Welding is hot work, and hot work starts fires. That is the claim your policy has to answer.

OSHA requires a trained fire watch during welding and cutting whenever combustible material within a 35-foot radius cannot be moved or protected, held for at least 30 minutes after the work ends (OSHA 1910.252). Fire is the defining welding claim, and insurers look for these controls.

Why fire is the exposure that defines welding

Welding produces sparks, slag, and heat, and most of the trade's serious claims come from one of them landing on something combustible. On a client's site, that can mean an ignited wall cavity, a stored-material fire, or a smoldering ember that flares hours later. A single spark can turn a routine job into a major fire loss, which is why general liability, and specifically how it treats hot work, sits at the center of a welding program.

Your welders are rated for workers comp under class code 3365 when welding is the business, though welding done as part of another operation is sometimes rated under that operation's code. The classification should match how you actually work.

What each coverage actually does for you

General liability is the base, and it is where a fire from your hot work is covered, along with completed operations on the welds themselves. Workers compensation covers your welders and the burn, fume, and fire exposure. Commercial auto covers the service trucks and welding rigs.

Tools and equipment protects the machines, generators, and portable rigs on site and in transit. A business owners policy bundles general liability with property for a shop-based operation, and an umbrella adds limit above the program, which matters when a fire loss runs high.

Hot work, fire watch, and the wording to check

Here is the part to read closely, because it is where a fire claim is won or lost. Many general liability policies for welders carry hot-work conditions or expect you to follow fire-watch procedures, and a fire claim can be scrutinized against whether you did. The OSHA standard is the benchmark: a trained fire watch when combustibles within 35 feet cannot be moved, held 30 minutes after the work, with the welder not doubling as the watch, and a hot-work permit on many sites. Following those rules is both the safe practice and the thing that keeps your coverage intact. Confirm the policy covers off-premises and mobile hot work if you weld on site.

What it costs, and what moves the number

Welding pricing varies with the fire exposure and where you work, so treat any single figure with caution. As a reference point, a small welding contractor often sees general liability from about $1,200 to $4,000 or more a year, with workers comp separately on class code 3365. Your own number depends on real details:

• On-site and mobile versus shop. Working near a client's combustible property raises the fire exposure and cost.
• Structural welding. Structural work adds a completed-operations and failure exposure.
• Payroll and crew size. Workers comp is a rate on 3365 payroll.
• Fire-watch and hot-work controls. Documented procedures can help insurability.
• Loss history. Fire and weld-failure claims weigh heavily on renewal.

The exclusions that get welding claims denied

The honest downside a brochure skips:

• Hot-work conditions. A policy may restrict hot work or require fire-watch procedures that must be followed for a fire claim to pay.
• Faulty workmanship. Redoing your own bad weld is generally not covered, though resulting damage may be.
• Completed-operations limits. Structural weld failures surface later, so the coverage has to stay in force at adequate limits.
• Uninsured subcontractors. A sub without coverage lands on your audit as your payroll.

Licensing and standards, by state

Requirements vary across the western states we serve, so confirm yours rather than assuming. In Oregon, welding contractors register with the CCB when doing construction work and carry general liability. In California, welding falls under the CSLB C-60 Welding classification, covering permanent metal joining by gas or electric heat, with a $25,000 contractor bond (CSLB). OSHA hot-work rules apply on every job. Your state page below has the local specifics.

How a market check usually plays out

Welding carries a serious fire exposure, so carriers underwrite it carefully, especially for on-site and mobile work. The value of an independent agency here is reaching the markets that write hot work and confirming the policy covers off-premises welding and treats your fire-watch procedures fairly. On a welding account, the coverage that matters is in the hot-work wording, not the sticker price.

Questions to ask before you buy a welding policy

• Does my general liability cover fire from my hot work, on site and off premises?
• Are there hot-work conditions or fire-watch requirements I have to meet for a fire claim to pay?
• Does my completed operations cover structural weld failures at adequate limits?
• Is my payroll on class code 3365, or correctly rated for the work I do?
• Are my machines and rig covered on site and in transit?