Roofing insurance that keeps the license active.
Workers' compensation, general liability, commercial auto and CSLB bonds for California roofers, placed with carriers that still write roofing work.
Quick answer Roofers in California are insured through carriers and specialty markets that still accept roofing, one of the classes carriers restrict most, placed by a broker such as Sam Alishahi (CA Insurance License #4348151).
- Many standard insurers won't write roofing at all, which is why roofers often end up with a single quote.
- California's CSLB requires every C-39 roofing licensee to carry workers' compensation whether or not they have employees; without it CSLB suspends the license, or on some licenses with other classifications removes the C-39 classification.
- A California roofer's coverage typically combines workers' compensation, general liability and commercial auto for work vehicles, plus the contractor license bond CSLB requires to keep a license active.
- General liability can cover damage to other property caused by a roofer's completed work, such as ruined interiors, but typically doesn't pay to redo the faulty work itself.
- A new roofing company can usually get insurance through specialty markets, and experience as a roofer before starting the company helps.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · En español · How this page is researched
Roofing is the hardest trade to insure
Falls, fire from torch-down work and water damage to finished interiors make roofing one of the classes carriers restrict most. Many standard markets won't write it at all, which is why roofers often end up with a single quote.
California also requires every C-39 roofing licensee to carry workers' compensation whether or not they have employees. I place roofing workers' comp and liability with carriers and specialty markets that accept the class, and keep the certificates your general contractors ask for coming.
- Workers' compRequired by CSLB for every C-39 license, even with no employees.
- General liabilityDamage to a customer's home and injuries to others, including completed work.
- Commercial autoTrucks and trailers that carry crews and materials.
- License bondThe contractor license bond CSLB requires to keep a license active.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- License: CSLB number and classifications.
- Work: residential, commercial, new or re-roof, and roof types.
- Methods: any hot, torch-down or tear-off work.
- Payroll: employees, payroll and subcontractor costs.
- Revenue: annual gross receipts.
- History: current policies and loss runs.
What C-39 means for your workers' comp
CSLB defines a C-39 roofing contractor as one who "installs products and repairs surfaces that seal, waterproof and weatherproof structures," using materials such as asphaltum, pitch, tar, felt, glass fabric, urethane foam, metal roofing systems, flax, shakes, shingles, roof tile, slate and membrane materials. Beyond the no-exemption rule, two California statutes reach roofers specifically:
- A multi-class license loses the C-39 first: Business and Professions Code 7125(f) says that for a license active on January 1, 2013 that held C-39 along with another classification, the registrar removes the C-39 classification, in lieu of the automatic license suspension, unless a valid workers' comp certificate or self-insurance certification is received. If the registrar then finds that licensee has employees and no valid certificate, the license is automatically suspended. Subdivision (g) applies the same removal to C-8, C-20, C-22 and D-49 on licenses active after July 1, 2023.
- An in-person payroll audit every year: Insurance Code 11665 requires the insurer writing workers' comp for a C-39 roofer to perform an annual payroll audit that includes an in-person visit to your place of business, to verify whether the number of employees you reported is accurate. The insurer may add a surcharge to recoup the reasonable cost of those audits.
What I tell roofers: keep payroll records, subcontractor certificates and crew lists ready for that visit, because the employee count on your application gets checked in person. This version of 7125 stays in effect only until January 1, 2028; what changes on that date is on the 2028 workers' comp page, and you can check your own license with the 2028 check.
Hot asphalt kettles: the Cal/OSHA rules
Cal/OSHA's kettle rules apply wherever kettles, tankers or pots holding more than 5 gallons supply hot asphalt, pitch or like materials (Section 1723). If you run one, have these in place:
- Attendant: within 100 feet whenever the burner flame is on, with no ladders on the route, unless an operating thermostat controls the kettle and arrangements are made for needed service (1725).
- Carrying hot material: no buckets on ladders; one bucket at a time per worker on roofs of 6:12 or steeper; liquid no closer than 4 inches from the top of the bucket (1725).
- On the road: drain the kettle at least 5 inches below the splash rail before moving it on a public street (1725).
- Kettle equipment: tight-closing covers, adjustable supports against tipping, a dipstick-type level indicator, and a Class BC extinguisher near each kettle in use: 8:B.C. under 150 gallons, 16:B.C. for 150 to 350, 20:B.C. above 350 (1726).
- Pumps: a way to stop the flow manually from the roof in an emergency when no attendant is within 100 feet horizontally or 20 feet vertically (1726).
On the application I describe exactly which hot processes you use, kettle, torch-applied membrane or both, and how you staff them. Then I read the classification and any hot-work wording on each quote against that description. The endorsements I read for on any contractor's liability policy are on the contractor insurance page.
Roofing contractor insurance, answered
Do roofers need workers' comp in California if they have no employees?
Yes. CSLB requires C-39 roofing licensees to carry workers' compensation whether or not they have employees. Without it, CSLB suspends the license; on some licenses that also hold other classifications, it removes the C-39 classification instead (Business and Professions Code 7125(f)).
Why is roofing insurance so expensive?
Roofing has high injury rates and costly property damage claims, so fewer carriers write it and workers' comp rates for the class are high. Accurate payroll and a clean loss history help.
Does general liability cover a roof leak after the job?
Liability can cover damage to other property caused by your completed work, such as ruined interiors. It typically doesn't pay to redo faulty work itself.
Can a new roofing company get insurance?
Yes, usually through specialty markets. Experience as a roofer before starting your company helps.
Can a C-39 roofing contractor install solar panels in California?
CSLB's Solar Smart page lists A, B, C-4, C-10, C-36, C-46 and C-53 as the classifications authorized for solar work, each within its own scope; C-39 is not on that list. If you plan to add panels, confirm the classification first and describe the solar work on your insurance application.
At what height do roofers need fall protection in California?
On homes, townhouses and duplexes, Title 8 Section 1731 requires it at 6 feet on slopes up to and including 7:12 and at any height on steeper roofs. On other buildings, Section 1730 sets most triggers at roofs more than 20 feet high, and on low-slope single-unit roofs it applies at any height when equipment pulled by an operator walking backwards is used.
Do you offer roofing contractor insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Official sources
- CSLB: C-39 Roofing Contractor classification
- CSLB: Business and Professions Code 7125
- California Insurance Code 11665
- Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1731, Residential-type Roofing Activities
- Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1730, Roof Hazards
- Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1724, Roofing--General
- Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1723, Application (Article 30)
- Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1725, Handling of Buckets, Kettles and Tankers
- Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1726, Asphalt and Pitch Kettles
- CSLB: Solar Smart
Send your license number. I'll shop it.
Your CSLB number, payroll and revenue are enough to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Some policies may be placed with nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers, which are not members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA).
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