Roofing Contractor Insurance in California: What's Required

A California roofing contractor needs two policies before anything else: workers' compensation and general liability. Workers' comp is required of all California roofing contractors. A contractor holding the C-39 roofing classification must keep a workers' comp certificate on file with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), regardless of whether it has employees, and the board will remove the C-39 classification from the license when this document is not on file.^[1] General liability can also be difficult for roofers to obtain, because several small-business programs exclude either roofing in general or methods such as torch-down and hot tar, so roofers are usually placed with contractor programs that list the class.^[2]^[3]

This guide is for a California roofer, whether a one-truck residential re-roofer or a commercial crew. It covers the state law requirements that apply to your trade, which programs accept roofers and what they exclude, how roofing is rated, and what a general contractor's certificate request usually needs. Once you are ready, begin the contractor general liability application. Roofing is one of the trades we submit to specialty programs by hand, so describe the work in great detail.

What insurance does California require for roofing contractors?

The license brings three requirements. You are required to keep a $25,000 contractor's bond on file.^[6] You are also required to have a workers' compensation certificate on file, and for roofers there is no exemption from this requirement: section 7125 allows a licensee who has no employees to file an exemption only if the licensee does not hold a C-8, C-20, C-22, C-39 or D-49 classification.^[1] Additionally, every home improvement contract must tell the owner whether you carry commercial general liability insurance, and with which insurer.^[7]

A lapse in workers' comp hits the roofing classification first. If a license that includes C-39 has no valid workers' comp certificate on file with the registrar, the registrar will remove the C-39 classification as opposed to suspending the entire license.^[1] A licensee found employing workers without workers' compensation coverage faces civil penalties of at least $10,000 per violation for a sole owner and at least $20,000 per violation for an entity.^[8]

If your business is organized as an LLC, the license also requires liability insurance with an aggregate limit of at least $1,000,000 when five or fewer individuals are listed on the personnel of record.^[9]

Why is roofing general liability hard to place?

Because the claims are severe and take time to appear. A dropped bundle falls on someone underneath, a fire is started by a torch, or a roof leaks two years after the job and damages the interior of the building. Insurers usually react with exclusions, eligibility limits or higher rates, and some small-business programs decline the class outright.

Program	Roofing position
MGT contractor BOP	Roofing, tree trimming and solar installation are ineligible. Exterior work above 30 feet is ineligible^[2]
Coterie	Handymen may not do roofing. Pressure washers may not wash roofs^[4]
NEXT contractor program	Roofers are a listed trade. Hot tar roofing, torch-down roofing and exterior work more than 30 feet above ground are ineligible^[3]
Thimble	Roofing appears among its contractor activities^[10]

A roofer who doesn't fit one of these programs goes to the surplus lines market, where a broker can place a risk after admitted insurers have declined it. Our guide to contractor general liability after a non-renewal explains how this process works.

What do roofing insurers ask about?

The application for a roofer goes deeper than for most trades. Expect questions on:

Method. Shingle, tile, metal, single-ply, torch-down, hot tar or spray foam. NEXT, for example, excludes torch-down and hot tar.^[3]
Residential versus commercial work, and the height of the buildings.
New construction versus re-roofing and repair. Tract and subdivision work raises the price or ends eligibility in many programs.
Payroll and subcontracting. Uninsured subcontractors are rated as your employees.^[11]
Safety practices. Fall protection, fire watch after hot work and a written safety program.
Claims for the past five years, especially leaks and water damage.

How much does roofing insurance cost?

Roofing costs more than most trades, and this is reflected in the state's own numbers. The WCIRB sets expected losses for each classification, with low-wage roofing (class 5552) at 6.087 per $100 of payroll, while clerical office employees (class 8810) are at 0.093.^[5] These figures are expected loss rates used for experience rating purposes, not premiums; however, they demonstrate why a roofer's workers' comp rate sits far above the state average of $1.65 per $100.^[12]

Roofing workers' comp is broken into two classes based on the employee's hourly pay. Beginning September 1, 2026, employees who earn $33.00 an hour or more will be classified in class 5553, and all employees earning less in class 5552.^[5] You should keep hourly pay records for your employees, because the split changes the premium.

For general liability, we don't publish a typical premium for roofers. Pricing varies greatly depending on method, the mix of residential and commercial projects and past claims, and we do very few placements in this market, so we cannot establish an honest average. Our contractor general liability cost guide covers the published minimums and how contractors are rated.

What does a general contractor usually ask a roofing sub for?

A certificate of insurance showing general liability and workers' comp, with endorsements that give the GC protection under your policy:

Additional insured status for ongoing and completed operations, because a roof claim often comes after the job ends.
Waiver of subrogation on both general liability and workers' comp.
Primary and non-contributory wording, so your policy pays before the GC's.

Ask for these endorsements when you apply for coverage, not when a GC asks for them. Some programs will include them at no cost, while others may charge an additional fee per endorsement or exclude completed operations coverage for additional insureds. Our guide to additional insured endorsements explains the forms.

Frequently asked questions

Do roofers need workers' comp in California if they have no employees?

Yes. The CSLB's no-employee exemption doesn't apply to a licensee holding the C-39 roofing classification.^[1]

What happens if a roofer's workers' comp lapses?

The registrar removes the C-39 classification from the license unless a valid certificate is received.^[1] Employing workers without coverage can also bring civil penalties of $10,000 or more per violation.^[8]

Does general liability cover a roof I installed that leaks later?

Damage the leak causes to the building's interior may be covered as completed operations, subject to the policy. The cost to redo your own roofing work is generally excluded.

Why was my roofing business declined?

Some small-business programs exclude roofing, or heat-applied methods such as torch-down and hot tar.^[2]^[3] A broker can take a declined roofer to programs that list the class and to the surplus lines market.

This guide is general information based on California law, WCIRB and Department of Insurance filings, and carrier program sheets dated 2023–2026. Programs change, and your policy's terms control. Menlo Insurance Services (CA license 6020106) is a licensed broker that may earn a commission on a placement. Non-admitted insurers are not backed by the California Insurance Guarantee Association.