The policies a garage door business carries
Garage door springs store a lot of energy, and a door that falls can hurt someone or damage a car. Injury on the job and damage to the vehicle are the claims to plan for.
| Policy | Average a month |
|---|---|
| General liability | $96 |
| Tools and equipment | $41 |
| Commercial auto | $298 |
| Workers' compensation | $173 |
| Surety or license bond | $9 |
| Commercial umbrella | $103 |
Averages are what Insureon's customers who are door and window installers pay, from Insureon's cost page; most of its customers have fewer than five employees. Across all its small business customers, general liability runs $265 to $3,030 a year.
Claims garage door companies plan for
- A spring breaks during adjustment and injures a tech
- A door closes on a car
- A new opener's safety reverse is not set and a door hits someone
- Track comes loose and the door falls
Ask your agent, in these words:
- Would my policy pay if a spring breaks during adjustment and injures a tech?
- Would my policy pay if a door closes on a car?
- Would my policy pay if a new opener's safety reverse is not set and a door hits someone?
- Would my policy pay if track comes loose and the door falls?
Name the work you sell
A policy covers the work you describe on the application. From the garage door services list, name each of these and ask whether any is excluded: torsion spring replacement; cable and drum replacement; off-track door repair; roller and hinge replacement; opener replacement; safety sensor repair; keypad and remote programming; single door replacement; double door replacement; annual tune-up.
Spring stock and winding tools travel on the van. On the tools list, the items to list on the policy are spring winding tool or power winder; door lift or second tech; trailer or high-roof van; welder, and from the starter kit, winding bars sized for the cones you see; socket set, wrenches and an impact driver; locking pliers and c-clamps; multi-position ladder; multimeter.
State rules in the license
Garage Door work often falls under the general contractor rules. Our general contractor license guide lists the insurance and bond line for each of 48 states from the boards' own pages.
Workers' comp and bonds
The SBA says every business with employees must carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance. Insureon's average for door and window installers is $173 a month, priced per $100 of payroll. A bond protects the state or the customer, not you; Insureon puts its yearly cost at a share of the bond amount:
| Bond amount | Estimated yearly cost |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $25 to $500 |
| $10,000 | $50 to $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $250 to $5,000 |
Certificates of insurance
Builders and commercial clients ask for a certificate. Keep a PDF on your phone so you can send it the day they ask.
Sources
- Insureon: Insurance cost for door and window installers, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: General liability insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Workers' compensation insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Surety bond cost, checked October 9, 2026
- SBA: Get business insurance, checked October 9, 2026
- Koira: General Contractor license requirements by state (each row lists its board sources), checked October 9, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.