Insurance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) sets the liability insurance minimum for the Dwelling Contractor Certification and for DSPS trade contractor registrations. Check the DSPS Dwelling Contractor page linked below for the current minimum. Policy limits below the DSPS floor will not satisfy the certification requirement. What Dwelling Contractor liability insurance covers. Bodily injury and property damage arising from the contractor's work on 1 or 2 family dwellings. The statutory floor is the license minimum only. Commercial general contractors in Wisconsin routinely require subcontractors to carry higher limits, typically $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate, on top of the DSPS floor. Workers' compensation in Wisconsin. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Coverage thresholds depend on employer type and industry. Construction employers often trigger coverage at a lower employee count than other industries, and owner-operators can buy a policy to cover themselves. Check the DWD employers page linked below for the current trigger rules before you assume you are exempt. Wisconsin permits coverage through private carriers or the assigned risk pool. Other coverages to carry: - Commercial auto for trucks and vans used on the job. Personal auto policies carve out business use. - Hired and non-owned auto for employees driving their own vehicles on company business. - Inland marine (contractor's equipment) for tools and job-site equipment. - Pollution liability for refrigerant, solvent, and fuel handling. - Employment practices liability (EPLI) once the employee count reaches double digits. - Umbrella for $1M or $2M over the underlying general liability limits. Shop the market. Wisconsin trade association programs through NECA, PHCC, IEC, ABC of Wisconsin, and AGC of Wisconsin frequently price group insurance better than street rates. Verify coverage levels against DSPS, DWD, and any municipal license requirement before you sign.