Coverage by Trade

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12 policy types

Coverage types, one page each

A certificate of insurance has a handful of lines, and the names on them are the same across every trade. These pages say what each line covers, whether a law or a contract is what usually demands it, and which of the 37 trades here carry it.

1234
  1. 1Trades needing GL 37
  2. 2Trades with WC listed 37
  3. 3Trades with auto 32
  4. 4Fixed by federal law 1 of 12
Property$0.75MOil$1MHazardous substances in bulk$5MBulk explosives, bulk Hazard$5M
Minimum public-liability financial responsibility under 49 CFR 387.9, bars to scale.
General liabilityThird-party bodily injury and property damage arising from your operations, premises and completed work. · 37 tradesWorkers' compensationMedical costs and lost wages for employees injured at work, in exchange for which employees give up the right to sue. · 37 tradesCommercial auto liabilityLiability for vehicles owned or used by the business; physical damage is optional. · 32 tradesHired and non-owned autoLiability when employees drive their own cars or rented vehicles on company business. · 10 tradesInland marine (tools and equipment)Your tools, equipment and materials in transit or on a job site, which a property policy excludes once they leave your premises. · 23 tradesProfessional liability (E&O)Financial loss a client suffers from your advice, design or service rather than from physical damage. · 10 tradesCommercial umbrella / excessExtra limits above GL, auto and employer's liability. · 24 tradesSurety bondA guarantee to a third party that you will perform or comply; not insurance for you, but a credit instrument. · 18 tradesLiquor liabilityLiability for injury caused by an intoxicated person you served. · 2 tradesMotor truck cargoThe freight in your care, custody and control. · 8 tradesAbuse and molestation liabilityClaims arising from alleged abuse of people in your care. · 4 tradesCyber liabilityData breach response, ransomware and liability for client data. · 4 trades

Which lines a law fixes

Only a few of these are statutory. Workers' compensation is required by state law once a business has employees, in nearly every state, with thresholds that vary and are not reproduced here. Commercial auto is required at the state minimum for any vehicle, and at the federal 49 CFR 387.9 minimums — $750,000 for non-hazardous freight — for interstate for-hire carriers running vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR and up. Liquor liability is a condition of most state liquor licences. Everything else on this list is contractual: general contractors, landlords, brokers, shippers and clients ask for it, and licensing boards sometimes do.

Sources: 49 CFR 387.9 — Schedule of limits, public liability (eCFR); coverage descriptions are editorial. Checked 2026-10-23.