You build, wire, plumb, cool, pave and pour. We make sure the insurance behind that work is solid, clear and easy to keep up with. McGriff-Williams has worked with contractors across North Central and Northeast Florida since 1983. We serve general contractors (residential and commercial) and trade subcontractors, including electricians, plumbers, HVAC, site work and underground utility, concrete, fencing, paving, pest control and pool contractors.

As an independent agency, we compare options from multiple insurance companies for you and help you stay organized all year, so paperwork doesn’t slow your jobs down.

General Liability and Completed Operations

General liability (GL) helps when someone claims your business, your job sites or your finished work caused them an injury or damaged their property. It also pays for your defense. It generally doesn’t pay to redo your own faulty work. It’s meant for the damage that work causes to other people or property. For contractors, three parts deserve a close look:

  • Completed operations. Claims often show up after a job is finished, sometimes years later. In Florida, most construction defect claims generally can’t be brought more than 7 years after the certificate of occupancy or completion, down from 10 years before 2023. Completed operations coverage can respond to these claims, subject to the policy’s terms and a separate limit called the products-completed operations aggregate. We check how your policy handles it, whether that limit fits your work, and what endorsements might narrow it. If you receive a pre-suit construction defect notice (a “Chapter 558 notice”), send it to us right away.
  • Endorsements that change everything. Two GL quotes with the same limits can cover very different things. Some policies remove coverage for damage caused by your subcontractors’ work, limit coverage for the indemnity promises in your contracts, exclude residential projects, or reduce coverage when a sub doesn’t carry the insurance you required. We compare these endorsements side by side, not just the price.
  • Additional insured and contract requirements. Owners and general contractors often require you to add them as an additional insured on your policy, both while you’re working and after the job is done (these are separate endorsements), and to provide a waiver of subrogation or coverage on a primary and non-contributory basis. A certificate of insurance alone doesn’t create these protections. Your policy has to include the right endorsements. Send us the insurance section of a contract before you sign, and we’ll compare what it asks for with what your policy actually provides, so you can fix gaps or negotiate before work starts. For questions about indemnity or other legal terms, talk to your attorney.

Ask the same of your subs: their own GL, additional insured status for you (ongoing and completed operations), and limits that match your contracts. It protects you and can keep your GL audit from charging for uninsured subs.

Deadlines and contract rules described here are general summaries of Florida law, not legal advice. Your attorney can tell you how they apply to your contracts and projects.

Workers’ Compensation and Florida’s Construction Rules

Florida treats construction differently from other industries:

  • One employee is enough. In construction, workers’ compensation is required once you have one employee, and in construction, owners count. Sole proprietors and partners are treated as employees, and only qualifying corporate officers or LLC members can be exempt (section 440.02, Florida Statutes).
  • Officer exemptions have limits. Up to three officers of a corporation (or group of affiliated companies) can elect to be exempt. Each must own at least 10% and be listed as an officer with the Florida Division of Corporations. LLC members must own at least 10%. A construction exemption certificate lasts two years and is renewed online with the DFS Division of Workers’ Compensation ($50 fee). An exemption isn’t a contractor’s license.
  • Uninsured subs become your problem. If a subcontractor doesn’t have its own coverage, Florida law makes the contractor above it responsible for that sub’s employees on the job. That’s why contractors are required to collect proof of coverage or exemption from every sub (section 440.10).

Not every trade we serve counts as construction for workers’ comp. Pest control and routine pool service, for example, follow the general four-employee rule, while pool construction, fencing and paving are construction. We’ll confirm where your work falls.

We’ll help you keep exemptions current, verify your subs’ coverage, and keep job classifications accurate so your premium matches your real work. Learn more about our workers’ compensation services.

Commercial Auto and Fleet

Pickups, service vans, work trucks and the trailers that haul your own equipment are a big part of a contractor’s risk. We help you choose liability limits that meet your contracts and your umbrella insurer’s requirements, plus physical damage coverage for the vehicles you own or lease.

We also look at hired and non-owned auto coverage. It protects your business when an employee drives their own car on company business, or when you rent, lease or borrow a vehicle. It’s liability coverage for your company. It usually sits on top of the employee’s own auto policy, and it doesn’t pay to repair the employee’s car. Damage to a rented vehicle needs its own coverage. In Florida that matters: drivers only have to carry $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability, and most aren’t required to carry any bodily injury coverage. If an employee with minimum coverage causes a serious crash on the job, your business can be the next target.

Who you let drive matters as much as what you insure. If you hand keys to an employee without checking their license and driving record, an injured person can sue your company directly for negligent entrustment. Those claims can include punitive damages, which many policies don’t cover, and verdicts can exceed auto and umbrella limits. Checking licenses, reviewing driving records at hire and every year, and having a written vehicle-use policy all help. Read more: Should Employees Be Driving Their Personal Vehicles to the Job Site?

Equipment, Tools and Builders Risk

  • Inland marine (contractor’s equipment). Covers tools and equipment, from hand tools to excavators, on the job site, in transit or in storage.
  • Builders risk. Covers a building while it’s under construction or renovation, including materials on site. See Builders Risk Insurance: What It Covers and What It Doesn’t.

