Do my subcontractors need their own general liability policy?

Yes — every sub working under your business should carry active GL of their own. A sub without coverage shifts their liability exposure back onto you as the contractor of record.

What should I collect from a sub before they start a job?

A current certificate of insurance showing active GL, ideally with your business named as additional insured. Confirm the COI hasn't expired before the sub sets foot on site.

Am I liable if an uninsured sub damages a client's property?

Often yes, in practice — the client hired your business, and an uninsured sub's liability commonly flows back to you as the general contractor on the job.

Can a solo subcontractor skip workers' comp?

Some states allow a sole proprietor exemption, but the rules and paperwork vary, and an exemption can be challenged if the actual working relationship looks like employment rather than an independent contract.

Does using subs instead of employees lower my own insurance cost?

Often the direct cost is lower, but you take on responsibility for verifying every sub's coverage — an underinsured sub can create liability exposure that offsets some of that savings.

Insurance Requirements for Drywall Subcontractors

Hiring Subs Doesn't Transfer Your Liability — It Adds a New Layer

Bringing on a 1099 subcontractor to hang or finish a job doesn't remove you from the liability chain. If that sub causes damage or gets hurt and isn't properly insured, the claim often finds its way back to your policy — or worse, your own coverage — because you're the business the client actually hired.

The Certificate of Insurance Every Sub Should Hand You First

Before a subcontractor sets foot on a job, collect a current certificate of insurance showing active general liability — ideally matching or exceeding your own limits. See our certificate of insurance page for what a valid COI actually needs to show, and don't accept an expired or generic one.

Additional Insured Status Runs Both Directions

Just as GCs typically require you as additional insured on your policy, it's worth requiring your own subs to name your business as additional insured on theirs. This keeps a claim arising from their work from defaulting straight to your policy first.

An Uninsured Sub Is a Gap in Your Own Coverage, Not Theirs

If a sub causes damage and carries no GL of their own, the client's claim doesn't disappear — it typically lands on you as the contractor of record. See our page on the risks of going uninsured for how quickly one uncovered claim outpaces years of premium.

Workers' Comp Exemptions for Sole Proprietor Subs

A sub who's genuinely a one-person operation may be able to file a workers' comp exemption in some states, but rules vary and an exemption on paper doesn't always hold up if the working relationship looks more like employment than an independent contract. Worth confirming rather than assuming.

How This Shapes Your Own Quote

Tell us how much of your work runs through subs versus your own crew, and we'll structure your policy — and the paperwork you should be collecting from each sub — to match how your business actually operates. See our cost comparison page for how sub-heavy versus employee-heavy setups price differently.