FIELD GUIDE
The General Contractor's Guide to Pairing Health Insurance with Accident Coverage
Most GCs are over-insured on the wrong things and under-insured on the risk that actually puts them out of work. Here's how to build the right stack.
BUILT FOR THE TRADES
HEALTH INSURANCE FOR GENERAL CONTRACTORSBUILT AS TOUGH AS YOUR PROJECTS
Independent licensed agents who only quote plans that work for the way construction actually runs — odd hours, project gaps, on-site injury risk, and a crew that needs to stay on the job.
Licensed in all 50 states
50+ A-rated carriers
No SSN required
Independent — not a carrier
CURRENT JOB SITE STAT
1 in 5
US worker fatalities occur in construction. Falls, equipment accidents, struck-by injuries, and caught-in incidents affect thousands of crews each year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
THE REAL COST OF GOING BARE
THREE WAYS A SINGLE BAD DAY ENDS A GC'S YEAR
We don't talk about prices on this page — we talk about what happens to your business when the wrong thing happens on the wrong site. Coverage is a tool. Here's where contractors most often find out their tool was missing.
SCENARIO 01
THE FALL FROM 22 FEET
Roofers, framers, and trim carpenters routinely work above OSHA's 6-foot fall threshold. ER bills for a single fall regularly clear five figures before your major medical kicks in — and lost income from a 10-week recovery hits self-employed GCs the hardest.
SCENARIO 02
THE NAIL GUN MISFIRE
Roughly 37,000 nail-gun injuries land in U.S. emergency rooms every year. Most are 'minor' — until infection, tendon damage, or a missed week of work turns them into a real financial problem for a crew running on a tight bid margin.
SCENARIO 03
THE SLOW-BURN BACK INJURY
The injury that takes a GC off the field isn't usually the dramatic one — it's the herniated disc from twenty years of lifting that finally goes during a kitchen tear-out. Disability and supplemental coverage exist for exactly this scenario, and most contractors don't carry them.
1,069
Construction fatalities (BLS 2022)
37K
Annual nail-gun ER visits in US
50+
A-rated carriers we compare
48 hr
Typical time from call to coverage
COVERAGE LINEUP
EVERY POLICY A GENERAL CONTRACTOR ACTUALLY NEEDS — UNDER ONE ROOF
Individual & Crew Health Plans
Full major-medical coverage from ACA marketplace + off-exchange carriers, tuned to self-employed contractors and W-2 crew members.
- ACA + private carriers
- Subsidy eligibility check
- HSA-compatible options
Job-Site Accident Insurance
24/7 on-the-job and off-the-job accident policies that pay you directly for fractures, lacerations, concussions, and ER trips.
- Pays in addition to workers' comp
- No payout caps for trade work
- Lump-sum cash benefits
Short & Long-Term Disability
Income replacement when a back injury, surgery, or extended recovery takes you off the field for weeks or months.
- Self-employed friendly
- Own-occupation definitions
- Tax-free benefit options
Hospital Indemnity
Fixed cash payouts for hospital admission, ICU stays, and surgery — designed to close the deductible gap on high-deductible plans.
- Pays regardless of major-medical
- Fast claims process
- Family coverage available
Small Construction Group Plans
Group health for construction companies with 2–25 W-2 employees, including QSEHRA and ICHRA reimbursement structures.
- QSEHRA / ICHRA setup
- Payroll-deduction ready
- Tax-deductible to the LLC
Dental, Vision & HSA
Standalone dental and vision plans covering prescription safety eyewear, plus HSA setup for tax-advantaged out-of-pocket savings.
- Prescription PPE coverage
- Family bundles
- Triple-tax-advantaged HSAs
WHO'S ON THE JOB
THE CREWS WE BUILD COVERAGE FOR
INDEPENDENT GCS
Solo operators running residential remodels, custom builds, or specialty fit-outs. Self-employed tax structure, no W-2 employees yet.
SMALL CONSTRUCTION LLCS
3–15 employee crews running commercial sub-work, framing packages, or multi-family builds. Ready to formalize benefits without a corporate HR team.
SPECIALTY TRADE CONTRACTORS
Roofers, framers, concrete crews, and demo specialists running the highest-risk parts of the job. Coverage tuned for above-average claim frequency.
OWNER-OPERATORS WITH FAMILY
GCs covering a spouse and kids on a single household policy. Subsidies, HSA-eligibility, and pediatric dental built into the recommendation.
WHAT WE COMPARE FOR YOU
FIFTY-PLUS CARRIERS, ONE NEUTRAL SHORTLIST
BLUE CROSS
AETNA
CIGNA
UNITEDHEALTHCARE
ANTHEM
HUMANA
KAISER
OSCAR
01
Independent agents work for you, not a single carrier — we have no quota to push one plan over another.
02
No two carriers price construction trades the same. We've watched identical 45-year-old GCs get quotes 38% apart from competing carriers on the same day.
03
We're paid by the carrier you ultimately enroll with — at the same rate by every carrier — so the recommendation is genuinely neutral.
THE PROCESS
FOUR STEPS, NO SALES PITCH
01
TELL US ABOUT THE CREW
Two-minute form: who's covered, what state, what the work looks like. No SSN, no credit pull, no nonsense.
02
WE PULL THE NEUTRAL SHORTLIST
Your licensed advisor runs your inputs across 50+ carriers and trims it to the 3 plans that actually fit construction work.
03
WE WALK THE COMPARISON
A real human (not a chatbot) explains the trade-offs in plain English — deductibles, networks, accident riders, the fine print that matters.
