Demolition insurance that doesn’t exclude the demolition — nationwide.

Demolition is treated by underwriters as one of the highest-hazard trades in construction, so most admitted carriers either decline it or issue a general liability policy with the structural-collapse, subsidence, and “demolition operations” exclusions left in. Those exclusions carve out the exact work you do — bringing a structure down and the collateral damage that can follow — which means a claim from a partial collapse or adjacent-property damage can be denied. Because of the collapse, struck-by, and pollution exposure, demolition is largely an Excess & Surplus (E&S) story: coverage is placed through specialty carriers that underwrite the risk and write the form to actually respond, rather than a standard package that looks cheaper until it’s tested.

Contractors pollution liability (CPL) covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and cleanup costs from pollution conditions caused by your work. For demolition that is a core line, not an add-on: tearing into an existing structure releases asbestos, lead paint, and silica dust, and a standard general liability policy almost always excludes pollution. The federal asbestos NESHAP rule requires a thorough asbestos inspection before virtually any commercial demolition, which tells you how central the contamination exposure is. Many GC and owner contracts now require CPL by name. Note that asbestos, lead, and silica are sometimes sub-limited or need to be specifically scheduled — so the wording matters as much as the limit.

It is set by the subcontract, not by a state minimum. A common baseline is $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate on general liability, but demolition GCs and project owners frequently require substantially higher total limits — $5M, $10M, or more — satisfied by stacking an umbrella or excess policy above the GL and auto. The contract will usually also demand additional-insured status on both ongoing and completed operations (CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 are the common ISO forms), a waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording. We read the insurance exhibit in your contract and structure the program and the certificate to match it.

Workers’ comp is priced on class code and payroll, and demolition/wrecking sits in some of the highest-rated construction classes because of the struck-by, caught-in, fall, and silica-exposure hazards. The premium reflects real loss history for the trade. The way to control it is to be classified correctly — using a cheaper, wrong class code to lower the quote backfires at audit and can void coverage — and to bring down your experience modification over time with a documented safety program, fall and silica controls, and a clean claims record. We place WC under the right demolition class codes and work the markets that price the trade fairly rather than punitively.

It depends entirely on the state and the locality, and it is one of the things contractors get wrong when they expand. Some states license demolition specifically — California, for example, issues a C-21 Building Moving/Demolition contractor classification. Other states, including Texas, have no statewide demolition contractor license and instead regulate the work through municipal permits and environmental notifications. Dense cities layer their own permitting on top — New York City requires Department of Buildings demolition filings and licensed contractors. Your insurance has to line up with however your work is authorized in each jurisdiction, which is why the requirements live on our state pages.

Two things in addition to your general liability: contractors pollution liability that specifically covers asbestos and lead, and proof that you have met the regulatory notification and survey requirements. Federal NESHAP rules require a pre-demolition asbestos inspection for essentially all commercial structures, and most states require advance written notification before any demolition even when no asbestos is found. Lead paint adds its own exposure. Because standard GL excludes pollution and some CPL forms sub-limit or exclude asbestos and lead specifically, the key is confirming those contaminants are actually scheduled on the policy. We confirm the pollution wording covers the contaminants your job will disturb, not just generic “pollution.”

Yes. Demolition Insurance Pros is the national demolition practice of Thrive Risk Management Insurance Solutions, a licensed insurance brokerage (CA License #6012320). We place coverage nationally through our appointed specialty and wholesale partners, so we can structure a program around your state’s licensing, asbestos-notification, and air-quality rules wherever you operate — and around the GC contract limits you have to meet. Start with your state page or request a quote and we’ll confirm we can write your market before you spend time on paperwork.