Commercial Umbrella for remediation contractors

CERCLA Superfund NCP contracts impose strict joint and several liability and cost recovery exposure. PRPs and regulatory agencies require contractors to carry sufficient limits to cover potential cleanup cost overruns, third-party claims, and regulatory penalties. Combined limits of $5M-$10M are not uncommon on large Superfund projects.

Drop-down coverage means the umbrella responds when an underlying policy has a gap — either because a claim falls outside the underlying policy's coverage or because the underlying policy has been exhausted. This is important for complex remediation claims where the coverage allocation between GL and CPL may be disputed.

Cost is driven by project types, annual revenue, crew size, states you work in, CPL limits required, and loss history. We quote your actual operation in about 15 minutes — never a ballpark from a generic contractor form.

Yes. Contractors Choice Agency is licensed in all 50 states and writes remediation programs nationwide — Texas, California, the Northeast, Midwest, Mountain States, and everywhere environmental remediation contractors operate.

Typically 15 minutes on a call. Larger or more complex programs may take a day or two to place with the right markets, but we move fast and set expectations up front.

Often yes. We have admitted and E&S environmental markets for contractors declined over prior contamination losses, regulatory actions, or high-hazard project types. Bring us your situation and we'll find a market.

Usually yes. A coordinated program closes gaps between policies and is typically cheaper than separate policies from separate carriers — and far easier to manage at claim time and certificate issuance.

A.M. Best ratings reflect a carrier's financial strength and ability to pay claims. We place coverage with A-rated (and A+ where possible) carriers so the coverage is there when a contamination claim, regulatory action, or Superfund cost recovery hits.

Yes. Superfund NCP projects have specific CPL, GL, and umbrella requirements. We work with specialty environmental markets that understand CERCLA contractor risk and can meet the specific limit and coverage requirements of NCP contracts.

Project types (soil cleanup, UST removal, hazmat, brownfield), annual revenue, crew size and HAZWOPER training status, states you work in, vehicles, current coverage and CPL retroactive date, and loss history. The more detail, the more accurate the quote.

Your CPL and GL cover your own operations. Subcontractors should carry their own CPL and GL — and your contract should require it. We help structure blanket additional insured requirements and review subcontractor coverage requirements for your projects.

Yes. If you design remedial action plans, conduct Phase I or Phase II assessments, provide remediation consulting, or give technical recommendations, professional liability (E&O) covers errors in those services. It's separate from CPL and GL.

Occurrence CPL covers incidents that occur during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is made. Claims-made CPL covers claims made during the policy period for incidents that occurred after the retroactive date. Most CPL is written on a claims-made basis. The retroactive date selection is critical.

Yes. If you work on multiple sites simultaneously, use subcontractors, or need blanket additional insured for PRPs and property owners, we build one coordinated program covering all locations and projects with no gaps.

Commercial umbrella sits above your GL, CPL, and commercial auto policies — providing excess limits when a primary policy limit is exhausted. Many Superfund NCP contracts and government environmental remediation agreements require combined limits that need an umbrella to achieve.

Yes. We understand the specific COI requirements for remediation contracts — additional insured endorsements, waiver of subrogation, specific limit requirements, and CPL endorsements. We issue certificates quickly and correctly.