Olli Insurance

Handyman insurance

A handyman typically needs general liability insurance, because the work happens inside other people's homes, where a slipped drill, a dropped ladder, or a leaking repair becomes a claim against your business. Property managers and many homeowners ask for proof of coverage before booking, so a policy often pays for itself in won jobs.

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Handyman repairing a door in a client's home

What insurance does a handyman need?

There's no one-size answer. The right mix depends on how you work, who you work for, and what your contracts ask for. These are the coverages a handyman typically looks at first:

General liability

The essential policy for handyman work. It covers client property damage and injuries, including completed operations, with the $1,000,000 per-occurrence limit property managers typically request.

Business property

Your tools travel to every job and disappear from vans and job sites more than any other trade asset, so this helps protect the kit your income depends on.

Commercial auto

A truck or van used for jobs counts as a business vehicle. Personal auto policies often exclude business use.

Coverage always depends on your specific situation. The fastest way to see what fits is to get a quote and review your options.

What does it protect against?

The risks that matter aren't abstract. They're the everyday accidents of the work. A few scenarios that turn into real claims:

You damage something in a client's home

A drill bit finds a water line behind the drywall, or a ladder swings into a chandelier. Working inside finished homes means everything around you is someone else's property, and a single slip can cost more than a month of jobs.

A client trips over your tools

A homeowner steps through the hallway where you're working and catches a foot on your cord or toolbox. Their injury, and any claim that follows, lands on your business. That is exactly the scenario general liability is designed for.

A repair fails after you leave

The shelf bracket you mounted pulls out of the wall a week later and takes a TV down with it, or a faucet repair starts leaking into the cabinet. Completed-operations claims arrive after the invoice is paid.

Damage spreads beyond the job

A small tiling job goes wrong and water finds its way into the unit below. Now the neighbor's ceiling is part of your problem. In condos and rentals, third-party damage can multiply fast, which is why property managers insist on certificates.

Certificates of insurance

For a handyman, certificate-of-insurance requests come from property managers first: most require a COI from every vendor working in their buildings and track expiration dates. Homeowners increasingly ask too, since proof of insurance is one of the quickest ways to stand out from uninsured competitors on the same job boards. Olli's general liability policies include instant certificates, so you can send proof the same day a property manager asks for it.

New to certificates? Start with our guide to the certificate of insurance: what's on one, who asks for it, and how to provide yours.

Common questions

Does a handyman really need insurance?

If you work inside other people's homes, yes. One nicked pipe or one client tripping over your toolbox can produce a claim bigger than a year of revenue. Being able to show a certificate of insurance also wins jobs that uninsured competitors can't get, especially with property managers.

What insurance do property managers require from a handyman?

Typically general liability with a $1,000,000 per-occurrence limit, shown on a certificate of insurance that names the management company as certificate holder. Many track certificate expiration dates and won't dispatch work orders to vendors whose proof has lapsed.

Am I covered if my repair fails after I leave?

That falls under products and completed operations liability, which is a standard part of Olli's general liability coverage. It addresses claims arising from work you've already finished, like a mounted shelf that fails or a repair that starts leaking a week later.

Does general liability cover my tools?

No. It covers injuries and damage you cause to others, not your own equipment. Tools are a business property question, and for a handyman they're worth protecting: a stolen kit costs replacement money and every job you can't do until it's replaced.

Do I need different coverage for different kinds of jobs?

The work you do shapes the quote. A handyman doing mounting, repairs, and painting has a different risk picture than one taking on roofing or major electrical. Describe your actual services when you get a quote so your coverage and your certificate match the jobs you take.

How fast can I get proof of insurance?

With Olli it takes minutes. General liability coverage includes instant certificates, so once your policy is active you download proof from your account. When a property manager asks for a COI before assigning work, same-day proof keeps you on the vendor list.

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