Best Business Insurance for Welding Contractors: Key Takeaways

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Welding businesses need several types of coverage, including workers' compensation for employee injuries, general liability for fire damage, commercial auto for work vehicles and professional liability for weld failures.

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The best business insurance provider for welding contractors is The Hartford, with a MoneyGeek score of 4.78 our of 5, providing quality service with affordable rates.

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The cheapest business insurance for welding companies comes from The Hartford at $127 monthly, with professional liability rates starting at $68 monthly.

Best Business Insurance for Welding Companies

The Hartford leads our study for welding business insurance with a MoneyGeek score of 4.78 out of 5.00, earning top marks across all categories. At $127 per month or $1,522 annually, The Hartford combines comprehensive coverage with competitive pricing. We also recommend comparing quotes from our other top picks, including NEXT, biBERK, Simply Business and Coverdash.

The Hartford4.78$127
NEXT Insurance4.73$132
biBERK4.70$132
Simply Business4.40$158
Coverdash4.40$153
Nationwide4.40$163
Hiscox4.30$155
Chubb4.30$176
Progressive Commercial4.30$156
Thimble4.10$167

*We based all scores on a welding business with two employees across professional liability, general liability, workers' comp and BOP policies.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEST BUSINESS INSURANCE
The Hartford

1. The Hartford: Best and Cheapest Overall for Welding Businesses

*on The Hartford
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pros

  • Lowest rates for general liability and professional liability coverage

  • Best claims processing score among business insurers nationally

  • A+ AM Best rating guarantees your welding claims get paid

  • Top-ranked customer service with dedicated business support

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cons

  • Digital experience ranks 10th nationally, limiting online policy management

  • Business owner's policies unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii and Michigan

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

For welding contractors and welding companies, The Hartford offers the lowest rates for two coverage types: $137 monthly for general liability and $68 for professional liability. These competitive prices matter when you're managing equipment costs and the liability risks that come with high-heat work on customer property.

The Hartford ranks first nationally for claims processing, responding fast when you file claims for property damage from sparks, equipment failures or job site injuries. Their A+ AM Best rating guarantees it'll pay your claim, whether it's minor equipment damage or a major liability lawsuit involving your welding operations.

Cheapest Business Insurance for Welding Companies

The Hartford offers the most affordable insurance for welding businesses at $127 monthly ($1,522 annually), with the lowest rates for general liability ($137 monthly) and professional liability ($68 monthly) coverage. For workers compensation, NEXT provides cheaper coverage at $55 monthly. biBERK leads for business owner's policies at $185 monthly, compared to The Hartford's $189 rate.

The Hartford$127$1,522
biBERK$132$1,580
NEXT Insurance$132$1,585
Coverdash$153$1,832
Hiscox$155$1,856
Progressive Commercial$156$1,875
Simply Business$158$1,901
Nationwide$163$1,951
Thimble$167$2,003
Chubb$176$2,108

Cheapest General Liability Insurance for Welding Contractors

The Hartford provides the cheapest general liability insurance for welding contractors at $137 monthly ($1,641 annually). This beats the industry average of $166 monthly by $29, saving your welding business $348 annually. NEXT ranks second at $137 monthly, while biBERK offers competitive rates at $142 monthly for welding companies needing liability protection.

The Hartford$137$1,641
NEXT Insurance$137$1,647
biBERK$142$1,699
Coverdash$169$2,024
Hiscox$171$2,046

Cheapest Workers' Comp Insurance for Welding Contractors

Welding contractors pay an average of $117 monthly for workers' compensation, but NEXT offers the cheapest workers' comp insurance at $110 monthly ($1,316 annually), saving welding businesses $84 annually. The Hartford ranks second at $112 monthly, followed by Thimble at $112 monthly.

NEXT Insurance$110$1,316
The Hartford$111$1,337
Thimble$112$1,346
Progressive Commercial$113$1,360
Simply Business$113$1,361

Cheapest Professional Liability Insurance for Welding Contractors

Professional liability insurance costs welding contractors $77 monthly on average, but you can find better rates. The Hartford offers the cheapest professional liability insurance at $68 monthly ($821 annually), cutting costs by $108 annually for your welding business. NEXT follows close behind at $71 monthly, while Progressive Commercial ranks third at $73 monthly for welding companies seeking errors and omissions coverage.

The Hartford$68$821
NEXT Insurance$71$853
Progressive Commercial$73$878
Thimble$75$903
Simply Business$76$915

Cheapest BOP Insurance for Welding Contractors

biBerk delivers the for welding businesses at $185 monthly ($2,218 annually), well below the industry average of $244 monthly. Your welding company saves $708 annually compared to typical BOP rates. The Hartford ranks second at $189 monthly, with NEXT offering another solid option at $208 monthly for welding contractors bundling general liability and property coverage.

biBERK$185$2,218
The Hartford$189$2,274
NEXT Insurance$208$2,502
Coverdash$245$2,943
Hiscox$255$3,055

What Does Welding Business Insurance Cost?

In general, business insurance costs for welding companies are the following for the four most popular coverage types:

  • General Liability: $166 on average per month ranging from $144 to $193 depending on state
  • Workers Comp: $117 on average per month ranging from $100 to $137 depending on state
  • Professional Liability (E&O): $77 on average per month ranging from $66 to $90 depending on state
  • BOP Insurance: $244 on average per month ranging from $210 to $283 depending on state
BOP$244$2,928
General Liability$166$1,987
Workers Comp$117$1,406
Professional Liability (E&O)$77$923

What Type of Insurance Is Best for a Welding Business?

