Why Many Insurance Carriers Decline Roofers—and How to Get Approved

Roofing is one of the most crucial trades in the construction industry—but when it comes to workers’ comp insurance, it’s also one of the hardest to insure. Many roofing companies, even those with years of experience and a solid safety record, find themselves getting declined for coverage by traditional insurance carriers. And if they do get a quote, it’s often unaffordable or packed with red tape.

If you’ve been denied coverage, faced a lapse, or are paying more than you should, you’re not alone. The roofing industry comes with unique risks that most insurance providers just aren’t set up to handle. That’s why many roofers are turning to brokers who specialize in high-risk industries to find a better path forward.

At NPN Brokers, we help roofing companies secure workers’ compensation insurance quickly—even if they’ve been denied coverage elsewhere. Here’s why roofers get declined so often and how we can help you get approved without the hassle.

Why Roofing Is Considered High-Risk by Insurance Companies

Insurance companies view roofing as a high-risk trade—and for good reason. Roofers work at significant heights, often in unpredictable weather conditions and on steep or slippery surfaces. A single misstep can lead to serious injuries, and the risk of falls is much higher compared to many other trades. Add in the use of power tools, heavy lifting, and exposure to heat or hazardous materials, and it becomes clear why insurers tread carefully.

From an underwriting perspective, all of these factors translate into higher claim frequency and more severe injury payouts. Even when roofing companies maintain strict safety protocols, the inherent nature of the job increases the likelihood of an incident occurring. Carriers know that, and many simply choose to stay out of the roofing market altogether.

Another concern for insurers is the severity of the claims when they do happen. A fall from a roof doesn’t usually result in a minor injury—it can mean broken bones, back injuries, or worse. These claims can involve long recovery times and high medical costs, and insurance companies want to avoid long-term financial exposure.

Even beyond the physical risk, roofing jobs can also vary in height, materials, and job site conditions, making it harder to classify the work uniformly. This inconsistency can be a red flag for carriers who prefer more predictable, lower-risk industries like clerical work or retail.

Because of all this, many roofers find themselves in a frustrating loop. They apply for coverage, are flagged as too risky, and either get declined or are quoted at a rate that makes it difficult to operate profitably.

Prior Claims and Lapses Can Be a Dealbreaker

Past claims are another major obstacle when applying for workers’ comp insurance. For roofing businesses, even a single injury claim can increase your perceived risk profile with traditional carriers. Multiple claims—or claims combined with a lapse in coverage—can make it nearly impossible to get approved through standard channels.

Insurers tend to weigh your claim history heavily, even when the circumstances were out of your control. Maybe a new hire was injured during training, or a freak accident occurred on a job site. Even if you’ve taken steps to improve safety and prevent future incidents, those past claims can still follow you and complicate your ability to get insured.

Lapses in coverage are another red flag. If your policy was canceled or expired without replacement, insurers may assume you’ve been operating without coverage—which violates state law in many places and further signals financial instability. That’s enough to cause many carriers to decline an application outright.

At NPN Brokers, we know that things happen. We work with roofers who’ve experienced coverage gaps or claim issues and connect them with carriers that focus on high-risk industries. We don’t let a rocky history define your future. Instead, we focus on getting you covered now, so you can protect your business moving forward.

Whether your claims were recent or occurred several years ago, we’ll take the time to understand your situation and find a solution. You don’t have to keep getting denied just because of your past.

Standard Insurance Carriers Often Require Large Deposits and Annual Audits

Another reason roofing companies get frustrated with traditional insurance options is the financial burden and rigid structure many of these policies require. Standard carriers often demand a large upfront deposit—sometimes as much as 25% of the annual premium—before they’ll bind coverage. That can be thousands of dollars out-of-pocket at a time when cash flow may already be tight.

These policies also usually come with long-term contracts and annual audits. The contracts lock you in, even if the policy ends up not being the right fit for your business. And the audits? They can be a logistical nightmare. Carriers will review your payroll, classification codes, and business records to make sure your reported figures match up. If there’s any discrepancy, you could be hit with additional premium bills after the fact.

For roofing companies with fluctuating job sizes and seasonal labor, those audits rarely reflect the full story. Maybe you had to hire extra help for a big project or had a few slow months that didn’t match initial projections. Traditional insurance models don’t always account for that kind of flexibility—and the result is a billing adjustment that can take you by surprise.

That’s why we do things differently at NPN Brokers. We only work with insurance providers that offer pay-as-you-go billing. That means you’re never locked into a long contract, never hit with surprise audit bills, and never expected to pay a massive deposit just to get started.

