General liability with the AI endorsements GCs demand, workers' compensation across every trade class, CSLB bonds, commercial auto, and tools coverage — all from a brokerage that actually understands how contractor insurance works in California.
California GCs require specific policy language — CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 additional-insured endorsements, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory wording, completed-operations coverage. We know exactly what's required and can have a compliant certificate in your hands the same day your account is written.
From solo specialty subs to multi-crew general contractors — we place every line a licensed California contractor needs to stay on the job site and satisfy GC requirements.
$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate — the standard GC contract requires. Includes completed-operations coverage, CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 additional-insured endorsements, waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording. Placed across multiple admitted and surplus-lines carriers for all trade classes.
California requires workers' comp for any contractor with employees — and for most sole proprietors working under a GC's OCIP policy. We write WC across all WCIRB trade class codes, help you understand your X-Mod (experience modification factor), and advise on payroll classifications that affect your premium at audit.
Coverage for owned tools, leased equipment, and materials on the job site or in transit — written as an inland marine or installation floater. Protects against theft from a jobsite trailer, equipment damaged in transit, and tools not covered by a standard GL policy. Available as a standalone policy or packaged with GL.
Owned vehicles plus hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) — the HNOA component covers employees using personal vehicles on company business, which is a common gap contractors discover at claim time. We write scheduled fleets, single work trucks, and contractor vans with liability and physical damage coverage appropriate for California roads and job sites.
When a GC contract requires $5M or $10M in combined liability limits, a commercial umbrella provides the capacity over your primary GL and auto policies. We write umbrella coverage for contractors from $1M to $10M+ in additional limits, following form over your underlying policies to close the gap between what you carry and what the contract demands.
The CSLB requires a $25,000 contractor license bond before it will issue or renew your California contractor's license. We write CSLB license bonds for B, C-10, C-36, C-39, and all other license classifications. We also place bid bonds, performance bonds, and payment bonds for contractors pursuing public works projects that require them.
Most brokers can write a GL policy. Far fewer understand the specific endorsements, policy language, and certificate requirements that California general contractors and public agencies demand from their subs. That gap is where we specialize.
CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) and CG 20 37 (completed operations) additional-insured endorsements are non-negotiable on most California GC subcontracts. We issue them same day, with primary and non-contributory language and waiver of subrogation, so you never lose a job waiting on paperwork.
Roofing, framing, electrical, plumbing, concrete, painting, HVAC — we write contractor GL and workers' comp across all WCIRB class codes through admitted California carriers, with E&S access when specialty or hard-to-place trades require it. You get the broadest coverage at the best available rate.
Your experience modification factor (X-Mod) directly drives your workers' comp premium. We advise on claim reserves, payroll classification accuracy, and WCIRB unit statistical reporting so your X-Mod reflects your actual loss history — not an inflated one caused by misclassified claims or incorrect payroll allocations.
We keep your CSLB bond current so you never face a license suspension for a lapsed bond. As your operations grow into new license classifications or additional insured language, we update your program to match — so your coverage keeps pace with how your business actually works.
A direct, efficient process — no call center, no generic questionnaires before you speak to someone who actually knows contractor insurance.
A brief conversation: your CSLB license class, number of employees or subs, annual payroll estimate, current coverage situation, and any specific GC requirements you're trying to satisfy. Five minutes of context lets us identify the right markets immediately.
We run your submission through admitted carriers first, supplementing with E&S markets for specialty trades or hard-to-place risks. You get a clear comparison — coverage terms side by side, not just price — so you can make an informed decision, not just pick the lowest number.
Once you choose coverage, we bind it and issue your certificate of insurance with any required AI endorsements and waiver language same day. We stay on as your broker for renewals, mid-term changes, audit support, and anything your GC asks for throughout the policy period.
Representative placement types across California trades — from solo specialty subs to multi-crew general contractors with complex GC requirements.
C-5 framing sub added to a GC's approved vendor list. Required CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 AI endorsements, waiver of subrogation, and primary/non-contributory wording — all issued same day.
C-10 electrical contractor working multiple commercial projects. GL placed with CG 20 37 completed-operations AI coverage, satisfying blanket AI requirements across three separate GC subcontracts.
C-39 roofing contractor previously declined by admitted markets. Placed GL and workers' comp through an E&S carrier with competitive rates and full completed-operations coverage.
B-licensed GC pursuing public works projects requiring $5M combined limits. Placed GL, workers' comp, commercial auto, and a $4M umbrella to satisfy contract requirements and stay competitive on bids.
C-36 plumbing contractor with a deteriorating X-Mod due to misclassified WC claims. Placed CSLB bond, renewed GL, and initiated an WCIRB classification review to correct the X-Mod going forward.