04
YOU ENROLL — USUALLY IN 48 HOURS
We handle paperwork, carrier submission, and member ID delivery. Your advisor stays with you for renewals, claims, and life changes.
STRAIGHT TALK
THE THREE THINGS CONTRACTORS ALWAYS ASK FIRST
SUBSIDY ELIGIBILITY
Many self-employed GCs qualify for ACA premium tax credits based on Schedule C net income — not gross receipts. We run your numbers before quoting.
WHAT WE COST YOU
Nothing. Our agency is paid by the carrier you eventually enroll with, at the same rate by every carrier. The price of the plan is identical to what you'd pay buying direct.
CARRIER INDEPENDENCE
We are not Blue Cross, Aetna, or anyone else. We're a licensed independent agency — which means we can walk you away from a bad fit instead of selling you the one product we have.
FROM THE FIELD
GENERAL CONTRACTORS WHO RUN A TIGHTER OPERATION BECAUSE OF THE COVERAGE WE BUILT
"
I'd been winging it with a junk short-term plan for three years. OpenHealthFinder built me a real ACA plan plus an accident policy in 48 hours — and showed me the subsidy I was leaving on the table.
MIKE DELGADO
Owner, Delgado Custom Builds — Phoenix, AZ
"
Tried to set up benefits for my framing crew through a payroll provider. Total nightmare. These folks had quotes from four carriers, side-by-side, on a Wednesday. We were enrolled by Friday.
BRENDA HOLCOMB
Co-Owner, Holcomb & Sons GC — Greenville, SC
"
Took a fall off scaffolding in October. Workers' comp covered the ER bill. The accident policy my advisor pushed me to add paid out enough to keep the mortgage current while I was in a boot for ten weeks. Worth every penny.
TONY BUCHANAN
Independent Remodeler — Cleveland, OH
GET ON SITE
PULL YOUR CREW'S COVERAGE OPTIONS IN UNDER TWO MINUTES
Answer seven quick questions. A licensed advisor reaches out the same day with a shortlist tuned to general contracting — not generic plans pulled off a search engine.
START MY CREW QUOTEYour request has been received. A licensed insurance advisor will contact you within 24 hours.
No SSN. No spam. Free, no-obligation comparison.
QUESTIONS FROM THE JOB SITE
WHAT GCS ASK BEFORE THEY ENROLL
What health insurance options exist for self-employed general contractors?+
Self-employed GCs can choose from ACA marketplace plans (where you may qualify for premium subsidies based on net Schedule C income), private off-exchange carrier plans, short-term medical for gap coverage between projects, and association/trade-group plans. Most independent contractors also pair major medical with an accident or hospital indemnity policy to handle on-site injury risk that standard plans pay only partially.
What's the best accident plan for a construction job site?+
Look for a 24/7 off-the-job + on-the-job accident policy that pays a lump sum for fractures, lacerations, concussions, ER visits, ambulance transport, and physical therapy — regardless of what your major medical covers. The strongest GC-friendly plans don't exclude roofing, framing, demo, or operating heavy equipment. Your advisor will rule out carriers whose fine print quietly removes payouts for the work you actually do.
How do I offer benefits to my 5-person construction crew without payroll headaches?+
A 2–25 employee small group plan is usually the cleanest path: predictable premium, simple payroll deduction, and tax-deductible employer contribution. If your crew rosters change project-to-project, a QSEHRA or ICHRA arrangement lets you reimburse individual coverage tax-free without committing to a fixed group plan. We'll model both against your headcount and 1099/W-2 mix.
Is health insurance deductible for my construction LLC?+
If you're a self-employed GC with no employees, 100% of your health premium is generally deductible on your personal return (above-the-line, Form 1040 Schedule 1) up to your net business income. If you operate as an S-Corp, premiums are typically paid by the corporation and reported on your W-2, then deducted personally. Talk to your CPA — but yes, the deduction is one of the best-kept tax wins in the trades.
What happens to my health coverage between commercial projects?+
This is the #1 mistake we see. ACA plans don't drop you when a project ends — your coverage continues as long as premiums are paid. The danger is the gap if you let a policy lapse during a slow stretch. Short-term medical, COBRA, or moving to a lower-tier ACA plan during dry months are all viable. We'll build a 12-month coverage map so you don't go bare between bids.
Will workers' comp cover my health if I get hurt on a job site?+
Only partially. Workers' comp pays for treatment of the specific injury and a portion of lost wages — but it doesn't cover non-work medical care, your family's health, or income for self-employed owners in many states. An accident + disability stack runs in parallel and pays you directly. That's why every GC client we work with carries both.
Can I get dental and vision added to a construction crew plan?+
Yes — and we strongly recommend it. Dental claims spike in the trades (cracked teeth from impact, grinding from stress, deferred care). Vision plans cover prescription safety glasses, which are required PPE on most commercial sites. Both can be added as standalone policies or bundled into a group package for 2+ employees.
FIELD NOTES
READING FOR CONTRACTORS WHO DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ
READ
CASE STUDY
How a 5-Person Construction Company Cut Benefits Costs by Switching to ICHRA
Walk-through of how a small commercial GC moved off a rigid group plan to a reimbursement model — and what it changed for retention and bid margins.
TAX & SUBSIDIES
Health Insurance for Self-Employed Contractors: ACA Subsidies You're Probably Missing
Your Schedule C income, not your gross receipts, drives your premium tax credit. We walk through three contractor income scenarios most people get wrong.