Do I need insurance for a single small residential job, or just bigger remodels?

Job size doesn't really change the exposure — a scratched floor or a trip-and-fall can happen on a one-day trim job just as easily as a full remodel. More homeowners and property managers are asking for proof of coverage regardless of job size.

Can a claim happen on a deck I built if nothing went wrong during the job?

Yes. Structural issues sometimes surface months or years after installation — improper flashing, movement, water intrusion. Completed operations coverage, part of your GL policy, responds to these claims tied back to your original work.

How much does residential carpenter insurance typically cost?

Most solo residential carpenters pay $500–$1,000 a year for GL. Adding tools and equipment coverage brings the total to roughly $700–$1,400, and an installation floater is priced separately if cabinetry or millwork installation is part of your work.

Residential Carpenter Insurance

Q: What covers custom cabinets sitting in a client's garage before I install them?

Not your GL policy and not their homeowner's insurance — that gap is what an installation floater is for. It covers custom materials from delivery through completed installation, which is worth having if cabinetry or millwork is a regular part of your work.

Q: Do property management companies require different coverage than individual homeowners?

Often they want more standardized proof — typically a certificate showing at least $1M per occurrence with the management company named as additional insured, so you're approved across their portfolio rather than job by job.

Homeowners Notice Everything — Which Is Exactly the Point

Residential clients live in the space you're working in, which means they see every scuff, every bit of dust, every piece of lumber staged in the driveway. That visibility is exactly why more homeowners and property managers now ask for proof of insurance before a carpenter starts, even on smaller jobs. It's not that residential work is riskier than commercial — it's that the person affected by a mistake is standing in their own kitchen when it happens, not reviewing a punch list days later.

Built-Ins, Custom Cabinetry, and the Coverage Gap Most Carpenters Miss

If you're installing custom cabinetry, built-in shelving, or millwork in someone's home, there's a window where those materials exist in a strange middle ground — delivered, sitting in the garage or a spare room, not yet part of the house. Your general liability doesn't cover that window, and homeowner's insurance typically doesn't either, since the materials aren't the homeowner's property yet. An installation floater is built specifically for this gap: it covers custom materials from delivery through completed installation, which matters more the higher-end the cabinetry or millwork gets.

What Happens When a Deck You Built Two Years Ago Starts to Sag

Some of the costliest residential carpentry claims don't happen on the job — they surface long after you've moved on. A deck ledger board that wasn't flashed correctly starts letting water in. A built-in bookshelf pulls away from the wall it's anchored to. Homeowners don't always call the original carpenter first; sometimes it goes straight to a claim. Completed operations coverage, built into your GL policy, is what responds to these after-the-fact claims — which is part of why letting your coverage lapse between jobs is riskier than it looks.

Property Managers Are Asking For More Than They Used To

If you do repeat work for property management companies — punch-list carpentry, unit turnovers, built-ins across a portfolio of units — expect the requirements to be more standardized than a one-off homeowner job. Most now want a certificate showing at least $1M per occurrence, with the management company named as additional insured, before they'll approve you across their properties rather than just one unit. Once you're bound with us, that certificate is ready the same day, so a new property management relationship doesn't stall out on paperwork.

What It Actually Costs for a Residential Carpenter

Most solo residential carpenters doing trim, built-ins, and general remodel carpentry pay between $500 and $1,000 a year for general liability. Add tools and equipment coverage and the total typically runs $700–$1,400, depending on the value of your gear. If cabinetry or millwork installation is a regular part of your work, factor in an installation floater on top of that — it's priced separately based on the value of materials you typically have in transit or staged at a time.