read the insurance exhibit for names, not just numbers.

Heavier units can bring filings. A stake bed or boom truck hauling your own materials may need a California Motor Carrier Permit, and the DMV generally won't issue the permit until the carrier files proof of insurance. Our guide to the MC 65 M filing sets out which trucks typically need it and how the filing works.

One more line to draw clearly: Hauling material for another roofer or a supplier is generally treated as for-hire trucking, which calls for a different kind of policy and isn't something we place. Moving your own tear-off and your own materials is what a roofing auto policy is written for.

• Which trucks have a boom or conveyor, who operates each one and how those operators were trained.
• The heaviest load each truck and trailer carries, especially tile, compared with its rating.
• How dump trailers are tarped and tied down for the run to the transfer station.
• Whether any truck tows a hot-asphalt kettle and where kettles and propane are stored overnight.
• A driver list with license class, since some heavier units may call for a commercial license.
• Whether crews ever ride in the bed or on a flatbed load and the written rule that says they don't.
• Three to five years of loss runs, with notes on any debris, load or windshield claims.

Roofing loss runs are often read for frequency as much as size. A string of small windshield and debris claims can worry an underwriter as much as one large crash, because it says something about how loads are handled. A tarping rule, a pre-trip check on every trailer and cameras on the trucks that tow them help answer that worry; how dashcams and telematics can help protect a fleet covers what those controls can do when a claim is disputed.

A one-truck roofer is often a pickup and a dump trailer with the owner at the wheel, written as a small commercial auto insurance in California account. Make sure the trailer is on the policy from the first day; on a solo roofer's application, it's often the missing piece.

At five to ten units, most roofing companies have added a flatbed or two and maybe a boom truck, and drivers start rotating between them. A written rule on who drives what matters here: The boom truck shouldn't go out with a new hire behind the wheel just because the regular driver called in sick. Small fleet insurance explains how carriers rate that size.

From 11 to 50, the account is usually a production or commercial roofer with several crews, a yard and often its own conveyor trucks. Carriers tend to look closely at the yard, the maintenance records on boom units and the safety program. Rainy-season leak calls and storm work can put extra trucks on the road in a hurry, so plan additions before the rush; new units go on by endorsement once you have the VIN. Insurance for an established fleet goes deeper on the top of that range.

Roofing material weighs more than most people expect, and it's stacked high. A few pallets of concrete tile can bring a stake bed close to its rating, and an overloaded truck brakes poorly, wears out brakes and tires early and handles badly in a sudden lane change. That's why roofing underwriters often ask about the heaviest load rather than the typical one. Spread heavy loads across trips when you can, and keep the weight over the axles, not hanging behind them.

Tear-off runs are the other habit to manage. A dump trailer headed to the transfer station should be tarped every time, with the tarp tied so it can't peel back at speed. Officers watch for it: The CHP's enforcement manual directs proactive enforcement of load covers such as tarps on cargo headed to dump sites. Drivers should check the hitch, safety chains, breakaway cable, lights and trailer brakes at every hookup, because a trailer that separates on a downhill grade is the kind of claim that shapes a renewal. Sweep the street with a magnet before leaving, too; nails left at the curb are a nuisance the neighbors remember.

Rooftop delivery deserves a clear line as well. When the supplier's boom truck lands your bundles, its driver and its insurance are generally the ones answering for a dented car in the driveway. When your own conveyor truck does the same work, that exposure is usually yours, so the operator should be trained, the outriggers set on solid ground and the swing area kept clear of parked cars.