A general liability policy can look complete on a certificate and still exclude the work that defines your business. For contractors, the exclusions are where coverage is quietly won or lost.
Why construction GL is full of exclusions
Construction is high-risk, so carriers manage their exposure with exclusions and limitations. The result is that two policies with the same limit can respond very differently, depending on what they exclude. A certificate shows the limits and coverage types, not the exclusions, which is why the policy form has to be read against your actual operations.
The exclusions to check
Several recur. Residential or new-residential exclusions can bar coverage for home work, a problem if your jobs mix residential and commercial. Subcontractor exclusions limit coverage for work performed by subs, or condition it on the sub’s own insurance. Action-over exclusions bar employee injury claims routed through a third party like a GC, a significant gap. Height limitations matter for roofers and exterior trades. EIFS exclusions affect synthetic stucco and adjacent work. And pollution exclusions affect excavation, HVAC, and plumbing.
Faulty work versus resulting damage
A related point of confusion: general liability generally does not pay to redo your own defective work, but it can cover resulting damage to other property. Knowing where that line sits keeps your expectations and your coverage aligned.
What to do
Do not rely on a certificate or a summary. Have the policy read against the work you actually perform, residential or commercial, the heights you work at, the methods you use, the subs you hire, and confirm that none of the exclusions would deny your core operation. A coverage review does exactly that, and it is the cheapest insurance against a denied claim.