Amazing expirience! The agent is very professional and friendly. Definitely recommend!!
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We serve clients across Florida and work with multiple insurance carriers to help individuals, families, and business owners compare coverage options that fit their state and industry requirements.
We serve clients across Florida and work with multiple insurance carriers to help individuals, families, and business owners compare coverage options that fit their state and industry requirements.
7 months ago
Excellent service and very professional staff. They made the process easy, answered all my questions, and helped me find the right coverage. Highly recommended!
3 months ago
I’ve worked with Ray for years and he’s always reliable and has been able to help my clients in need! I can always count on him to provide the best insurance advice and service
7 months ago
Great service, and always looking out for my commercial insurance. Thank you Ray
3 months ago
Great insurance agent to work with. Ray is the best!
3 months ago
Reviews reflect individual customer opinions and experiences. They do not guarantee specific coverage, pricing, service timing, or claim outcomes.
A roofing company's vehicles work harder than most. A typical week can include crew pickups with ladders strapped to racks, a dump trailer hauling tear-off to the landfill, a flatbed or stake truck moving shingles, tile or underlayment, and a salesperson or estimator driving a personal car to inspections. After a hurricane, the same company may double its crews, rent trucks and send employees into neighborhoods where the roads are still covered in debris.
Your commercial auto policy should reflect all of that. The insurer decides eligibility and price after underwriting.
The vehicles and trailers roofers use
Most Florida roofing companies run some mix of these:
- Crew pickups (half-ton to one-ton) with ladder racks, often towing a trailer with three or four roofers riding along. See our page on pickup truck insurance.
- Dump trailers for tear-off, pulled behind a three-quarter or one-ton pickup. Wet shingles, old tile and decking get heavy fast.
- Flatbed or stake-body trucks for material runs when the supplier isn’t delivering to the roof. See flatbed truck insurance.
- Dump trucks for larger commercial or re-roof jobs. See dump truck insurance.
- Cargo vans or service trucks for repair and leak crews carrying sealant, flashing and hand tools.
- Employee and salesperson cars used for estimates, inspections and supply runs.
See also: Trailer Insurance
How commercial auto applies to roofing work
Auto liability pays for injuries and damage a roofing vehicle causes to others. For roofers, a common claim is a ladder, a bundle of shingles or a piece of tear-off flying off a truck at highway speed and hitting another car. That is usually handled as an auto liability claim.
Comprehensive and collision pay for damage to the trucks and trailers you list, after the deductible. Comprehensive is the part that handles theft, falling trees and, on most policies, flood. List every trailer, with a value if you want its own damage covered.
When you rent a truck during a storm rush, or an estimator drives a personal car to an inspection, hired and non-owned auto protects the business if it is sued over a crash. It does not pay to fix the employee’s own car.
Crews ride together, so one crash can hurt several employees. Workers’ comp usually handles employees hurt on the job; uninsured motorist and PIP or medical payments fill in around it.
Loading shingles onto a truck or dumping a trailer at a transfer station sits between the auto and general liability policies. Describe these jobs clearly on the application so both policies are set up for them.
Auto physical damage is built for the vehicle, not the nail guns, compressors, generators and materials inside it. Those belong on an inland marine or contractor’s equipment policy.
Florida factors: storms, heat, theft and licensing
Hurricane season runs June through November, and roofing demand can jump overnight after a storm. That is when roofers hire fast, rent trucks and let new employees drive. Before the season, ask us how to add a vehicle or driver quickly and how rented trucks are handled. Our guide on adding vehicles, trailers and equipment covers the basics.
Trucks in low yards can flood. Comprehensive usually handles that, but a liability-only truck has no coverage for its own damage. Long days on hot roofs followed by a drive in a loaded truck make drivers tired. Trucks left at job sites overnight are targets for tool theft.
Florida law says a load must not drop, shift, blow or escape, and loads like trash and debris must be covered or secured (Florida Statutes s. 316.520). A tarped dump trailer is both a legal and an insurance issue.
Roofing contractors are licensed by the DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board under chapter 489, which defines the roofing contractor classification (Florida Statutes s. 489.105). Carriers and general contractors usually ask for your license number.
Heavy trucks have their own Florida minimums. A commercial vehicle of 26,000 pounds or more but under 35,000 pounds must carry at least $50,000 per occurrence in combined liability; 35,000 to under 44,000 pounds, $100,000; and 44,000 pounds or more, $300,000 (Florida Statutes s. 627.7415). A truck rated at 26,001 pounds or more generally needs a Class B commercial driver license (Florida Statutes s. 322.54). Contracts often ask for more than the legal minimum. See our Florida commercial auto requirements guide.
Claim examples
These are made-up examples to show which policy usually handles what.
- A crew pickup loses a ladder on I-4 and the car behind swerves into a guardrail. The other driver’s injuries and car damage are usually an auto liability claim.
- A dump trailer full of old tile tips while backing onto a soft driveway and cracks the homeowner’s pavers. Depending on the facts, this could go to auto liability or general liability, which is why we set up both together.
