Wisconsin contractor insurance requirements

Workers' comp in Wisconsin

Wisconsin employers must carry workers' comp once they have three or more full-time or part-time employees, or pay $500 or more in wages in any calendar quarter.

The agency in charge is the Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Division. 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

Wisconsin dwelling contractors must show general liability of at least $250,000 per occurrence (or a bond in its place), plus workers' comp and unemployment insurance where they apply.

Indemnity and additional insured clauses

Wisconsin's anti-indemnity statute (Wis. Stat. § 895.447) 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 Wisconsin project

1. Workers' comp. A contractor below Wisconsin's threshold can legally go without it, but your project requirements can still require it. Decide what you'll accept, and get an exemption or a policy in writing. For an out-of-state contractor, confirm Wisconsin is listed on the workers' comp policy.
2. General liability. A Wisconsin 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.