Overview
A rigging contractor specializes in lifting, moving, and positioning heavy and awkward loads — industrial machinery, transformers, structural steel, tanks, and oversized equipment — using cranes, hoists, gantries, jacks, slides, and rollers. Often hired by other contractors, plants, and facility owners, riggers take temporary control of extremely valuable property and maneuver it through tight spaces and into precise positions. A single miscalculated lift can drop a multi-ton load, injure bystanders, and destroy the very equipment being handled. Because the work centers on controlling other people's property during high-stakes lifts, the exposures revolve around hoisting liability and the property in the rigger's care.
Part of our construction & contractors insurance guidance.
Risk profile
Rigging is defined by concentrated, high-severity exposure: the loads are heavy, valuable, and lifted around people and structures. When a rigger has hold of a client's machine, that property is in its care, custody, and control — an exposure standard general liability typically excludes — and damage to it during a lift can be catastrophic in value. Operating cranes, hoists, and jacking systems near other trades drives serious struck-by and crush injury potential. Equipment and slings under load can fail, and ground conditions or miscommunication can cause tip-overs. Many jobs occur inside operating facilities, adding the risk of damaging fixed plant equipment. Contracts routinely demand specific limits, riggers liability, and additional insured status before a lift is allowed to begin.
Common risks
Dropped or damaged load in custody
While a client's machine is in the rigger's care during a lift, a drop or impact can destroy valuable equipment the contractor is responsible for.
Crane and hoist lifting incidents
Tip-overs, sling failures, and miscommunication during heavy lifts can cause severe struck-by and crush injuries to crews and bystanders.
Damage to surrounding facility equipment
Maneuvering loads inside operating plants risks striking fixed machinery, walls, or systems and disrupting the client's operations.
Rigging gear and equipment failure
Slings, shackles, jacks, and hoists under heavy load can fail, leading to dropped loads and resulting damage or injury.
Worker injuries during lifts
Crews positioning, guiding, and securing heavy loads face crush, pinch, and strain injuries with high claim severity.
Ground and site condition failures
Soft ground or improper cribbing under a crane or jacking system can cause shifts and tip-overs during a lift.
Recommended coverages
Coverages commonly relevant to rigging contractor operations. Not every business needs the same policies.
Operational Coverage
Employee-Related Coverage
Why tailored insurance matters
Rigging's signature exposure — riggers liability for valuable property in the contractor's care — is exactly what standard general liability tends to exclude, so a tailored approach is essential. Coverage should reflect the value of loads handled, the lifting equipment operated, whether work occurs inside live facilities, and the limits clients demand. Coordinating liability, inland marine riggers coverage, and umbrella limits may help ensure a dropped machine or facility strike does not become an uncovered loss, subject to policy terms. Coverage availability depends on underwriting, equipment, and the contractor's lift planning and loss history.
Hypothetical claim examples
Dropped machine during a lift
A transformer slips from a sling and is damaged during a plant installation. Riggers liability coverage may respond to the client's property loss, depending on policy terms and the facts of the incident.
Strike to facility piping
A load swings and strikes fixed piping inside an operating plant. General liability may respond to the third-party damage, subject to the specific policy, endorsements, and exclusions.
Crane tip-over on soft ground
Inadequate cribbing lets a crane shift during a pick, injuring a worker. Workers' compensation may respond to the injury, depending on the specific policy and state rules.
Hypothetical scenarios for illustration only. Coverage depends on the specific policy, endorsements, exclusions, and facts of each claim.
What affects insurance cost
- Value and weight of loads handled
- Lifting equipment owned and operated
- Whether work occurs in live facilities
- Riggers liability limits required by clients
- Crew size and payroll
- Lift-planning practices and prior claims
How much does it cost?
There is no single price for rigging contractor insurance — it depends on which of these coverages you carry and the specifics of your business. As a rough guide, here are general national averages for the coverages this business commonly needs.
- $500–$1,500 per year for many small businesses
- $300–$1,000 per year for many small businesses
- $500–$3,000 per year, driven largely by payroll and job class codes
- $1,500–$3,000 per vehicle per year
- $400–$1,500 per year per $1M of additional limit
- $200–$800 per year, often added to a property policy
These are general national averages shown for comparison only — not a quote. Actual premiums vary widely with underwriting and depend on the factors above and the specifics of your business, including size, revenue, location, claims history, and the limits you choose. See how we estimate costs.
Coverage considerations
- Match riggers liability limits to load values
- Confirm care, custody, and control terms
- Review lift-planning and ground-prep practices
- Assess umbrella limits against client requirements
- Verify additional insured and waiver endorsements
Common underwriting considerations
When insurers review a rigging contractor business, they commonly evaluate factors like these. This is educational information — nothing here is collected or submitted.
- Trades performed and the share of higher-risk work such as roofing or structural
- Annual revenue, payroll, and typical project size
- Use of subcontractors and the certificates and agreements collected from them
- Years in business, licensing, and claims history
- Heights worked, depths excavated, and safety programs in place
- Vehicle and equipment fleets and who operates them
Common contractual insurance requirements
Contracts, leases, and licenses in this industry commonly impose insurance requirements such as these. Always review the specific wording in your own agreements.
- Construction contracts routinely require additional-insured status, primary-and-noncontributory wording, and waivers of subrogation
- Project owners and GCs set minimum general liability, auto, and umbrella limits
- Completed-operations coverage is commonly required for years after project close-out
- Public work frequently requires bid, performance, and payment bonds
- Certificates of insurance are required before mobilizing on nearly every job
Common coverage mistakes
Mistakes businesses in this industry commonly make when arranging coverage — worth reviewing before you buy or renew.
- Starting work before contract insurance requirements are met
- Using uninsured subcontractors and absorbing their losses at audit or claim time
- Assuming tools and equipment are covered away from the shop without inland marine
- Overlooking completed-operations exposure after a project is finished
- Misclassifying payroll and facing large premium-audit adjustments
Frequently asked questions
What is riggers liability and why does it matter?
Riggers liability addresses damage to a client's property while it is in your care during a lift, an exposure general liability usually excludes. Coverage depends on the specific policy.
Does general liability cover the load I'm lifting?
Generally no. Property in your care, custody, and control is typically excluded from general liability and needs riggers coverage, subject to policy terms and underwriting.
Why do clients require high liability limits?
Heavy lifts carry severe injury and damage potential, so clients often require substantial liability and umbrella limits. We can help structure coverage to meet them, subject to underwriting.
Is my rigging gear and crane covered?
Inland marine and equipment breakdown coverage may help protect slings, hoists, and cranes against loss and mechanical failure, depending on the specific policy and limits.
Are lifts inside operating plants riskier?
Yes. Working around fixed equipment raises the chance of striking the client's systems. General liability may respond to resulting damage, depending on policy terms and the facts.
How do I get a quote?
Call The Southern Agency at 1-800-777-1872 or request a quote online for guidance tailored to your rigging contractor business.