What Coverage Do Pool Builders Need to Win Bigger Jobs?

Ready to grow your pool business and start bidding bigger jobs? Here’s the insurance coverage commercial clients, HOAs, and municipalities expect you to carry.

As a pool builder, landing larger contracts can be a game-changer — but those big jobs come with stricter insurance requirements. If you’re bidding on commercial projects, working with general contractors, or building pools for HOAs or municipalities, you need more than basic general liability.

Missing one coverage item on your certificate can delay your start date, disqualify your bid, or force you to take on more risk than you realize.

At McKnight Insurance, we help pool contractors build coverage that opens doors to bigger jobs — without overpaying or overcomplicating things.

Coverage Required for Most Commercial Pool Projects

If you want to bid with confidence and avoid last-minute scrambling, these are the core policies you’ll likely need:

General Liability with Higher Limits

Most commercial clients require $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate as a baseline. But larger projects may demand:

• $2M/$4M limits
• Project-specific endorsements
• Per-project aggregate language

Workers Compensation (Even If It’s Not Required by Law)

Many pool contractors in Texas operate without workers comp. That’s legal — but commercial jobs often require it anyway. It’s also the only way to protect yourself if an injured employee or sub brings a lawsuit.

Even if you’re the only worker, an owner-included ghost policy may help satisfy certificate requirements without the full cost.

Commercial Auto

If your business owns trucks, pulls trailers, or transports pumps and chemicals, you’ll need commercial auto — especially if the client requires additional insured status or primary & non-contributory wording.

Personal auto won’t meet the coverage threshold for contracts.

Umbrella or Excess Liability

When job sizes grow, so does potential liability. HOAs, cities, and general contractors often require a $1M–$5M excess policies on top of your GL and auto.

Excess policies are surprisingly affordable and can help you qualify for higher-value projects.

Inland Marine / Equipment Coverage

Larger jobs mean more gear on site — and more opportunity for loss. Whether it’s pumps, pipe cutters, trenchers, or specialty tools, you need them covered while in transit and on the jobsite.

Standard property policies don’t cover this — you need inland marine.

Optional But Strategic Coverages for Bigger Bids

Pollution Liability

If you’re working with chlorinated water, acid washes, or other chemicals, some projects (especially government or school sites) will require pollution coverage. Most general liability policies exclude pollution unless specifically endorsed.

Professional Liability / Design-Build E&O

Do you provide designs, renderings, or engineering input? You may need professional liability — especially if you work with landscape architects or offer turnkey builds. One small design error can lead to a big claim if the pool leaks, cracks, or causes structural issues.

Surety Bonds

Some municipalities and GCs will require a bid bond, performance bond, or maintenance bond. While this isn’t technically insurance, it’s usually managed by your agent and underwritten based on your financials, experience, and current coverage.

 

Why Generic Insurance Won’t Cut It

Most policies pool builders get from basic online brokers aren’t built for commercial work. They’re either:

• Missing key endorsements
• Have exclusions hidden in the fine print
• Or can’t issue updated COIs fast enough to keep up with your bidding pace

That’s why we structure coverage around how you actually work — not just what the policy technically offers.

 

How McKnight Insurance Helps Pool Contractors Grow

We work with pool builders across Texas who are ready to go after:

• New construction pool contracts
• Apartment and HOA projects
• Government or school builds
• Commercial remodels and specialty water features

We understand the insurance paperwork involved in RFPs and bid packages, and we help you meet all requirements with:

• Fast certificates
• Flexible limits and endorsements
• Carrier options that favor construction-focused businesses

 

Let’s Build a Smarter Policy That Opens More Doors

Bigger jobs mean bigger opportunity — but they also come with bigger expectations. The right insurance setup can make or break your bid.

Call McKnight Insurance today for a fast, contractor-focused review. We’ll help you:

• Stay compliant
• Qualify for commercial work
• And protect your business as it scales

Whether you’re just breaking into commercial work or already bidding on six-figure installs, we’ll get you covered the right way.