Quick Answer: Electrician insurance is a program built on general liability and workers compensation, with commercial auto, tools and equipment coverage, and often an umbrella. Small electrical businesses pay a median of $61 a month for general liability and $140 a month for workers compensation, according to Insureon's 2026 data. Illinois registers electrical contractors city by city, so the insurance you must show depends on where you work and what your contracts say.
What Electrician Insurance Covers
General Liability
Helps address claims that your work injured someone or damaged property, including a fire traced to wiring you installed. It is the policy every certificate request starts with.
Workers Compensation
Pays for medical care and part of lost wages when an employee is hurt on the job, from a fall off a ladder to an electrical shock.
Commercial Auto
Covers your service vans and trucks. A personal auto policy generally will not respond when the vehicle is being used for the business.
Tools and Equipment
Helps pay to repair or replace meters, benders, drills, and wire that are stolen or damaged, whether they are in the van, in the shop, or on a job site.
Commercial Umbrella
Adds limits on top of your general liability, auto, and employers liability. Municipal, healthcare, and large commercial jobs often call for more than a base policy provides.
License Bond
Some cities ask for a surety bond with your registration. A bond is not insurance: it protects the public, and you repay the surety for anything it pays out on your behalf. We place the bond along with the insurance.
Often added: a business owners policy for a small shop that wants liability and property in one policy, and hired and non-owned auto for employees who run parts in their own cars. Running more than one trade? Start with our contractor insurance page.
Four Things to Check Before You Buy an Electrician's Policy
Two liability policies with the same limit can pay very differently. For electricians the difference usually shows up after the job is finished. These are the four points we check on every account.
Completed operations. A wiring fault can start a fire months after you leave. Completed operations coverage is the part of general liability that responds to damage that happens after the work is done. Check that it is included and what its limit is, and keep your coverage in force without a gap.
Your own work. General liability is built to pay for the damage your work causes, not to redo the work itself. If a panel you installed fails and burns a wall, the wall is the claim. The cost of replacing your own faulty work is typically excluded.
Tools left in the van. Tools coverage often comes with conditions for theft from an unattended vehicle, such as locked doors and visible signs of forced entry. Read them before a break-in tests them.
Subcontractors. Many policies require every subcontractor to carry its own general liability and workers compensation and to hand you a certificate. Miss that step and a claim can be denied, and your premium audit can bill you for the sub's work. Our guide to certificate holders and additional insureds explains what to ask for.
Tell us the work you turn down, too
Low-voltage and data, solar, generators, fire alarm, and industrial controls are rated differently, and some policies exclude one or more of them. List everything you do, including the jobs you take only a few times a year, and we match the wording to it.
Illinois Electrician Licensing and Insurance Rules
Illinois does not issue one statewide electrician license. Registration happens in the city or county where you work.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal registration 65 ILCS 5/11-33-1 |
State law lets each municipality register electrical contractors. A contractor registered in one municipality cannot be required to register or pay a registration fee in another. | Illinois Municipal Code |
| Chicago Municipal Code 4-290 |
Chicago licenses electrical contractors under its own code. The business must employ at least one licensed supervising electrician, and the license is valid for one year. | City of Chicago |
| Going without workers compensation | Illinois requires employers to insure almost everyone they hire. An employer that knowingly fails to insure can be fined up to $500 for every day without coverage, with a minimum fine of $10,000. | Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission |
This is a summary for insurance planning, not legal advice. Cities set their own certificate and bond requirements, so confirm with the building department where you pull permits.
The certificate is the real requirement. General contractors, property managers, and municipalities set their own terms: limits, additional insured status, and a certificate of insurance before you start. Send us the insurance section of the contract and we match the policy and the certificate to it. More on Illinois rules in our contractor insurance guide and our Illinois workers compensation page.
Why Electrical Work Is Rated the Way It Is
The injuries happen on the job. The largest claims often arrive after it.
| Published figure | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal injury rate, electricians | 5.3 per 100,000 full-time workers (53 deaths) | Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 |
| Fatal injury rate, all workers | 3.3 per 100,000 full-time workers | Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 |
| Home electrical malfunction fires | 23,700 in 2023 | U.S. Fire Administration |
| Deaths in those fires | 305 | U.S. Fire Administration |
| Property loss in those fires | $1.5 billion | U.S. Fire Administration |
Fire figures are national estimates for residential buildings and cover every cause of electrical malfunction, not contractor error alone. They are the reason completed operations coverage matters to an electrician.
Other Coverages Electrical Contractors Add
General liability, workers comp, commercial auto and tools cover most of the risk. These round out the program for shops that design, bid or store data:
- Professional liability for design, load calculations and specifications you provide, which general liability usually excludes.
- Commercial property and business income for your shop, stock and the revenue you lose if a covered loss shuts you down.
- Cyber liability if you take payments, keep customer records or schedule jobs online. It pays to restore data, notify customers and respond to ransomware.
We quote these alongside your core program so one renewal covers everything. See professional liability and cyber liability for detail.
What Electrician Insurance Costs
Insureon publishes what small contractors in this trade pay for each policy. These are its figures, not our quotes.
| Policy | Median per month | Median per year |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $61 | $732 |
| Workers compensation | $140 | $1,679 |
| Commercial auto | $275 | $3,304 |
| Commercial umbrella | $74 | $886 |
| Tools and equipment | $42 | $503 |
| Surety bond | $10 | $116 |
Source: Insureon, median premiums for electricians that bought through Insureon, updated July 28, 2026. Most of those businesses have fewer than five employees. General liability is for a $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate policy with a $500 deductible. A larger shop pays more: workers compensation rises with payroll. See how this trade compares with the others in our contractor insurance cost guide.
