Specialized Trades · Calculator, Comparison & Guide

Artisan & Specialty Trades Insurance: Calculator, Comparison Table & Guide

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting, flooring, and similar trades. Choose your trade for a calibrated estimate.

Prong 1 · Interactive Calculator

Artisan Contractor Quick Estimator

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting, flooring, and similar trades. Choose your trade for a calibrated estimate.

Results
LineEstimate
General liability (min $1,500) —
Workers' comp incl. owner payroll —
Inland marine / tools & equipment —
Commercial auto —
Estimated annual package —

Illustrative math only. Rate ranges are planning bands, not quotes. Your policy wording, carrier appetite, loss history, and state decide the real number. This tool stores nothing and sends nothing.

Get the real number — Start Smart Intake

Prong 2 · Comparison Table

Artisan Program Options

Three common package structures for trade contractors.

CriterionBusiness Owners Policy (BOP)Contractor Package (CPP)Monoline GL + Add-ons
Eligible tradesLow-hazard onlyAll artisan tradesAll
Tools & equipmentIncludedOptionalSeparate inland marine
Installation floaterOptionalIncludedSeparate
Property in transitLimitedIncludedSeparate
Hired/non-owned autoOptionalOptionalOptional
CostLowestModerateHighest bundled
Best fit1–5 employees, service work5–50 employees, new constructionHard-to-place trades
Included
covered in base form
Excluded
not available
Optional
available by endorsement
Limited
sublimited or conditional

Prong 3 · Deep-Dive Guide

Insurance for Electricians, Plumbers, HVAC & Other Artisan Trades

The coverages your license board, your GC customers, and your own balance sheet demand.

Base requirements by trade

Texas TDLR and TSBPE licensing require proof of GL at license issue; GCs require more.

  • Electrical (TDLR): $300K/$600K GL minimum for master licensees
  • Plumbing (TSBPE): $300K GL minimum
  • HVAC (TDLR): $300K/$600K GL minimum
  • GC contracts: typically $1M/$2M plus AI/waiver/P&NC

The installation floater

Materials you've bought but not yet installed are not covered by GL and not covered by the owner's property policy.

  • Insure at cost including your labor
  • Covers theft from the jobsite and your truck
  • Usually $10K–$50K limits at modest premium

Completed operations

For trades, the claim shows up years later: the water heater that flooded a house, the panel that started a fire.

  • Occurrence form, never claims-made
  • Do not let a carrier add a 'designated work' exclusion for your core trade
  • Keep tail coverage when you retire or sell

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need workers' comp as a one-person shop?

Not legally in Texas, but many GCs require it. A ghost policy or owner-included minimum-premium policy satisfies the contract at $1,500–$3,000.

Is my truck covered under personal auto?

Not if it's titled to the business or used for hauling tools and materials for hire. Personal carriers deny business-use claims.

What about faulty workmanship?

GL covers resulting damage from your work, not the cost of redoing the work itself. That's a warranty issue, not an insurance issue.

Related: electrician insurance · plumber insurance · HVAC contractor insurance · artisan contractor

Turn the estimate into a quote

The Smart Intake takes about two minutes. A licensed advisor reviews your artisan & specialty trades exposure against 30+ Texas and Florida markets. Nothing from the calculator above is stored or sent.

Start Smart Intake

Or call (281) 671-0069

All numeric rates are 2026 Texas/Florida planning bands compiled by the agency for illustration; they are not filed rates and must be reviewed by a licensed agent before publication. Coverage descriptions are summaries only and are subject to the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the actual policy. Submitting a request does not bind coverage.