Commercial HVAC
Coverage built for contractors working on rooftop units, chillers, and mechanical rooms in office buildings, retail spaces, and industrial properties. The certificates and endorsements your GCs require — handled fast.
Commercial HVAC work carries risk that generic contractor insurance doesn't anticipate. You're servicing rooftop units above occupied space, working inside mechanical rooms with combustion appliances, and connecting to gas lines that serve entire buildings. A missed step in venting or a bad refrigerant connection isn't a callback — it's a claim with real severity behind it.
Commercial HVAC jobs rarely happen in isolation. On new construction, you're one of several trades on site — electrical, plumbing, sheet metal — often working in the same mechanical spaces or ceiling cavities within days of each other, which means your liability exposure isn't just about your own work, it's about how your work interacts with everyone else's. Mechanical permits add another layer: most jurisdictions require a permit for gas line work, new equipment installs, and major system changes, and the GC or building department may ask for proof of insurance as part of that permit process, separate from the certificate your GC already has on file. Keep both in mind before mobilizing on a commercial job.
The foundation of any commercial HVAC program, but it has to actually respond to the exposure you carry. Covers third-party bodily injury and property damage — a carbon monoxide incident from a poorly vented rooftop unit, a leak that damages tenant space below, or a mechanical failure that disrupts building operations. Most commercial contracts require a minimum of $1M/$2M, and many require $2M/$4M for larger mechanical projects.
A commercial install that fails months after commissioning is a real exposure in this trade — a chiller that leaks, a rooftop unit that malfunctions, a boiler that develops a combustion problem. These failures tend to surface later than a typical construction defect because HVAC systems often run fine through a full season before a marginal install shows its weakness. Completed operations coverage responds to failures that surface well after your crew has left the site, which is exactly why GCs scrutinize this coverage more closely on mechanical subs than on other trades.
GCs and property managers are typically stricter about additional insured and waiver of subrogation language on HVAC subcontracts than on lighter trades, precisely because a mechanical failure can affect an entire building's operations rather than one isolated area. A blanket additional insured endorsement covers any GC or owner you work for without adding them one by one, and a waiver of subrogation prevents your carrier from pursuing recovery from the GC if they pay a claim tied to your work — both are close to non-negotiable on commercial mechanical contracts, and we build them into your policy as standard.
A commercial-grade recovery machine, a full set of manifold gauges, a combustion analyzer, brazing equipment — a rooftop or mechanical-room job site isn't kind to gear left in an open truck bed, and standard GL won't replace any of it if it's stolen or damaged. Inland marine coverage follows your equipment between job sites instead of sitting tied to a fixed location.
Some GC contracts require your insurance to be primary and non-contributory, meaning your policy responds first before any other coverage on site — a common ask on multi-trade commercial jobs where several subs' policies could otherwise be pulled into the same claim. This is an endorsement we can add when required by contract.
Commercial mechanical work almost always requires a certificate of insurance before you can mobilize — and sometimes a second one for the permit office if your scope includes gas line work. Once you bind coverage with us, your COI is issued instantly — ready to send to your GC, property manager, or permitting office the same day you need it.
$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate is the baseline most commercial mechanical contracts open with, but it's rarely where larger jobs land — government contracts, hospital and school work, and anything touching a central plant tend to land at $2M/$4M once the reviewing GC sees the scope. We'll quote both limits up front so a bigger contract doesn't stall your mobilization while you wait on an endorsement.
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FAQ
Most commercial contracts require a minimum of $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate. Larger mechanical projects and government contracts often require $2M/$4M. We can quote both.
Yes — a chiller, rooftop unit, or boiler that fails months after commissioning is a real exposure. Completed operations coverage responds to mechanical failures that surface after your crew has left the site.
A mechanical failure can affect an entire building's operations, not just one isolated area, which is why GCs and property managers push harder on this language for mechanical subs than for lighter trades. We build both into your policy as standard.
Often yes. Many jurisdictions require proof of insurance as part of the gas or mechanical permit application, separate from whatever certificate your GC already has on file. Tell us if your permit office needs specific language.
Yes. Multi-trade job sites are the norm on new construction, and your liability exposure includes how your work interacts with electrical, plumbing, and sheet metal crews working the same spaces. Tell us your setup on the quote form and we'll structure the coverage accordingly.
Licensed agents build your custom quote — typically same business day. Review, enroll, and get your COI instantly.