Welding contractors face unique liability exposures from high-heat work, making workers' compensation a required coverage for welding contractors. You’ll also need commercial auto essential for legal compliance and financial protection. Beyond these, general liability and professional liability insurance address the fire risks and structural integrity concerns that define your welding business.

  • Workers' Compensation Insurance: Your welders face arc flash burns, metal fume fever and back injuries from positioning heavy steel beams. Workers' comp covers their medical treatment and lost wages when welding accidents happen, and it's legally required in most states once you hire employees.
  • Commercial Auto Insurance: Required by law for your work trucks. Protects you when hauling your welding rig to a fabrication site or if your loaded trailer damages another vehicle. Personal auto policies exclude business use, leaving your welding operation financially exposed during transport.
  • General Liability Insurance: Covers you when your grinding sparks ignite nearby materials, your welding heat warps a client's steel plate, or molten slag burns through their equipment. Most commercial clients and welding license boards require $1 million to $2 million before you can start any job.
  • Professional Liability Insurance (E&O): Protects your welding business when a structural weld fails inspection, you're accused of causing cracked welds, or clients claim your fabrication work caused equipment malfunctions. Essential coverage if you provide certified welding services or technical specifications beyond basic repairs.
  • Tools and Equipment Insurance: Your TIG welder, acetylene torch setup and angle grinders represent major investments. This coverage protects your welding equipment from theft at job sites, damage during transport, or when stored in your shop between fabrication projects.
  • Commercial Property Insurance: Protects your welding shop, welding booths, ventilation systems and metal inventory from fire damage (especially critical given welding fire risks), theft or storm damage. Necessary coverage if you own or lease a fabrication facility or welding workshop.
  • Commercial Umbrella Insurance: Provides additional liability protection beyond your base policy when major welding accidents happen. Critical for structural welding contracts or industrial projects where a single incident could cause hundreds of thousands in damage, with coverage typically starting at $1 million.

How to Get the Best Cheap Business Insurance for Your Welding Company

Here's our step-by-step method for getting business insurance that protects your welding operation without overpaying.

  1. 1

    Decide on Coverage Needs Before Buying

    Consider what happens when your grinding sparks ignite a client's warehouse or arc flash injures a bystander at your fabrication site. Connect with welding contractors in your area who've filed claims for warped steel plates or equipment damage. Find agents experienced with welding operations who understand liability from acetylene torch work and molten slag burns.

  2. 2

    Research Costs

    Check what other welding businesses pay before shopping for quotes. Structural welders doing certified work pay more than mobile welders handling basic repairs. Fabrication shops with multiple welding booths face different rates than solo contractors running MIG welders from their trucks. Know these pricing differences before you negotiate with insurers.

  3. 3

    Look Into Company Reputations and Coverage Options

    Read reviews from welding contractors about how insurers handled their fire damage claims or equipment theft losses. Check whether carriers understand completed operations coverage for welds that fail months after you finish a job. Verify they offer adequate protection for your plasma cutters, welding rigs and specialty torches stored at job sites.

  4. 4

    Compare Multiple Quotes Through Different Means

    Get quotes from three insurers who actually cover welding operations since many carriers reject welding businesses outright. Independent agents access specialty insurers for high-heat trades while online platforms show mainstream options. Some carriers exclude overhead structural welding or confined space work, so compare what's actually covered for your specific welding services.

  5. 5

    Reassess Annually

    Your welding company evolves as you hire certified welders, invest in robotic welding equipment or shift from repair work to structural fabrication. Review coverage when you upgrade from stick welding to Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), expand your metal fabrication services or add a second welding truck. Premium reductions often come from improved safety records or installing better ventilation systems.

Best Welding Liability Insurance: Bottom Line

The Hartford earns our top ranking for welding business insurance with a 4.78 MoneyGeek score, offering comprehensive coverage at $127 monthly. Your welding operation needs financial protection against fire damage from sparks, employee injuries and weld failures. Professional liability starts at just $68 monthly, combining affordable rates with exceptional customer service for welding contractors.

Welding Business Insurance Chart

Welding Business Insurance: FAQ

We answer frequently asked questions about Welding business insurance:

Who offers the best welding business insurance overall?

Who has the cheapest business insurance for welding firms?

What business insurance is required for welding organizations?

How much does welding business insurance cost?

How We Chose the Best Welding Business Insurance

We selected the best business insurer for welding companies based on the following criteria:

  • Affordability (50% of score): The lower a company's costs compared to the competition based on our base profile for four core coverage types, the better the company performs.
  • Customer service (30% of score): We scored providers on overall customer satisfaction using industry studies, customer review forum ratings and public forum sentiment analysis from sites like Reddit.
  • Coverage (15% of score): We scored business insurance providers for this category based on the flexibility, payment and actual coverage options.
  • Financial stability (5% of score): Using financial stability industry ratings from companies like AM Best and Moody's, we created an overall rating to judge how likely companies are to pay out claims compared to the competition.

All pricing in this article is based on the following base profile to represent the vast majority of small businesses in all states:

  • Three-person business with two employees
  • Coverage: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million total per year for all but BOP, which includes the same coverage plus $5,000 of business property coverage
  • $150,000 in payroll
  • $300,000 annual revenue

About Mark Fitzpatrick


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Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

Passionate about economics and insurance, he aims to promote transparency in financial topics and empower others to make confident money decisions.


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