Umbrella and Bonds

  • Umbrella or excess liability. Larger projects often require higher limits than your GL, auto or employer’s liability policies provide alone. An umbrella adds a layer over those policies and, depending on its terms, may cover some claims they don’t. An excess policy usually adds limits that follow the underlying policy’s terms. Both can have exclusions of their own, so we compare them with the policies underneath. Umbrella insurers also set minimum limits for the policies underneath, and many now require higher auto limits than in the past. If an underlying limit falls short, you could be left paying the gap yourself, so we plan your GL, auto, employer’s liability and umbrella together. Contracts often spell out umbrella requirements too, such as a minimum limit and coverage for the owner or general contractor on the umbrella. We check that your umbrella meets them, not just your GL.
  • Bonds. In Florida, most public construction contracts require a payment and performance bond, recorded with the county before work begins (section 255.05). Smaller jobs may be exempt: state contracts of $100,000 or less don’t need one, and local governments can waive the bond on contracts of $200,000 or less. Federal projects over $150,000 also require both bonds. On private projects, owners and lenders may ask for bid, performance or payment bonds. A payment bond can also help protect the owner’s property from construction liens under Florida law.
  • A bid bond promises that if you win the job, you’ll sign the contract and provide the required bonds. It’s commonly 5% to 10% of the bid. A performance bond guarantees the project gets finished according to the contract. A payment bond guarantees your subcontractors and suppliers get paid.
  • A bond isn’t insurance for you. It protects the project owner. If the bonding company has to pay a claim, it expects to be paid back by your company and, usually, by its owners personally under an indemnity agreement you sign up front.
  • We can help you apply for bonding and build your bonding capacity over time. Bonding companies set two limits, the largest single job and the total bonded work you can carry at once, based on your financial statements (usually prepared by a CPA), your work in progress, working capital, experience and track record. We’ll help you understand what they look for and prepare a strong submission.

Bond requirements and deadlines here are general summaries of Florida and federal law, not legal advice. Check your contract and talk to your attorney about a specific project or claim.

Serving contractors in Gainesville and Alachua County

Do you work with contractors near Gainesville? Yes. Our office is at 3501 W University Ave in Gainesville, and we’ve worked with contractors here since 1983. We work with general contractors and trade subcontractors across Alachua County, including Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs and Archer, and throughout North Central and Northeast Florida, from Ocala to Jacksonville and St. Augustine. You can reach us Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., at (352) 371-7977.

A few things we help local contractors with most often:

  • Contract insurance requirements. Larger owners, such as universities, hospitals and local governments, often spell out detailed insurance terms: additional insured wording, waivers of subrogation, umbrella minimums. Send us the insurance section before you bid, and we’ll compare it with your policies.
  • Public work and bonds. Florida public construction contracts generally require a payment and performance bond, though some smaller contracts can be exempt (section 255.05, Florida Statutes). We’ll help you plan your bonding capacity before you bid.
  • Florida’s construction workers’ comp rule. In construction, coverage is required once you have one employee, and owners count unless they hold a valid exemption (section 440.02). It applies the same way in Alachua County as everywhere else in Florida.
  • Subcontractor certificates: for clients, tracking the certificates of insurance your subs give you.

Beyond the Policy: Help That Isn’t Insurance

Fewer claims and cleaner paperwork make audits and renewals easier. We help with both:

  • Reading subcontractor certificates. We show you how to read a certificate of insurance, what to check (policy dates, limits, additional insured wording and workers’ comp exemptions) and how to confirm it with the sub’s insurance agent or the state’s workers’ comp records, so you can keep your own tracking up to date. A certificate is for information only. It doesn’t change or add coverage. The policy and its endorsements do.
  • Workers’ comp and GL audit support. We help you prepare payroll and subcontractor records and review audit results with you.
  • Safety training and OSHA support. An online safety training platform, plus OSHA support.
  • Fleet safety and driver records. Most clients run their own driving record (MVR) checks, and we help you build the program around them: hiring and annual review standards, plus the separate disclosure and written consent federal law requires when you pull records through a screening company. Once you’re a client, we can also set up ongoing MVR monitoring through a third-party monitoring service. We provide sample fleet safety and vehicle-use policies and connect you with defensive and distracted-driving training, often through our carriers’ loss-control teams.
  • GPS and dash cameras. We can help you compare telematics and dash camera options. Some carriers offer programs or credits for fleets that use them. Eligibility and any premium credit vary by insurance company and aren’t guaranteed, and some programs can raise your rate at renewal. The bigger benefit is often video that helps defend a claim. We recommend turning off audio recording, since Florida generally requires everyone’s consent to record a conversation.
  • HR support. Access to live HR professionals, an employee handbook builder, and job description and HR form tools.

How We Work With You

  1. Learn your business. The trades you do, where you work, your contracts and your growth plans.
  2. Review what you have. Policies, certificates, exemptions, audits and loss history.
  3. Recommend a plan. Clear options and the reasons behind them, including anything we’d fix.
  4. Support you all year. Certificates, audit help and a team that knows your account.

