What Atlanta roofers were quoted and paid for insurance in 2026: real numbers, not guesses.

In 2026, the roofing general liability policies we quoted and placed for Georgia roofers in and around metro Atlanta ran from $4,641 to $17,152 a year, all-in, at $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limits.

The biggest drivers were volume and claims history, and a clean claims record matters. New construction, years in business, the deductible and contract endorsements also moved the price. Workers' compensation is priced separately, from payroll, at class code 5551. These are past quotes and binds for other businesses, not a quote for yours.

Mostly volume, claims history and the type of work.

In our 2026 files, the smallest-volume roofer paid $4,641 and a higher-volume roofer doing custom-home new construction paid $17,152, at the same limits. The variables that moved the price: volume (sales, payroll and subcontracted work), new construction versus re-roofing, residential versus commercial work, steep versus flat roofs, torch-down or hot work, years in business, claims history, the deductible, and contract requirements such as additional insured, waiver of subrogation or a per-project aggregate.

Workers' comp starts with payroll: payroll divided by 100, times the rate for roofing class code 5551, times your experience mod if you have one.

The advisory loss cost posted by the State Board of Workers' Compensation for class 5551 is $11.54 per $100 of payroll (NCCI, effective March 1, 2025). Loss costs are updated each year, so ask us for the current figure. A loss cost is not a rate. Each carrier adds its own expense load, then applies credits or debits and a minimum premium, so your premium is usually higher than the loss cost alone. On $100,000 of roofing payroll, the loss cost alone is $11,540. Using uninsured subcontractors is a costly mistake: at the year-end audit, the carrier can charge premium on what you paid them, and under Georgia's statutory employer rule you can be responsible if one of their workers is hurt.

Often, yes. A roofer with no employees may be able to buy an owner-excluded workers' comp policy, often called a ghost policy, at the carrier's minimum premium, to give a general contractor the certificate it asks for.

The owner is usually excluded, so it won't pay for your own injuries. A ghost policy is not a way to use uninsured subs. If you add a helper or use subs without their own workers' comp, the carrier can charge you premium on that pay at the audit, and under O.C.G.A. 34-9-8 you can be responsible if their workers are hurt. Get a current workers' comp certificate from every sub before the job starts. Roofing ghost policies are reviewed by a licensed agent, not sold online. See workers' comp with no employees and who to call for a ghost policy.

Atlanta general contractors typically ask roofing subcontractors for general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, plus proof of workers' comp.

In the 2026 certificate requests our roofing clients received, many residential builders only asked to be shown as certificate holder. Others asked for additional insured status, a waiver of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording. An institutional job asked for a per-project aggregate with the owner named on the certificate. Larger commercial jobs can require commercial auto and an umbrella or excess policy. Send us the insurance section of the contract before you sign, and we'll compare it to your current policy and certificate and ask the carrier what changes are available.

Not always. One roofer we reviewed in 2026 had bought an online roofing policy on their own, without an agent, for $5,815 at $1 million / $1 million limits.

That policy carried a sunset clause on completed operations and excluded operations the business regularly performed, which created an exposure. A specialty-market quote for the same roofer was $12,072 at $1 million / $2 million limits. Every roofing policy carries exclusions, including the ones we place. Read the forms list before you buy, or ask us to walk you through it. Coverage is always subject to policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

Georgia lists roofing (shingles, sheet metal and flat roofing) as a traditional specialty trade.

A roofer working only within roofing generally does not need a residential or general contractor license, but must still follow state and local codes. Cities and counties set their own permit and business license rules, so check with the permit office for each job.

Start with our 5-minute roofing worksheet, and a licensed Georgia agent reviews it and takes your business to the markets that write your kind of roofing.

Have your annual sales, subcontracted cost, payroll, the split of residential and commercial work, and your current policy's declarations page ready. Many quotes are available within minutes after you apply; some specialty markets take longer.