March 2026 · 4 min read

Why Your Roofing Contractor Should Carry Both GL and Workers Comp

This is the thing nobody wants to talk about until something goes wrong. And when it goes wrong on a commercial roof, it goes really wrong.

General Liability insurance covers damage the contractor causes to your property. A roofer drags equipment across your parking lot and cracks the asphalt. A worker drops a tool off the roof and damages a tenant's vehicle. The roofing crew accidentally damages an HVAC unit during membrane work. GL covers all of that. Without it, you're suing the contractor directly. Good luck collecting from a company with no assets.

Workers Compensation covers injuries to the contractor's employees while working on your property. Roofing is consistently ranked in the top 5 most dangerous occupations. Falls, heat exhaustion, burns from hot-applied materials. If a worker gets hurt on your roof and the contractor doesn't carry Workers Comp, that injured worker's attorney is coming after your building's insurance policy. Your commercial property policy was not designed for this, and your premiums will reflect it for years.

In Texas, Workers Comp is not mandatory. That's worth repeating. Texas is one of the few states where employers can opt out of Workers Comp coverage entirely. Some roofing companies do exactly that to lower their overhead. They'll give you a lower bid because their costs are lower. The risk transfers directly to you.

Before you sign any roofing contract, ask for a current Certificate of Insurance showing both GL and Workers Comp coverage. Verify the certificate is active by calling the insurance company listed on it. Make sure the coverage amounts are adequate for your building's value. $1M/$2M GL is standard. Anything less should be a red flag.

At Coons Roofing, we carry both GL and Workers Comp and provide certificates before work starts. Not because someone made us. Because it's the right way to run a commercial roofing company.