General liability insurance for a solo tradesperson should run $400–$1,200 a year. Most guys are paying closer to $1,500–$2,000 because they called one broker, got one number, and signed.
That's a $500–$800 annual mistake that repeats every renewal.
Why Brokers Quote You High
Brokers are paid on commission — typically 10–15% of your premium. The higher the quote, the more they make. That's not a conspiracy, it's just math.
The other problem: most general brokers don't specialize in trades. They default to the carriers they write the most volume with, not the carriers that are actually competitive for your classification code. A plumber, an electrician, and a junk removal operator all have different risk profiles. A generalist broker treats them the same.
The result is you get quoted on a carrier that isn't hungry for your business.
The Two Carriers Worth Calling First
In practice, two carriers consistently come in 30–40% below market for solo tradespeople with clean loss histories: Markel and Employers Holdings (Employers Insurance).
Markel runs a dedicated contractors program and actively wants small trade accounts — one to five employees, under $500K in annual revenue. Their rates for general contractors, handymen, and HVAC technicians regularly come in under $700 a year for $1M/$2M limits when the applicant has no prior claims.
Employers is similarly aggressive for sole proprietors in skilled trades. Electricians and plumbers with clean records frequently see quotes in the $450–$650 range. They're admitted in most states, which matters if you ever need to file a claim.
Neither of these will show up automatically if you just Google "cheap business insurance" and click the first result. The aggregator sites are optimized for their highest-commission carriers, not yours.
How to Actually Get the Lower Number
You need to call a broker who specializes in contractor trades and ask specifically whether they write Markel or Employers. If they don't, or they can't tell you within 30 seconds, hang up and find one who does.
The variables that move your quote the most:
Your class code. Make sure the broker codes you correctly. A "handyman" coded as a general contractor gets a higher rate. If you only do one trade — say, tile work — you should be coded as a flooring contractor, not a GC. Wrong code equals wrong rate.
Your revenue declaration. If you're a sole operator doing $180K a year, don't let them write you up as $300K. Be accurate, not inflated.
Prior claims. Zero claims in three years is a meaningful discount trigger. Mention it explicitly if the broker doesn't ask.
Tools and equipment rider. This is often pushed as a bundle. If your tools are covered under a separate inland marine policy or your truck policy, skip it. It's usually a $150–$300 upsell you don't need twice.
The Real Number to Benchmark Against
Here's a rough benchmark based on what solo operators in clean-record classifications actually pay in practice:
- General handyman / maintenance: $500–$750/year
- Plumber (residential service): $600–$900/year
- Electrician (residential): $650–$950/year
- HVAC technician: $700–$1,000/year
- Roofer (steep slope): $900–$1,400/year (higher risk class — this one's legitimately more expensive)
- Junk removal: $500–$800/year
If you're paying above the top of your range and you have no prior claims, you're overpaying.
Roofing is the exception — the actuarial risk is real, and even the aggressive carriers price accordingly. But every other classification above has room to come down.
One More Thing
VettedCalls exists because missed calls kill revenue. But overpaying on overhead kills margin just as fast. A solo plumber saving $600 a year on GL and answering every lead instead of sending them to voicemail is running a fundamentally different business than the guy doing neither.
The margin is in the details that most people skip because they feel small.
They're not small. They compound.
This week's move
Call your current broker today and ask them to requote your GL specifically through Markel or Employers — if they won't or can't, get a second opinion from a broker who specializes in contractor trades.
Forward this
If another tradie you know is still losing leads to voicemail, send them VettedCalls.