- After a storm, a new hire drives a rented truck to a supply house and rear-ends another car. Hired auto coverage handles the business’s liability if you bought it.
- A truck parked overnight at a job site is broken into and the compressors and nail guns are stolen. The window usually falls under comprehensive. The tools need an inland marine or equipment policy.
What underwriters ask roofers
- Residential, commercial or both; re-roof, new construction, repair or storm work.
- Whether you travel out of your home area after storms, and how far.
- Number of vehicles, their weight and who owns them; trailers and their size.
- Who drives, how drivers are hired, and whether temporary or seasonal workers drive.
- Take-home vehicles and personal use of company vehicles.
- Where debris goes, how loads are secured and how ladders are strapped.
- Contract requirements from general contractors or property managers.
Documents to gather
- Vehicle list with VINs, GVWR, garaging address and current values.
- Trailer list with length, capacity and value.
- Driver list with license numbers and dates of birth for MVR review.
- Current declarations pages and three to five years of loss runs.
- Your DBPR license number and a short description of a typical week.
- Any contract or certificate of insurance requirements you have received.
Driver safety tips for roofing crews
- Pull MVRs before anyone drives, including storm-season hires, and review them at least yearly.
- Set a written rule for ladder and material securement, and check racks and straps weekly.
- Tarp every dump trailer load and do not overload trailers past their rated capacity.
- Limit who may tow; backing and jackknifing a loaded trailer takes practice.
- Plan for fatigue: no long drives after a full day on a hot roof when another driver is available.
- Keep tools in locked boxes and park in lit, secure areas when possible.
How auto fits with your other policies
General liability is built for damage and injuries from the roofing work itself, such as a leak after a tear-off. An inland marine or contractor’s equipment policy handles tools, compressors and materials. An umbrella adds limits above auto and general liability when contracts ask for more. See commercial auto liability limits.
Workers’ comp is a big part of any roofing program. Florida requires construction businesses with 1 or more employees to carry it (other businesses at 4 or more), and roofing is construction work (Florida Statutes s. 440.02). So a roofing company with even one employee needs a policy. The same law lets up to three corporate officers of a construction company, each owning at least 10% of the stock, file to exempt themselves.
See also: Certificates of Insurance and Contract Requirements
What roofers pay in Florida
Roofing prices move most with truck weight, trailers, storm travel and who drives. These annual ranges come from real quotes our agency has run for Florida businesses:
- Crew pickup, Florida minimum limits (one-pickup policy): $1,000 to $9,000 a year ($80 to $750/mo)
- Crew pickup with a $1,000,000 limit (one-pickup policy): $5,000 to $29,000 a year ($410 to $2,450/mo)
- Contractors and trades, commercial auto (whole policy): $900 to $38,000 a year
- General liability, contractors and trades: $500 to $9,000 a year
- Workers’ comp, contractors and trades: $1,000 to $8,000 a year
Your real price depends on your vehicles, drivers, limits and claims history. A dump trailer is priced on top of the truck that pulls it. See the full Florida commercial insurance price guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does commercial auto cover roofing materials in my truck?
Usually not. Auto physical damage is built for the vehicle itself. Shingles, tile, tools and equipment normally go under an inland marine, contractor’s equipment or builder’s risk policy.
Do I need to list my dump trailer on the policy?
Yes. Most carriers want every trailer listed, and it must be listed with a value to have its own damage covered. Liability for a towed trailer usually follows the truck pulling it.
What if a ladder falls off my truck and hits another car?
That is usually an auto liability claim. Damage to others from objects falling off an insured vehicle normally goes to the auto policy, subject to its terms. Strapping ladders well is the best way to avoid the claim.
Can I rent trucks after a hurricane and still have liability protection?
Hired auto coverage can extend liability to vehicles the business rents, if it is on the policy. Physical damage to the rental may need separate coverage. Ask before storm season rather than after.
Are my estimators covered when they drive their own cars?
Their personal auto policy is usually primary for the car. Non-owned auto coverage may protect the business if it is named in a lawsuit. See also our page on employee-owned vehicles.
Do I need a CDL for my roofing dump truck?
If it is rated at 26,001 pounds or more, generally yes: a Class B license under Florida Statutes s. 322.54. Some heavy truck and trailer combinations need a Class A. Check the weight rating on the door sticker.
Will a certificate of insurance satisfy a general contractor's requirements?
A certificate shows what the policy says; it does not add coverage. Send the contract language to your agent before you sign so limits and endorsements can be reviewed and, if available, quoted.
About the Author
Raymundo Guzman
I’m Raymundo Guzman, an independent insurance agent and the owner of Covered by Guzman. I help business owners across Tampa Bay and central Florida find commercial auto, general liability, workers’ compensation, and related business coverage that matches how they actually operate, comparing options across the carriers available to me rather than selling one company’s product.
Independent Insurance Agent · License #W512374 | NPN #18906048 · 813-302-7151
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Call 813-302-7151 or email Rguzman@CoveredByGuzman.com to discuss the business, vehicles, drivers, and requested coverage. Coverage, eligibility, pricing, terms, and effective dates are subject to carrier underwriting and the issued policy.
