State and trade requirements
Choose a state and a trade. You get the licensing authority, whether general liability is required for the license, the workers compensation rule, the license bond, and the losses that set the price for that trade.
Requirements verified against state licensing sources, October 2026. Where a state sets no amount, the tool says so rather than showing a figure.
Most states license contractors through a named board, and the licensing application is where insurance first becomes a requirement. The tool names that board, so you know who is actually asking.
In 35 of the 50 state records behind this tool general liability is tied to the license itself. Only 10 publish a specific minimum amount, and only 10 provide for a state license bond at all. Where the state sets no amount, the figure comes from the contract, the lease or the licensing application instead, which is why the requirement does not disappear just because the statute is silent.
Two contractors in the same state, same payroll, can be quoted very differently. Roofing, excavation and welding carry severity that drywall and painting do not, and the markets that will write each one are different.
Yes, and the reason is not the state. General liability is required by the contract you sign, by the lease on the yard or shop, and often by the licensing board's own application even where no statute sets an amount. Working without it means the first job that asks for a certificate is the last one you can take.
Treat a state minimum as the floor, not the target. One million per occurrence and two million aggregate is the common contract requirement, and public work or larger projects usually demand more. If the state's figure is lower, the contract will still be the higher of the two.
Because it genuinely is different. Most states require it from the first employee, some set a headcount or payroll threshold, and a small number allow an exemption for a sole proprietor with no employees. Some also restrict who may be exempted on construction work regardless of headcount.
Both. Higher-hazard trades face higher minimum premiums and a smaller list of admitted markets, which is why some work goes to a surplus lines carrier. Lower-hazard trades often qualify for a small-business program with faster issue. The endorsements list is where the practical difference shows: additional insured with completed operations matters far more in a trade a general contractor is hiring.
The state record on this page names the licensing authority, and the source link points at that authority's own site. The trade profiles are built from loss patterns typical to the trade. Nothing here is a quote, and nothing here is advice about a specific policy.
Yes, and run each state. One policy can list every state you operate in, but the pricing follows the highest-exposure state on the schedule, so it is worth knowing where your work is heaviest before you ask for a price.
The tool tells you what the state and your trade imply. A quote needs your payroll, headcount and gross receipts, and then a licensed specialist can go to the markets that actually write your trade.
Requirements, licensing and bonds are set by each state. Coverage is placed by licensed professionals, and nothing on this page is an offer of insurance.
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