Be proactive and control what you can in the face of insurance market volatility

RCS Influencer Katie Clymer says the problem of insurance market volatility requires both individual discipline and collective advocacy to achieve meaningful change.

Insurance market volatility is impacting every corner of the roofing industry right now, whether you’re heavily involved in insurance claim work or not. While our company does not primarily operate in the insurance-driven re-roof market, we are still feeling the effects firsthand, and it’s becoming harder to ignore the broader implications. 

Across the board, we’re seeing rising premiums, tighter underwriting and fewer carriers willing to take on what they consider high-risk trades like roofing. Year after year, we find ourselves excluded from certain carriers simply because we operate in this industry. What makes this especially frustrating is that many of us have made significant strides in safety, training and operational standards. In our case, we can confidently say we are operating safer today than we ever have before, yet our insurance costs continue to climb. That disconnect highlights a larger issue within the insurance market, where decisions are often driven by industry-wide loss trends rather than individual company performance. 

Even for contractors who are not relying on insurance claims for project volume, these shifts still impact how we do business. Increased overhead from insurance premiums affects pricing, competitiveness and long-term planning. It also places added pressure on contractors to justify their value while absorbing costs that are largely out of their control. 

Our company operates in both commercial and residential roofing, with a primary focus on commercial projects. In that space, every dollar matters when bidding work. If you fail to anticipate increases in insurance premiums or do not fully understand what those costs may look like over the life of a project, which can sometimes span years, you can quickly find yourself absorbing unexpected expenses and losing margin. Commercial projects often require multiple layers of insurance just to qualify to bid or secure a contract. With those policies come exclusions, varying coverage terms and additional endorsements that may be required to meet project specifications. These are daily realities for commercial roofing contractors. 

So what can we do about this? Part of the answer is continuing to control what we can. That means doubling down on safety programs, documentation and accountability at every level of our organizations. It also means working closely with a trusted broker and maintaining a knowledgeable internal team that can evaluate risk, understand policy limitations and determine whether a project is the right fit. Being proactive by reviewing coverage annually, exploring options and planning for increases is no longer optional, it is a requirement. 

At the same time, there needs to be a larger industry conversation. Roofing contractors who are doing things the right way by investing in safety, training and quality should not be grouped in with poor performers when it comes to risk evaluation. Until that gap is addressed, responsible companies will continue to be penalized despite their efforts. 

Insurance market volatility is not just an insurance problem; it is an industry problem. It is one that requires both individual discipline and collective advocacy if we want to see meaningful change.