What drives the cost of contractors insurance?

Every contractor’s premium is built from its own details. The biggest factors are:

  • Your trades and the type of work. Each trade has its own class codes, and residential, commercial and public work are priced differently.
  • Payroll and revenue. General liability and workers’ comp are usually rated on these, then adjusted at the end-of-term audit.
  • Subcontractors. How much of your work you sub out, and whether those subs carry their own GL and workers’ comp.
  • Contract requirements. Additional insured, waiver of subrogation and umbrella limits your customers require.
  • Vehicles and drivers. How many vehicles you run, and your drivers’ records.
  • Claims history and your experience mod. See how your experience mod works.

Market context (CIAB Q2 2026 data, published Aug. 18, 2026): In its second-quarter 2026 survey, the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers reported average U.S. renewal premium changes of +1.8% for general liability, +4.5% for commercial auto and +5.3% for umbrella. These are national averages, not Florida figures, and they don’t predict what any one contractor will pay. Florida general liability rates are exempt from the state’s standard rate-filing review. Insurers report their changes to the state after they take effect, so there’s no statewide approved figure to point to (section 627.062(3)(d), Florida Statutes). For workers’ comp rate news, see our workers’ compensation page.

We can’t give a price without a few details. Here’s what we need.

How to get a quote

What we’ll need:

  • What your business does, and where in Florida you work
  • Years in business
  • Estimated annual revenue and payroll
  • Whether you use subcontractors, and whether they carry their own insurance
  • Your current policy and its expiration date
  • Recent loss runs, if you have them

What happens next: A licensed member of our team will review your request and contact you by phone or email.

Why it isn’t instant: We compare options from multiple insurance companies, and coverage isn’t in place until it’s bound.

Request a quote: Request a quote · Call (352) 371-7977 · Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

    We'll use your information to call or email you about your quote request. We don't send mass marketing texts. We don't sell your information.

    McGriff-Williams Insurance · 3501 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32607

    Frequently asked questions

    What insurance do contractors need in Florida?

    It depends on your license, your trade and your contracts. Contractors certified or registered by the state’s Construction Industry Licensing Board must carry general liability and property damage insurance, in minimum amounts set by board rule, for as long as their license is active, and attest to it when they apply and renew (section 489.115(5), Florida Statutes). Construction businesses need workers’ comp once they have one employee, and owners count unless they hold an exemption (section 440.02). Beyond that, your contracts usually set the limits, endorsements and umbrella you need.

    What should I check on a subcontractor’s certificate of insurance?

    The policy dates, the limits, the additional insured wording your contract requires, and workers’ comp coverage or an exemption. Confirm workers’ comp coverage or exemptions with the state’s records or the sub’s insurance agent, because a certificate is for information only. It doesn’t change or add coverage.

    How do I request a certificate of insurance?

    Use our certificate request form. If you send certificates to the same holders often, ask us about standing requests.

    My officers are exempt. Do I still need workers’ comp?

    If you have even one employee who isn’t an exempt officer, yes. Exemptions cover only the officers named on them, for the companies listed. Give your insurance company a copy of each exemption so those officers’ pay is left out of your premium.

    Why did my premium go up after my audit?

    Usually because payroll, sales or subcontractor costs were higher than estimated, an auditor moved payroll into a different class code, or a sub’s coverage or exemption lapsed during the job. We’ll review the audit with you, and help you dispute it if it’s wrong.

    Are employees covered when they drive their own pickups or cars for work?

    Usually the employee’s own auto policy pays first. Most personal auto policies cover business use of a car, pickup or van, but some limit or exclude certain business uses, so ask employees to check with their own agent. Florida only requires $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability to register a vehicle, with no bodily injury liability required, so many drivers carry low limits. If a crash on company business leads to a claim against your business, hired and non-owned auto coverage can protect your business on top of the employee’s policy. It covers liability, not damage to the employee’s vehicle. If the employee is hurt while driving for work, such as between job sites or on an errand for the business (not their regular commute), workers’ compensation may cover their injuries.

    General information, not legal or coverage advice. Coverage depends on the policy issued, its terms and underwriting. Florida workers’ compensation rules are set by Chapter 440, Florida Statutes. McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency licensed in Florida.

    Sources: Florida Statutes s. 489.115(5) (2026), https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.115 ; Florida Administrative Code rule 61G4-15.003, https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=61G4-15.003 ; s. 440.02 and 440.10 (2026); s. 440.092(2) (2026), https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/440.092 ; s. 255.05 (2026), https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/255.05 ; s. 627.062 (2026); s. 627.733 (PIP); s. 324.022 (2026), https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/324.022 ; s. 627.736(4) (2026), https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.736 ; FLHSMV insurance requirements, https://www.flhsmv.gov/insurance/ ; CIAB Q2 2026 via Insurance Journal (Aug 20, 2026), https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/08/20/882240.htm ; CIAB, Commercial Property/Casualty Market Index, Q2/2026 (full report; released Aug. 18, 2026), https://www.ciab.com/resources/q2-2026-pc-market-survey .