The Best Claim Is the One That Never Happens
Most insurance brokers place your policy and move on. We stay involved — with free safety handbooks, custom safety plans, regular audits, and crew training programs designed specifically for roofing companies. A safer crew means fewer claims, and fewer claims mean lower premiums over time.
Why safety programs lower your insurance costs
Roofing is one of the highest-risk trades in the country. Falls, heat illness, and equipment injuries drive workers' compensation claims that can stay on your record for three years — and every claim pushes your experience modification rate (EMR) higher, which directly increases what you pay for coverage.
An EMR above 1.0 means you're paying a surcharge. Some general contractors and project owners won't hire roofing subs with an EMR above a certain threshold. An EMR below 1.0 means you're paying less than average and you look more attractive to carriers who want to write your business competitively.
The only reliable way to drive that number down is to prevent claims before they happen — and that requires a real safety program, not a binder on a shelf. Roofing companies with structured safety programs consistently see 20–40% lower workers' comp costs than comparable operations without one.
What our safety program includes
Four components, each designed to address a specific layer of risk. All included at no additional cost for our policyholders.
Comprehensive Safety Handbooks
We provide detailed, roofing-specific safety handbooks at no cost to our clients. These aren't generic construction guides repackaged for roofers — they're written around the actual hazards roofing crews face: steep-slope fall protection, hot-tar burns, heat illness on summer jobs, ladder setup and use, and equipment operation. The handbook covers OSHA 1926 Subpart M fall protection requirements, PPE standards, pre-job briefing formats, and emergency response procedures. Every member of your crew can have a copy.
What's covered
- OSHA 1926 Subpart M fall protection requirements
- Ladder and scaffold safety procedures
- PPE selection and use requirements
- Heat illness prevention and recognition
- Emergency response and incident reporting
- Pre-job safety briefing templates
Custom Safety Plans
A generic safety plan checks a compliance box and doesn't change behavior. We develop custom safety plans built around your operation — your crew size, the scope of work you take on, the equipment you run, and whether you use subcontractors. A 3-person residential crew doing shingle replacements has different exposures than a 35-person commercial contractor working on EPDM and TPO. We ask the right questions, then produce a written plan that your crew leads can actually work from on the job.
What's covered
- Hazard identification specific to your work types
- Fall protection procedures matched to your projects
- Equipment inspection schedules and sign-off logs
- Subcontractor safety qualification criteria
- Written emergency response procedures
- Incident and near-miss reporting process
Regular Safety Audits
A safety plan that sits in a binder doesn't protect anyone. Regular audits verify that your program is functioning in the field — that training is actually happening, that PPE is being used correctly, that pre-job hazard assessments are being completed, and that near-misses are being reported before they become lost-time incidents. We conduct structured audits and deliver a written report that identifies gaps and ranks corrective actions by priority. Over time, audit records also serve as documentation of good-faith compliance efforts that can matter during an OSHA inspection or a disputed claim.
What's covered
- Field verification of training documentation
- PPE compliance and condition review
- Pre-job hazard assessment process check
- Incident and near-miss reporting review
- Written corrective action report with priority ranking
- Trend tracking across multiple audit cycles
Safety Training Programs
Most roofing injuries happen to workers in their first two years on the job. Structured training that covers fall hazards, proper ladder use, equipment handling, and heat illness reduces both the frequency and the severity of accidents. We provide training materials, toolbox talk topics, and new-hire orientation guides that supervisors can use without needing to be safety professionals themselves. For clients with larger crews, we can assist with setting up a documented training schedule and tracking system that satisfies OSHA's training record requirements.
What's covered
- New-hire safety orientation materials
- 52 weeks of roofing-specific toolbox talk topics
- Fall protection and ladder safety modules
- Heat illness prevention training
- Equipment operation safety guides
- Training record templates and tracking logs
Policy Refunds
Most roofing policies are written based on an estimated payroll or revenue figure at the start of the year. At audit time, the carrier reconciles what you actually earned against what was estimated.
