Cost
Most solo masons pay between $500 and $1,400 a year for general liability. Here's what drives the number — and what you'd likely pay.
Masonry insurance costs vary more than most trades because the underlying risk varies so much within the trade itself — a residential tuckpointer working off a ladder and a commercial crew building a load-bearing block wall three stories up are both "masons" on paper, but they're very different risks to a carrier. Here are typical ranges for the most common coverage types:
This is the single biggest cost split in masonry, and it's not about revenue — it's about what happens if the work fails. A crack in a thin-brick veneer panel is a cosmetic callback. A structural failure in a load-bearing block wall or a foundation is a life-safety event, and carriers price that difference directly. If your work is structural — foundations, load-bearing walls, structural block — expect a materially higher rate than a mason doing chimney repair, patios, or veneer installation, even at the same revenue level.
Beyond the structural-vs-veneer split, carriers weigh several other factors specific to how masonry actually gets built and repaired.
A mason doing single-story patios and retaining walls carries a different risk profile than one building chimneys and multi-story walls from scaffolding. Height exposure drives both your GL premium and your workers' comp rate, since a fall from scaffolding is one of the more severe injury types carriers see in this trade.
New construction masonry means working alongside other trades on a defined schedule, usually with engineered plans. Repair and restoration work — tuckpointing an old chimney, rebuilding a section of a retaining wall — often means working on structures with unknown existing conditions, which carries its own kind of uncertainty carriers factor in differently than new-build work.
Masonry is physical, crew-based work, and adding employees increases your premium because it increases both your liability exposure and your workers' comp requirement. Lifting and moving brick, block, and stone all day is one of the more common sources of workers' comp claims in this trade — carriers know that and rate accordingly.
If you add inland marine (tools and equipment) coverage, the premium is based on total equipment value — mortar mixers, saws, scaffolding systems, and hand tools add up fast, especially for a crew running their own scaffold rather than renting it job to job.
Most masons start with $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate. Commercial GCs and larger structural projects often require $2M/$4M, which costs more but is frequently a job requirement before you can even bid.
Insurance rates vary by state due to different regulatory environments, claim histories, and market competition. Some states are simply more expensive to insure masonry work in than others.
Annual policies cover all your work for the year and are almost always more cost-effective than per-job coverage. They also make producing certificates of insurance easy — one policy covers every client and GC you work with all year, which matters when a single job might require proof of insurance from the property owner, the GC, and the municipality on a permit-pulled project. We focus on annual policies for exactly this reason.
The best way to know your exact premium is to request a quote. Our licensed agents will ask about your revenue, whether your work is structural or veneer/repair, your height and scaffolding exposure, your employees and subcontractors, and your equipment — then shop multiple carriers to find the best fit for your operation.
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FAQ
Most solo masons doing residential and repair work pay between $500 and $1,000 a year for general liability. Adding tools and equipment coverage typically brings the total to $750–$1,600 depending on your equipment and scaffolding value.
Yes, often significantly. A failure in load-bearing structural work is a life-safety event; a failure in decorative veneer is a cosmetic callback. Carriers price that gap directly, so structural masons typically pay more than someone doing patios, chimney repair, or brick veneer at the same revenue level.
Yes. Height exposure affects both your GL premium and your workers' comp rate, since falls from scaffolding are one of the more severe injury types carriers see in masonry. A mason doing single-story patio work will typically see a lower rate than one building chimneys or multi-story walls.
Yes — most carriers offer monthly payment plans. You may pay slightly more over the course of the year versus paying upfront, but many masons prefer to spread the cost.
Most masons start with $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate, which satisfies most residential clients and GCs. Larger structural and commercial projects often require $2M/$4M. We can quote both.
Licensed agents build your custom quote — typically same business day. Review, enroll, and get your COI instantly.