C-20 HVAC sub with a fleet of service vans and $80K in specialized equipment. Placed commercial auto for owned and hired/non-owned vehicles plus an inland marine policy covering tools in transit and on the job site.
We had three different brokers for three different policies and none of them understood contractor insurance. Tamir consolidated everything, saved us $8,000 on our annual premium, and now I have one phone number to call.
I needed workers comp for my electrical crew and every broker I called either couldn't place it or quoted me astronomical rates. Tamir found us a competitive policy in four days. The man knows contractor insurance.
Thrive handles our GL, workers comp, bonds, and commercial auto across two license classifications. Having one broker who actually understands CSLB requirements has saved us headaches and money.
California Labor Code Section 3700 requires any employer with one or more employees to carry workers' compensation insurance. As a licensed sole proprietor with no W-2 employees, you are technically exempt from the mandate — but many GC subcontracts and OCIP (owner-controlled insurance program) requirements will still require you to either carry your own WC policy or be covered under the GC's WC program. If you use 1099 subcontractors, the WCIRB may reclassify them as employees at audit if they don't carry their own WC certificates, which would increase your premium retroactively. We help contractors navigate these requirements before they become expensive surprises.
The most common standard for California commercial and residential construction subcontracts is $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate for general liability. On larger commercial projects, public works, or GC contracts influenced by institutional owners, you'll often see $2M/$4M or higher — and an umbrella requirement of $5M or $10M on top of that. Nearly all subcontracts also require the sub's GL to name the GC and property owner as additional insureds using ISO endorsement forms CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) and CG 20 37 (completed operations), and to include waiver of subrogation and primary and non-contributory language. We make sure your policy is written with all of this from day one.
Same day on qualifying accounts. Once your policy is bound with the correct endorsements (CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 AI, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory), we can issue a certificate of insurance reflecting all required language within hours of receiving your request. For new accounts where the policy isn't yet bound, the timeline depends on underwriting — most trades can be quoted and bound within 24 to 48 hours, and many specialty trades within 24 hours. We do not issue certificates that misrepresent the underlying policy — the endorsements have to actually be on the policy, not just shown on the cert.
All three. Your WCIRB class code (assigned by trade — framing, electrical, roofing, plumbing, etc.) sets the base rate per $100 of payroll. The rate varies significantly by trade: roofing runs much higher than electrical, for example. That base rate is then multiplied against your total payroll at the end of the policy year (the WC audit). Your experience modification factor (X-Mod) is then applied — a 1.20 X-Mod means you're paying 20% more than the class average; a 0.85 X-Mod means you're paying 15% less. Payroll misclassification (running field labor under an office-staff code) and uncorrected claim reserves are the two most common reasons X-Mods stay elevated longer than they should. We review both at every renewal.
Yes. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) requires every licensed contractor to maintain a $25,000 contractor license bond as a condition of licensure. The bond must be continuous — if it lapses, the CSLB will suspend your license until it is reinstated. The $25,000 is the bond amount (the maximum a claimant could recover), not the premium you pay. Annual premiums for a CSLB contractor license bond are typically modest, and we issue them same day. If you are bidding on public works projects above California's threshold amounts, you may also need a bid bond, a performance bond, and a payment bond — we place those as well.
Contractor Insurance CA is a division of Thrive Risk Management Insurance Solutions, an independent California-licensed brokerage (CA License #6012320) based in Encino. We specialize in California commercial insurance for licensed contractors across all CSLB license classifications. We are not a call center — when you call or submit a quote request, you speak with a licensed advisor who understands trade-specific exposures, GC contract requirements, CSLB compliance, and workers' comp class codes. We do not take an account if we can't genuinely serve it.
Whether you need a fast COI for a new GC, workers' comp for a growing crew, or a full contractor package — one conversation is all it takes.
Insurance is one lever on your cost of risk — safety, claims handling, and licensing compliance are the others. These are the partners and official resources we put in front of California contractors to drive losses (and premiums) down. GotSafety is our official safety-program partner; the rest are independent vendors and government resources we trust.
Our official safety-program partner — a Cal/OSHA-ready IIPP, jobsite training, and toolbox talks carriers reward. Thrive clients get preferred onboarding through their advisor.
gotsafety.com →On-demand safety professionals for jobsite audits, crew training, and OSHA support.
Visit site →Transitional / return-to-work placements that shorten workers’ comp claims and limit severity — a major driver of your experience mod.
Visit site →California Contractors State License Board — license classifications, the $25K license bond, and compliance.
cslb.ca.gov →Federal construction-industry safety standards (29 CFR 1926) that govern your jobsites.
osha.gov →Vendors listed are independent companies and not affiliated with Thrive Risk Management unless noted as an official partner. We receive no referral commission. The GotSafety client enrollment portal is reserved for active Thrive clients; contact your advisor to enroll.