What Georgia Concrete and Paving Contractors Need
Two things separate this trade from every other contractor: the value of your equipment, and the fact that you tow it.
Most concrete and paving contractors in Georgia carry:
- General Liability (GL) for property damage and injury.
- Workers Compensation (WC) for employee injuries.
- Commercial Auto for trucks and trailers.
- Inland Marine for equipment and attachments.
The bold word in item three is deliberate. It is the second most common gap we find on this trade.
Your Attachments Need Their Own Line on the Schedule
A skid steer on your equipment schedule reads as one item with one value. That is not what you own.
The attachments are separate property. A hydraulic breaker, a concrete mixer bucket, a trencher, a grapple, an auger, and a planer each cost thousands of dollars. A schedule that says “Caterpillar Skid Steer” with a single value does not cover them.
Attachments are also easier to steal than the machine they attach to. They fit in a pickup bed. They come off in minutes. They sit in a trailer overnight.
Most concrete and paving contractors overlook coverage for their attachments. The machine is listed. The forty thousand dollars of attachments beside it are not.
Pull your current equipment schedule and count the line items. If your attachments are not on it, they are not covered.
Bring your full list when you quote: every machine, every attachment, and a value for each if you want it to be insured.
Your Trailers Need to Be on the Commercial Auto Policy
A trailer is a separate vehicle. It must appear on your commercial auto policy as its own scheduled unit for it to be covered.
Many contractors assume the trailer is covered for theft and damage because the truck pulling it is covered. It is not. An unscheduled trailer that detaches and causes an accident is an uninsured loss — the liability is covered under the commercial auto, but the cost to replace your trailer is not.
Underwriters need specific information about your fleet, and vague answers produce vague coverage. Have all of this ready:
- Operating radius. Local, regional, or statewide. Give your actual maximum, not your typical job.
- Vehicle types. Pickups, dumps, flatbeds, and trailers each rate differently.
- Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) for every unit. Weight drives both the rate and your regulatory obligations.
- Department of Transportation (DOT) number, if your operation requires one. A truck towing a loaded equipment trailer can exceed the weight threshold that triggers DOT registration. Confirm whether yours does.
- Driver list with license numbers. Motor vehicle records get pulled on every driver.
- Hitch type for every trailer. Ball at bumper, gooseneck, fifth wheel, or pintle. Hitch type affects both the rating and the coverage.
- Type of bed: Flatbed, tool bed, standard truck bed, enclosed, etc.
That last item surprises most contractors. Your agent should be asking it.
Three Endorsements That Matter If You Turn Over Drivers or Buy Trucks
Concrete and paving operations change equipment often and hire seasonally. Three endorsements handle that movement.
Newly hired driver coverage. A driver who starts Monday and drives Tuesday is not on your schedule yet unless you call your agent, provide the driver info, and receive an updated declarations page. That sometimes gets forgotten when you’re busy trying to get jobs finished on time. This endorsement covers the gap between hire and scheduling. It covers newly hired employees to drive your trucks, for a limited time, without them being scheduled on the policy.
Newly acquired vehicle coverage. A truck bought on Friday is not on the policy Friday afternoon unless you call your agent and have them add it and receive a binder. This endorsement covers it automatically for a defined period, so you don’t need to make the call to your agent at the exact time of purchase. It gives you more flexibility as a businessowner. It’s similar to the newly hired driver coverage, but for new business vehicles.
Hired auto coverage. Rented trucks and rented trailers are not owned vehicles. If you rent during peak season or when a unit is down, you need this. It covers damage to those trucks and/or trailers while in your possession.
Operations with turnover or frequent equipment purchases need all three.
Excavation Depth Decides Where Your Account Goes
Flatwork sits in a standard commercial program. Driveways, sidewalks, patios, slabs, and parking lots price normally.
Three types of work move an account to specialty markets:
Excavation deeper than two feet. This threshold is lower than most contractors expect. Footings, deep grade work, and site preparation cross it quickly.
Structural concrete. Load-bearing work carries a different exposure than flatwork.
Tilt-up construction. Panel lifting and setting is a specialty exposure.
Describe your work accurately when you apply. A contractor who calls structural work “concrete” and gets priced as flatwork has a coverage problem waiting at the first claim.
Digging Requires a Georgia 811 Ticket
Grade work, footings, and any mechanized digging trigger Georgia’s Underground Facility Protection Act.
Contact Georgia 811 at least three business days before mechanized digging starts. A ticket covers one location and one type of work, and it expires after 30 days.
Submitting the ticket is not the same as clearance. Confirm every utility has responded before the machine moves dirt.
A strike produces the repair cost, the utility’s claim, and a business interruption claim from whoever lost service. Keep your locate tickets with the job file.
Certificate Limits
General contractors, property managers, and commercial property owners request a certificate of insurance before your crew starts. Typically, they request these limits:
| Coverage | Typical required limit |
|---|---|
| General Liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate |
| Workers Compensation | $500,000 / $500,000 / $500,000 employers liability |
| Commercial Auto | $500,000 combined single limit (CSL) or higher |
Larger projects require excess or umbrella limits above these, commonly an additional $1,000,000 to $5,000,000. Read the contract before you bid.
Georgia Workers Compensation for Concrete and Paving Contractors
Georgia law requires workers compensation coverage once a business employs three or more people. The count includes part-time employees.
Uninsured subcontractors count as your employees. If you use a crew with no workers compensation policy, your carrier can charge you premium for that crew’s payroll at audit. Collect a certificate before work starts, and make sure their worker’s comp and general liability limits match yours.
Seasonal payroll. Crew size changes across the year. Premium is estimated at binding and adjusted at audit. Report payroll accurately during the year to avoid a large audit bill.
Your experience modification affects the work you can win. Many general contractors refuse to hire a subcontractor with a modification factor above 1.00.
What Drives Your Premium
- Payroll. Workers compensation rates apply per $100 of payroll.
- Work type. Flatwork, structural, and tilt-up price differently.
- Excavation depth. See the two-foot threshold above.
- Equipment and attachment values. Drives the inland marine premium.
- Fleet composition. Vehicle types, weights, trailers, and operating radius.
- Driver records. Motor vehicle records on every driver.
- Claims history. Equipment theft and auto losses both affect renewal pricing.
Additional Coverages & Endorsements
Blanket additional insured endorsement. General contractors and property managers sometimes require being an additional insured on your policy. A blanket endorsement covers every party your written contract requires you to name. Additionally, they can be given Named Additional Insured status if they request that.
Blanket waiver of subrogation. Commercial contracts commonly require it.
Commercial umbrella or excess liability. Larger general contractors require an additional $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 above primary limits.
Hired and non-owned auto liability. Employees running for material in personal vehicles create exposure your commercial auto policy excludes without this endorsement.
Get a Quote
Call 678-569-0113 or request a quote online.
Have these ready and we can quote in one call:
- Annual payroll and employee count
- Split between flatwork, structural, and tilt-up work
- Maximum excavation depth
- Full equipment list including every attachment with values
- Vehicle and trailer list with Gross Vehicle Weight and hitch type
- Operating radius and Department of Transportation number
- Driver list with license numbers
- Certificate and excess limits your customers require
We are an independent agency serving Georgia concrete and paving contractors from our locations in Woodstock, Canton, and Warner Robins.