When your actual income comes in lower than the estimate — a slow season, a crew reduction, less work than projected — you've overpaid your premium and you're owed a refund. This happens more often than most contractors realize, and it often goes uncollected simply because no one follows up on the audit.
We make sure audits are conducted accurately and that every client collects every refund they're entitled to. Fairness in both directions is part of how we work.
How the audit refund process works
- 1Policy is written on an estimateAt binding, your premium is calculated on projected payroll or gross receipts — whatever the policy basis is for your coverage lines.
- 2Year-end audit compares estimate to actualsAfter the policy period ends, the carrier audits your actual numbers. If your actual income was lower than the estimate, a return premium is calculated.
- 3We verify and collectWe review the audit for accuracy and make sure any return premium is applied or refunded to you — not silently credited and forgotten.
Most insurance brokers don't offer this
The typical roofing insurance experience: get a quote, sign the policy, hear nothing until renewal. We work differently.
Roofing-specific, not generic
Our safety materials are written for roofers — not construction workers in general. That means roofing-specific fall protection, roofing-specific toolbox talks, and safety plans that reflect how roofing crews actually operate.
Built into the relationship
Safety support isn't a premium service tier or a separate consulting engagement. It's part of what you get when you're a client. No upsells, no separate invoices.
Designed to improve your EMR
Everything in the program — audits, training, documented procedures — produces the kind of evidence that helps your EMR trend down over time. That's the goal, not just compliance.
We follow up on audits
We track your audit outcomes and make sure refunds are collected and errors are corrected. This is work most brokers don't do, and it adds up to real money over time.
Common questions
Is the safety program actually free, or is there a catch?
It's genuinely free for our policyholders. Safety handbooks, custom plan development, and access to our audit process are included as part of the relationship — not sold as an add-on. We do this because companies that run structured safety programs file fewer claims, and fewer claims benefit everyone.
How does a safety program actually lower my workers' comp premium?
Workers' comp premiums are partly calculated using your experience modification rate (EMR) — a number that tracks your claims history against other roofing companies of similar size. If your EMR is above 1.0, you're paying a surcharge. If it's below 1.0, you're getting a discount. Every time you prevent a claim, you protect your EMR for the following three years. A formal safety program with documented training and regular audits is the most reliable way to drive that number down over time.
What goes into a custom safety plan?
We build the plan around your actual operation — crew size, the types of roofing you do (residential re-roofing versus commercial flat work versus new construction), whether you use subcontractors, and your geographic exposure. A 4-man residential crew doesn't need the same plan as a 40-person commercial contractor. We ask the right questions first, then produce a written plan that covers hazard identification, PPE requirements, fall protection procedures, equipment inspection schedules, and emergency response protocols.
What does a safety audit involve?
A safety audit is a structured review of how your safety program is actually functioning in the field — not just what's in the manual. We look at how training is documented, whether your PPE is being used correctly, how pre-job hazard assessments are being conducted, and whether your incident reporting process is capturing near-misses before they become lost-time accidents. We provide a written report with specific corrective actions ranked by priority.
What is a policy refund, and how does it work?
Most roofing policies are written on an estimated payroll or revenue figure at the beginning of the year. At audit time, if your actual income was lower than the estimate — which happens when a company has a slow season, loses a crew, or wins less work than projected — you're entitled to a refund for the premium you overpaid. We make sure the audit is conducted accurately and that our clients collect every refund they're owed rather than leaving money on the table.
Can I get a safety handbook without switching my insurance?
The comprehensive safety handbook is available to prospective clients who are actively evaluating their coverage options. If you'd like to request one, get in touch and we'll discuss your situation.
Get coverage that includes a real safety program
Get a quote on roofing insurance and bring the full safety program in-house — handbooks, custom plan, audits, training materials, and policy refund follow-up. No extra fees. No separate engagement.