Louisiana contractor insurance requirements

Workers' comp in Louisiana

Almost every Louisiana business with one or more employees, including part-time and seasonal workers, must carry workers' comp.

The agency in charge is the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Office of Workers' Compensation. It can tell you whether a specific business needs coverage, and most states let you look up an employer's policy online.

Contractor licensing and insurance

Louisiana's licensing board requires residential and home improvement contractors to keep at least $100,000 in general liability and to show workers' comp. Commercial license applicants don't file insurance with the board.

Indemnity and additional insured clauses

Louisiana's anti-indemnity statute (La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2780.1) voids construction contract clauses that make a contractor indemnify another party for that party's own negligence, even in part. Clauses limited to the contractor's own share of fault generally hold up.

What to check on a contractor COI for a Louisiana project

1. Workers' comp. Nearly every contractor with employees needs it in Louisiana. A contractor with a crew and no workers' comp on its COI is a gap. For an out-of-state contractor, confirm Louisiana is listed on the workers' comp policy.
2. General liability. A Louisiana license only shows the contractor met the state's floor. Compare each limit on the COI with your project requirements, which are usually higher.
3. Additional insured. The endorsement is a separate promise from the indemnity clause, so check both. Ask for the endorsement itself, not just a box ticked on the certificate.
4. Dates. Every policy should run through the end of the job. A COI only shows coverage on the day it was issued, so check again at each renewal.

Forsured checks every contractor COI against your project requirements, then keeps checking for the life of the project. Send us one project's requirements and a contractor COI or two for a free COI risk check.