Crane Subcontractor Insurance: What GCs Ask a Crane Company For

Most GCs ask a crane company for a certificate showing five things: commercial general liability, auto liability, an umbrella or excess policy, workers compensation with employer's liability, and cover for the load itself, either a riggers liability policy or a general liability policy with the "care, custody, or control" exclusion removed. They also ask to be named additional insured with a waiver of subrogation. The limits come from the contract, not a standard, but published GC exhibits put cranes in their high-risk tier: $2,000,000 per occurrence at Pepper Construction and XL Construction, with more on top for lifting work.

Why crane subs get their own insurance line

A crane company's job is lifting someone else's property. A standard general liability policy is not built for that. IRMI's definition of riggers liability insurance explains: "The standard commercial general liability (CGL) policy does not cover this risk due to the exclusion for 'personal property of others in your care, custody, or control.'" The fix, per IRMI, is "attaching a riggers liability endorsement to the CGL policy that modifies or deletes the 'care, custody, or control' exclusion."

Published GC requirements say the same thing in contract language. Pepper Construction's subcontractor insurance exhibit:

If Subcontractor's Scope of Work requires the use of a crane, rigging operations, hoisting, or coverage related to the movement of others' property in connection with this Subcontract, Subcontractor shall have the "care, custody, and control" exclusion deleted from its General Liability policy. In the event such exclusion is not deleted, Subcontractor shall purchase and maintain in effect Rigger's Liability coverage at least equal to the highest value of property to be hoisted or moved.

Pepper adds that riggers cover "can also be obtained with a coverage extension from a Contractor's Installation Floater policy." XL Construction's exhibit requires subs who lift or rig "to carry riggers liability insurance to insure against physical loss or damage to the property or equipment being hoisted, lifted or rigged."

The insurer side uses the phrase "on-hook." The Skyward crane and rigging application asks for "the average on-hook exposure" and "the maximum on-hook exposure" in dollars. A GC asking for riggers liability "at least equal to the highest value of property to be hoisted" is asking the same question from the other side.

The usual lines on a crane company's certificate

Line	What it covers	Published examples
Commercial general liability	Third-party injury and property damage	UT Austin crane checklist: "minimum $1 million general liability." Pepper and XL: $2,000,000 per occurrence for crane and other high-risk trades
Riggers liability / on-hook	Damage to the property being lifted	Pepper: at least the highest value hoisted, unless the CGL exclusion is deleted. XL: required for lifting work
Auto liability	The crane and support trucks on the road	Pepper and XL: $1,000,000 per accident
Umbrella or excess	Sits over GL, auto and employer's liability	Pepper "Major Trade" subs incl. hoisting: $5,000,000. XL lifting work: GL raised to $4,000,000 total, which "can be achieved via a $3,000,000 umbrella"
Workers compensation and employer's liability	Your own employees	Statutory WC; Pepper and XL: $1,000,000 employer's liability limits

These are examples from three published documents, not a market rate. Your GC's exhibit, and the owner contract behind it, decide the real number. A different owner or a bigger project can change them, so read the exhibit before you bid, not after you win.

The endorsements behind the certificate

The certificate is the summary. The ACORD 25 form itself says that if the certificate holder is an additional insured, "the policy(ies) must be endorsed," and that a waiver of subrogation may also need an endorsement. GCs ask for:

• Additional insured on the GL, and often the auto and umbrella. Pepper names the ISO forms it wants: CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 for ongoing and completed operations.
• Primary and non-contributory wording, so your policy responds before theirs.
• Waiver of subrogation on GL, auto, umbrella and workers comp where state law allows.
• Notice of cancellation. Pepper asks the sub to email notice "within thirty (30) days if such Certificate is to be altered, cancelled or allowed to expire."

The basics of additional insured and waiver of subrogation, in plain words, are in subcontractor COI tracking.

Operated vs bare rental: the insurance flips

On an operated rental, the crane company is your sub and its policies respond to the lift. On a bare rental, the renter runs the crane, and the crane company becomes the one asking for a certificate.

Maxim Crane Works' published bare rental agreement shows what a large lessor asks of its renters before delivery: general liability "not less than $2,000,000 each occurrence," auto at $1,000,000, "Inland marine all risk coverage (physical damage insurance), with any overload, boom and jib exclusion deleted, for the full replacement value of the Equipment," umbrella of at least $3,000,000, and workers compensation and employer's liability, with the lessor named additional insured "using ISO Form GC 20 10 or equivalent" and 30 days' notice of cancellation.

Insurers ask the crane company whether it collects those certificates. The Skyward application asks twice: "Are certificates of insurance required from lessees on bare rentals? If so please provide a copy," and "Is applicant named as additional insured on Lessees policy?" So a crane shop is on both ends of the COI chase: sending its own to GCs and collecting renters' on bare work. Bare rental vs operated rental covers the rest of the paper that changes hands.

What a crane company should keep ready

The jobs that ask for insurance also ask for the crane file, so keep both in the same place:

1. A current ACORD 25 showing every line above, with your agent's contact on it.
2. Sample copies of your additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements, so a GC's risk manager can approve them without waiting on your agent.
3. Evidence of riggers or on-hook cover with its limit, or a note that your GC policy has the care, custody or control exclusion deleted.
4. A list of renewal dates for each policy, so you can send the new certificate before the GC asks.
5. The rest of the packet a GC will ask for in the same email: annual inspection, operator cards, load chart. See what GCs require from a crane subcontractor and the jobsite packet.

For GCs: what to check when it arrives

• Riggers liability or the deleted exclusion is shown, with a limit that covers the most valuable thing being picked.
• The umbrella sits over auto and employer's liability, not just GL, if your exhibit says so.
• Endorsements are attached, not just boxes marked.
• Every policy's expiration date is after the crane leaves your site, or there is a reminder set.

Where CraneFile fits

We're building CraneFile so a crane company keeps its COI next to each crane's annual inspection and each operator's card, and sends a GC one link with all of it and the dates showing. When the certificate renews, the link updates. It is not live yet. Crane shops can get early access or call us at (786) 471-4419; GCs can see what we're building for you.

This is plain-English guidance, not legal or insurance advice. Your contract and the policy wording govern, the regulation text governs any safety rule, and coverage questions belong with a licensed broker.

Questions we get

This is plain-English guidance, not legal advice. The regulation text and your state's rules govern.

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