Eight things move your own number.
| Cost factor | How it moves the premium | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll | Workers compensation is priced on payroll, so every electrician you add moves the premium. | Payroll by job duty |
| Residential or commercial | Carriers price the two differently, and some write only one. | Your split by revenue |
| Kind of work | Service calls, new construction, low-voltage, solar, and industrial work are rated differently. | What you install and how much of each |
| Revenue | General liability for contractors is usually rated on revenue or payroll. | Last year's revenue and this year's estimate |
| Subcontractors | Uninsured subs can be charged to your policies at audit. | Annual subcontractor cost and their certificates |
| Claims history | Past losses and your experience modification move both liability and workers compensation. | Loss runs for the last three to five years |
| Vans and drivers | Each vehicle and each driving record is rated. | Vehicle list and each driver's license number |
| Limits | A contract that calls for higher limits adds premium, usually through an umbrella. | The insurance section of your contracts |
Not sure how payroll is classified? Read workers compensation class codes explained.
What we need for an electrician insurance quote
Underwriters ask for the same items on every account. Having them ready gets your quote back sooner, and a complete submission is easier to place.
- The cities where you are registered or licensed, and whether any of them asks for a bond
- Years in business and annual revenue
- Payroll, split between electricians, apprentices, office staff, and owners
- Your mix of residential, commercial, and industrial work
- The kinds of work you do: service, new construction, low-voltage, solar, generators, fire alarm
- What you pay subcontractors in a year, and whether you collect their certificates
- Each van and truck, and each driver
- The replacement value of your tools and equipment
- Loss runs for the last three to five years, if you have them
- The insurance section of any contract you need to meet
Need a Certificate of Insurance Today?
General contractors, property managers, and commercial clients often ask for specific wording before you can start: additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary and noncontributory. Tell us what your contract requires and we match the wording. Most requests go out the same day. Request your certificate below.
What Our Clients Say
Why Electricians Choose Pro Insurance Group
An Agency, Not a Carrier
We are an independent agency. We work for the electrician and shop the market on your behalf. Carriers pay us, so you pay no agency fee.
Markets for Electrical Work
Carriers price electrical contractors very differently. We take your account to the ones that want it.
Contract Ready
Send us the insurance section before you bid. We match the limits and the certificate wording to it.
Certificates, Fast
Owners and general contractors want a certificate before you start. We turn them around the same day in most cases.
We also insure the trades that share your job sites: plumbers, HVAC contractors, roofers, and excavation contractors.
Electrician Insurance FAQ
What insurance does an electrician need?
Most electricians carry general liability, workers compensation, and commercial auto, then add tools and equipment coverage and an umbrella. General liability should include completed operations, because a wiring fault can cause damage long after the job is finished. Commercial owners and general contractors usually set the limits you must carry.
How much does electrician insurance cost?
Insureon reports median premiums for small electrical businesses of $61 a month for general liability, $140 for workers compensation, and $275 for commercial auto, as of July 2026. Most of those firms have fewer than five employees. Your price depends on payroll, the kind of electrical work you do, and your claims history.
Does Illinois license electricians?
Not at the state level. Illinois law lets each municipality register electrical contractors, and a contractor registered in one municipality cannot be made to register or pay a fee in another. Chicago licenses electrical contractors under its own code and requires a licensed supervising electrician. Check with the city where you pull permits.
What insurance does a self-employed electrician need?
A solo electrician usually starts with general liability and tools and equipment coverage, then adds commercial auto for the work van. Even with no employees, most contracts ask for a general liability certificate before you can start. Workers compensation comes into play as soon as you hire.
Does general liability cover a fire that starts after the job is done?
That is what completed operations coverage is for. It is the part of a general liability policy that responds to damage that happens after your work is finished. Confirm that your policy includes it, check its limit, and avoid gaps in coverage between policies.
Does my policy pay to fix my own faulty work?
Usually not. General liability is designed to pay for the injury or property damage your work causes to others. The cost of redoing your own defective work is typically excluded. Ask us to walk through the wording so you know where the line sits.
Is a license bond the same as insurance?
No. Insurance pays a covered claim on your behalf. A surety bond is a guarantee to a city, a state, or a customer that you will follow the rules of your license or contract. If the surety pays a claim against the bond, you repay it. Where a bond is required, you usually need insurance as well. We place license bonds along with the insurance.
How fast can I get a certificate of insurance?
Once your policy is in force, we issue certificates the same day in most cases. Send us the insurance section of the contract or the certificate request, including any additional insured wording, and we match the certificate to it so your crew is not held at the gate.
Is Pro Insurance Group an insurance company?
No. Pro Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance carrier. We work for the electrician, take the account to the carriers that write electrical contractors, and place the policy with the company that fits. We are based in Elgin and Huntley, Illinois, and write business in 40+ states.
Get Your Electrician Insurance Quote
A few quick questions and nothing to upload. A licensed producer takes your account to the carriers that write electrical contractors and replies within one business day.
Get My Quote Call 833-776-4671
Reviewed by Neal Fusco, VP Commercial Lines
25 years in insurance, including 16 at Zurich North America in workers' compensation managed care and claims.
Illinois licensed insurance producer #18515626. Figures verified October 2026.