Our model gives you the freedom to scale your policy with your business. Busy season or slow month, your premium reflects what you actually pay in wages—not a guess made at the beginning of the year.

The Complexity of Class Codes and Payroll Reporting

Roofing companies often face challenges that go beyond risk level. One of the most common issues involves workers’ comp class codes and how your payroll is reported. If you’re misclassified—even unintentionally—it can affect your premium, your audit results, or even your policy approval.

Class codes are used to categorize the type of work your employees do. In the roofing industry, there are different codes depending on whether your team is doing residential vs. commercial roofing, new construction vs. repair work, or even if they’re involved in waterproofing or sheet metal installation. Misreporting the class code, or having multiple codes applied incorrectly, can lead to underpayments or overpayments that trigger audits or cancellations.

Another concern is how fluctuating payroll impacts your policy. Roofing crews often grow or shrink based on project load. Subcontractors may rotate in and out. Some roofers are paid hourly, others by the job. That variability can create a payroll reporting headache—especially for carriers who expect steady, predictable figures.

At NPN Brokers, we work with insurance providers who understand how roofing companies operate. We’ll help ensure your business is coded properly and that your policy reflects your actual structure, whether that includes full-time employees, part-timers, or subcontractors. We also offer systems that make payroll reporting easier, so you’re not stuck navigating paperwork every month.

This attention to detail not only helps you avoid audit headaches—it can also lower your premiums by aligning your policy with your true level of risk.

Why Being Declined Doesn’t Mean You’re Out of Options

When you’re repeatedly turned down for coverage, it can start to feel like you’re out of options—but that’s not the case. The reality is that many mainstream carriers simply aren’t set up to handle the nuances of the roofing industry. That doesn’t mean your business is uninsurable—it just means you need a better fit.

Being declined by one or more carriers isn’t the end of the road. It just means you haven’t found the right partner yet. There are insurance providers out there that specialize in high-risk industries, including roofing, and who understand that claims or complexity don’t define your entire operation.

NPN Brokers works exclusively with companies like yours. We understand the challenges you face, and we know how to work with underwriters who aren’t afraid to insure roofing businesses. We’ve helped companies get approved even after multiple denials, and we’ve secured policies for roofers who thought they were out of luck.

If you’ve had trouble getting coverage in the past, we encourage you to reach out. There’s a better way to get insured—and it starts by working with someone who gets it.

What Makes NPN Brokers Different?

There’s no shortage of insurance providers out there—but most aren’t built with roofers in mind. That’s where NPN Brokers comes in. We focus on workers’ comp for high-risk industries, and roofing is one of our specialties.

What sets us apart isn’t just our access to the right carriers—it’s the way we handle the process. We know you don’t have time to chase quotes or fill out endless paperwork. We’ve streamlined the process so you can get what you need, fast.

Our policies are built around flexibility. You won’t find long-term contracts, surprise audit bills, or massive deposits here. Instead, you’ll get:

• Same-day coverage in most cases
• Pay-as-you-go billing that scales with your payroll
• Month-to-month policies with no lock-in
• No audits or complicated reporting
• Options for companies with claims, gaps in coverage, or high-risk exposure

Whether you’re a one-crew operation or a multi-city company, we can help you get covered quickly and affordably.

Getting a Fast Workers’ Comp Quote with NPN Brokers

Getting started with NPN Brokers is simple. We don’t require pages of documentation or weeks of back-and-forth. All we need is a little information about your business—your number of employees, your payroll estimate, and the type of roofing work you do.

From there, we work with our network of high-risk-friendly carriers to match you with a policy that fits. We can usually provide a quote in just a few minutes over the phone or via our online form. And once you’re ready to move forward, coverage can start that same day.

We don’t make you wait for approvals or sit through lengthy underwriting processes. Our goal is to get you the coverage you need, when you need it. That way, you can stay compliant, protect your crew, and keep your business running.

Even better, we’ll stay in touch throughout your policy term to help you with payroll changes, job expansions, or any questions that come up. We’re not just a one-time service—we’re here to make your workers’ comp work for you, long-term.

Ready to Get Covered?

If you’re tired of being declined, overcharged, or micromanaged by traditional insurance carriers, it’s time to try a better approach. At NPN Brokers, we specialize in workers’ compensation insurance for roofers—including companies with prior claims, high-risk exposure, or complex payroll setups.

Give us a call at (561) 990-3022 or fill out our quick online quote request form to get started. We’ll help you find a policy that protects your business without tying your hands—and in most cases, we can have you covered today.