Contractor Insurance in San Antonio, Texas
Contractor insurance in San Antonio, TX: general liability for DSD registration, workers' comp, painters, electricians and remodelers. Call (949) 868-7350.
INSURANCE TIPS
11/10/20264 min read
Whether you remodel homes on the Westside, paint in Alamo Heights or build new homes in Stone Oak and New Braunfels, your insurance has two jobs. It lets you register and pull permits with the City of San Antonio, and it gets you onto jobs where the general contractor wants proof of coverage before you start. Here is what Bexar County contractors need for both.
Step 1: Register with the City of San Antonio
Texas has no state license for general contractors, painters or carpenters, but San Antonio's Development Services Department (DSD) requires registration to pull residential permits. For each registration, your certificate of insurance must list the City of San Antonio as certificate holder:
Home Improvement Contractor (non-structural remodeling): general liability of $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate and $300,000 completed operations. $150 fee for two years.
Residential Building Contractor (new homes, additions, structural remodeling and foundations): general liability of $500,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 aggregate and $500,000 completed operations, plus a residential ICC certification. $170 fee for two years.
Commercial general contractors: the city requires no registration, but owners and GCs still require insurance.
Electricians, plumbers and HVAC: state trade license plus city registration.
Both residential registrations also require an FBI background check. We prepare the certificate with the exact limits DSD asks for and track your renewal date.
Step 2: Meet what general contractors ask for
The city's limits are the minimum. Most San Antonio builders and general contractors ask their subs for:
General Liability of $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate
Additional insured status for the GC (and often the owner)
Waiver of subrogation and primary/non-contributory wording
Proof of Workers' Compensation, even though Texas doesn't require it
We quote both the city minimums and contract-ready limits so you can compare the cost of each.
Step 3: Workers' comp insurance in San Antonio
Texas is the only state where most private employers can choose not to carry workers' comp. Without it you lose key legal defenses if an injured worker sues, and most San Antonio builders require it before you step on site. On city, county and military base projects, every subcontractor must carry it. We shop private carriers, with Texas Mutual as a backstop for trades others won't write.
Step 4: The coverage that protects your trucks and tools
Commercial Auto. Your personal policy may not cover an accident while driving for work on I-35, I-10, Loop 410 or 1604.
Tools & Equipment (inland marine). Covers theft of your generator, compressor and tools from the job site or your truck.
Builders Risk. Protects the structure and materials during construction, including hail, which hits San Antonio almost every spring.
Contractor insurance by trade in San Antonio
General contractor insurance in San Antonio
As a general contractor you answer for everything on the job, including your subs' work. You need general liability with completed operations, because a leak or foundation crack claim can show up years later, and on San Antonio's clay soils foundation claims are common. Builders risk during construction and certificates from every sub, with you as additional insured, round it out.
Painting contractor insurance in San Antonio
Painters need general liability that covers damage to customer property, like paint on floors, furniture or the neighbor's car from overspray. If you have helpers, workers' comp protects your crew on ladders and scaffolding. In pre-1978 homes, common in Monte Vista, King William and Southtown, the EPA requires lead-safe certification.
Pricing: General Liability for Texas painters from $750 a year (about $63 a month).
Electrical contractor insurance in San Antonio
Electricians need a TDLR license, San Antonio DSD registration and general liability that meets state minimums and what each builder asks for. We quote general liability and workers' comp for your helpers and apprentices.
Pricing: General Liability for Texas electricians from $700 a year (about $58 a month).
Remodeling contractor insurance in San Antonio
To remodel kitchens, baths, floors or drywall in San Antonio you need the Home Improvement Contractor registration with a general liability certificate. We build the policy with completed operations so you stay covered after the job is done.
Pricing: General Liability for interior carpentry and finish work from $1,000 a year (about $83 a month).
Other trades
Landscaping and irrigation: general liability, Commercial Auto for trailers and equipment, and certificates for HOAs.
Trucking and hauling: Commercial Auto for work trucks, dump trucks and hot shot rigs.
Roofers: we work with carriers that want roofing. See Texas roofing contractor insurance.
Excavation and concrete: general liability with XCU coverage and equipment. See Texas excavation contractor insurance.
These starting prices are for a new or small business with no prior claims; your actual price depends on your work, limits, employees, payroll and experience. Pricing updated November 2026.
New Braunfels, Schertz, Boerne and Nearby Cities
We work with contractors across the San Antonio metro and Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties: New Braunfels, Schertz, Cibolo, Converse, Boerne, Helotes, Seguin and Universal City. Each city runs its own permit process, but builders ask for the same things: $1M/$2M general liability, additional insured status and proof of workers' comp. We send the certificate the same day.
Get covered in San Antonio
Hard Hat Insurance is the marketing division of Bearstar Insurance Services, licensed in Texas (#2964780). Get a free quote or call (949) 868-7350. Se habla español.
Related: Texas contractor insurance · Austin contractor insurance · Texas roofing contractor insurance · Dallas contractor insurance · Houston contractor insurance
Contact
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info@hardhatinsurance.net
Hard Hat Insurance is a specialized marketing division of Bearstar Insurance Services.
Insurance services provided by Bearstar Insurance Services.
Jesus Galvan is a licensed insurance broker in CA, ID, NV, OR, TX and WA, serving contractors in AZ, CO and across the western U.S. California License #4291921.
Other license numbers available upon request. Coverage availability varies by state.
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