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Insurance for Contractors

Coverage built around certificates, bids, crews, and equipment, the way contracting actually works in Central and Upstate New York.
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Independent Advice

We work for you, not the insurance companies.

Employee-Owned

A team committed to your business and your success.

Six Local Offices

Proudly serving Central & Upstate New York.

Why Contractors Choose Us

Insurance that keeps up with the job

Contractor coverage needs to work when the job changes, not just when the policy comes up for renewal.

Coverage that matches your contracts

Certificates, endorsements, and limits matched to what the contract requires.

Built around how you work

Coverage based on your crews, vehicles, equipment, subcontractors, and actual operations.

People who know your account

Certificates, audits, and policy changes handled by a team you can reach when something comes up.

Who We Work With

Built for contractors of all kinds

That same practical approach works across a wide range of trades, from small specialty contractors to larger operations with crews, vehicles, and equipment.

  • General Contracting
  • General Contractors
  • Remodeling
  • Carpentry & Framing
  • Building Trades
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing & HVAC
  • Roofing
  • Site & Structural
  • Excavation & Site Work
  • Masonry & Concrete
Don’t see your trade? We insure many other contractor specialties throughout Central and Upstate New York.

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The Contractor Program

Coverage contractors carry

Four coverages do the heavy lifting on nearly every contractor program. The rest get added as the work grows into them.

Core Coverage

General liability

The certificate every job asks for first, at the limits the contract demands.

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Workers' compensation

Mandatory with employees, and your largest lever on cost.

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Commercial auto

Trucks, trailers, and the crews that drive lake-effect miles.

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Inland & ocean marine

Tools and machines covered on site, in transit, and in the yard.

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Additional Coverage

Surety bonds

Bid and performance bonds for public work.

Commercial umbrella

The extra millions bigger contracts demand.

Environmental & pollution

The pollution gap general liability excludes.

Paid Family Leave & DBL

New York's other mandate, handled.

Know Before You Bid

Make sure your coverage matches the contract

Project owners and general contractors can require specific endorsements, certificate wording, and bond capacity before your crew gets on site.
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Additional insured requirements

The certificate needs the right endorsement behind it, not just a name added to the form.

Certificate wording

Project owners may require specific holder, waiver, primary and noncontributory, or completed-operations wording.

Bid, performance, and payment bonds

Public work may require bond capacity before bid day, so the paperwork needs to be ready early.

Need a certificate for an active job? Call 315-598-6000 with the project details and required wording.

Understanding Your Premium

What actually moves your insurance cost

Contractor premiums are built from the details of how you work. The more accurately those details are represented, the easier it is to make sure you are paying for the right risk not mistakes in the paperwork.
  • Your Work

Trade and job types

Roofing, excavation, remodeling, public work, height, and depth can all change how a carrier prices the account.

  • Your People

Payroll and class codes

Premium follows what employees actually do. Incorrect classifications can quietly inflate workers’ compensation costs.

  • Your History

Claims and experience mod

Your loss history and experience modifier influence how carriers view the risk and what you pay for it.

  • Your Subs

Subcontractor controls

Missing certificates or uninsured subcontractors can create unexpected costs when the policy is audited.

  • Your Fleet

Vehicles and driving radius

The trucks you run, who drives them, and how far crews travel all factor into commercial auto pricing.

  • Your Equipment

Tools and equipment values

Accurate schedules help keep valuable tools and machinery insured without carrying outdated or unnecessary values.

Before You Shop Carriers

A better premium often starts with better information.

We review classifications, certificates, payroll, vehicle and equipment schedules, and the way your operations are described before assuming the answer is simply another carrier.

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Good To Know

Contractor insurance FAQs

Quick answers to common questions from New York contractors and trades.
At minimum: workers’ compensation and DBL if you have any employees, commercial auto on registered work vehicles, and the general liability limits your contracts require. Most contractors add inland marine for tools and equipment, and bonds if they bid public work.
It depends on your trade, payroll, equipment values, and claims history, which is why two contractors on the same street can pay very different premiums. A quote built from your actual operations is the only real number, and a class-code review often finds money on its own.
They should carry it, and you should collect a certificate from every one. New York looks at the working relationship, not the label, and at audit time uninsured subs are treated as your payroll.
Certificates are part of nearly every job and contract. Request one from your advisor with the project details and any additional insured wording your contract calls for.

Local To Your Job Sites

Six offices across Central and Upstate New York

Local advisors understand the projects, municipalities, and conditions your crews work in. Find guidance in your area:
Oswego County
Northern Oswego & Tug Hill
Oneida County
Syracuse & Onondaga County
Wayne County
Finger Lakes Region
Rochester & Monroe County
“Eastern Shore handled our COI the same afternoon we called. When a claim hit, the same person picked up the phone. That is what an insurance partner is supposed to look like.”
Mark S.
Business Owner, Oswego, NY
“Eastern Shore handled our COI the same afternoon we called. When a claim hit, the same person picked up the phone. That is what an insurance partner is supposed to look like.”
Mark S.
Business Owner, Oswego, NY
“Eastern Shore handled our COI the same afternoon we called. When a claim hit, the same person picked up the phone. That is what an insurance partner is supposed to look like.”
Mark S.
Business Owner, Oswego, NY