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Restoration contractor insurance

The work that fixes the loss carries risks a standard policy excludes.

Restoration is different from general contracting. You handle contaminated water, soot, and mold, you store the customer's belongings, and you work on already-damaged buildings. Those are exactly the pollution, care-custody-control, and professional exposures a generic contractor policy is written to exclude. We are independent, so we build the program around the restoration work you actually do.

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Restoration contractors need coverage a standard contractor policy is written to exclude: contractors pollution liability, mold, care-custody-control, and professional liability, on top of the general liability, workers compensation, and equipment base. The gap that hurts is between the contaminated, stored, and already-damaged work you do and what a generic policy covers. We are independent, so we build the program around the restoration work you actually perform.

IICRC S500 sorts every water loss into three categories, and Category 2 and 3 water can meet a policy definition of a pollutant (IICRC S500). That single fact is why a standard general liability pollution exclusion can quietly gut a restoration claim, and why pollution and mold coverage sit at the center of the program rather than the edge.

The real risk

The claim is rarely the surprise. The exclusion is.

A mold claim on a policy that excludes mold. A contents loss the care-custody-control exclusion denies. A failed clearance that general liability was never meant to cover. In restoration, the damage usually comes from a gap between what the work involves and what a generic contractor policy actually covers. We build the program so that gap is not there.

By restoration type

Coverage shaped to the restoration you do.

Water, fire, mold, biohazard, storm, and reconstruction each carry different exposure. Start with yours.

Water Damage Restoration

Contaminated water, mold, and care-custody-control exposure GL misses.

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Fire & Smoke Restoration

Soot as a pollutant, contents handling, and storage.

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Mold Remediation

The exposure most policies are written to exclude.

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Storm & Catastrophe

Multi-state deployment, surge crews, mobile equipment.

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Reconstruction

Construction risk layered on the restoration side.

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Contents Restoration

Pack-out, cleaning, and storage of customer property.

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Biohazard & Trauma Cleanup

Pathogens and pollution standard GL excludes.

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Board-Up & Mitigation

First response on damaged, unstable structures.

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Another specialty? Tell us what you do
By coverage

The coverages restoration actually needs.

The restoration-specific coverages, plus the base a contractor program is built on.

Contractors Pollution Liability

Contaminated water, soot, sewage, and mold GL excludes.

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Mold Liability

Coverage for the peril standard forms exclude.

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Professional Liability (E&O)

Failed clearances, incomplete work, scope disputes.

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Care, Custody & Control

Damage to the property you work on and store.

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Equipment & Inland Marine

Air movers, dehumidifiers, and gear in transit and at the loss.

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General Liability

The base, with pollution and care exclusions read carefully.

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Workers Compensation

Class codes, audits, and surge-labor exposure.

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Commercial Auto

Trucks, trailers, and hired and non-owned exposure.

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When restorers call us

Certificates, contracts, compliance, and reviews.

Most of what a restorer needs is a clear answer at a moment that matters, not just a quote.

Restoration Coverage Review

A second opinion on whether pollution, mold, and care-custody-control are actually covered.

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Certificate of Insurance & Additional Insured

A TPA, insurer, or property manager asked for a COI. Start here.

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Contract Insurance Review

Send us the insurance exhibit and we will check it before you sign.

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Restoration Compliance

Certifications, mold licensing, EPA rules, and waste handling.

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Learn

Guides, answers, and a glossary, in plain language.

The restoration Learning Center covers pollution, mold, care-custody-control, professional liability, and certificates, written and reviewed by a real advisor.

Restoration Learning Center

Straight answers, organized by topic.

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Compliance & Standards

Certifications, mold licensing, EPA rules, waste.

Read →

Restoration Glossary

CPL, care-custody-control, IICRC, defined.

Look it up →
By state

Restoration rules change at the state line.

Mold licensing, the EPA lead rule, and construction licensing vary by state. Texas licenses mold work; Oregon, Utah, and Washington run their own lead programs. Pick yours.

Oregon California Washington Idaho Utah Nevada Arizona Montana Colorado Texas New Mexico
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Compare your coverage

Does your policy actually cover the restoration you do?

Tell us about the work, the water categories, the mold, the storage, and the contracts, and we will check whether pollution, mold, care-custody-control, and professional exposure are actually covered. No pressure, no obligation.

We confirm pollution and mold are covered, not excluded
We size care-custody-control to what you store
We add professional liability for protocol claims
You get a clear read, no obligation
Why restorers work with us

We know where restoration policies fail.

Independent means your interests come first. We know the exclusions that quietly gut a restoration program, pollution, mold, care-custody-control, and professional, and we build coverage that closes them before a claim finds them.

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Frequently asked

Restoration contractor insurance questions

What insurance do restoration contractors need?
A restoration program starts with general liability, workers compensation, commercial auto, and equipment coverage, then adds the lines a standard contractor policy excludes: contractors pollution liability, mold, care custody and control, and often professional liability. The base is the same as any contractor. The difference is the restoration-specific coverage that answers for contamination, mold, and the customer property in your care.
Why is a standard contractor policy not enough for restoration?
Because the work is different. Restoration handles contaminated water and soot, grows mold if a job runs long, and stores the customer belongings. A general liability policy written for a generic contractor carries a pollution exclusion, excludes or sublimits mold, and limits damage to property in your care. Those are the three exposures at the center of restoration, so a generic policy can deny a claim in your core work.
Does general liability cover mold and pollution?
Usually not on its own. Standard general liability carries a broad pollution exclusion and commonly excludes or sublimits mold. Contractors pollution liability and mold coverage are what respond, and whether they do depends on the specific form and endorsements rather than the label on the certificate.
What is care, custody, and control?
It is damage to property that is in your care while you work on or store it. General liability often excludes it, and restoration constantly involves the customer building and contents, from pack-outs to on-site drying. Care, custody, and control coverage is what answers for that damage, and it is a common gap in a generic contractor policy.
How much does restoration insurance cost?
It is priced off payroll, revenue, the categories of work you do, and loss history. As a reference point, restoration general liability commonly runs about $500 to $3,000 a year on its own, and a program that adds $1 million of contractors pollution liability often starts around $3,500 a year for the combined coverage. Mold and biohazard work read higher. Your number depends on the operation, which is why we quote it.
Do I need different coverage for water, fire, and mold work?
The base is the same, but the exposures differ, so the endorsements do too. Water work leans on pollution and care-custody-control, fire adds soot as a pollutant and heavy contents handling, and mold is the peril most forms are written to exclude. We build the program around the mix of work you actually do rather than a single template.
What licensing do restoration contractors need in Oregon?
Restoration work in Oregon needs a Construction Contractors Board license, a bond, and general liability. Disturbing paint in pre-1978 housing requires the CCB lead-based paint renovation certification, and asbestos work is regulated by DEQ. Oregon does not license mold work separately, but your insurance still has to be built to cover it. Other western states we serve are set up much the same way.
Do referral networks and TPAs require specific certificates?
Commonly yes. Third-party administrators, property managers, and insurers that refer work often require certificates with specific additional insured, waiver of subrogation, and primary and noncontributory wording. We make sure the endorsements behind the certificate are actually in force, not just named on paper.

Reviewed for insurance accuracy by Richard Sweet, Vantage Point Risk. Last reviewed July 16, 2026. How we review this.

Independent, restoration-first

Find out what a claim in your core work would expose.

Tell us about the restoration you do and the contracts you sign, and we will give you a straight read on the exclusions, the endorsements, and the limits. No pressure, no obligation.