In the construction world, water changes everything. Building on, over, or near navigable waters introduces a complex web of environmental risks, specialized equipment exposures, and strict federal maritime laws. Whether you construct residential piers, commercial marinas, seawalls, or custom houseboats, Barefoot Insurance Broker provides the highly specialized marine insurance portfolios required to keep your business afloat and compliant nationwide.
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Why Marine Construction Insurance Matters
Standard General Liability and Workers’ Compensation policies explicitly exclude operations performed over the water or involving watercraft. If a half-built houseboat sinks, a pile driver falls off a barge, or an employee is injured while working on a floating dock, a standard land-based policy will deny the claim entirely. You need a broker who understands the difference between land risks and maritime law.
Recommended Coverage
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Marine Contractors Liability: Replaces standard General Liability to cover third-party property damage and bodily injury that occurs specifically during over-water construction and marine manufacturing.
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Marine Builders Risk: Protects the dock, seawall, or houseboat itself from fire, sinking, and severe weather while it is actively under construction or during the launch phase.
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USL&H & Jones Act Coverage: This is critical. Standard Workers’ Comp does not cover employees working on navigable waters. You must carry specialized federal coverage (US Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act or Jones Act) to protect your crew and shield your business from devastating federal lawsuits if a worker is injured over the water.
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Hull & P&I (Protection and Indemnity): If your business utilizes work barges, tugs, or skiffs to transport materials and drive pilings, this covers physical damage to your vessels and liability for accidents they cause.
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Tools & Equipment (Contractors Equipment Floater): Covers your expensive pile drivers, cranes, generators, and hand tools from theft, weather damage, or accidental loss (like falling into the water).
Coast-to-Coast Claims Scenarios
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The Sudden Squall: A severe coastal storm rolled in overnight, destroying a partially completed commercial marina; Marine Builders Risk covered the massive cost of the lost lumber, pilings, and the labor required to restart the project.
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The Barge Incident: A crane operating on a work barge accidentally dropped a heavy load, damaging a client’s existing seawall and a neighboring yacht; Marine Contractors Liability covered the extensive third-party property damage.
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The Over-Water Injury: An employee slipped and suffered a severe injury while securing a houseboat to a launch ramp. Because the injury happened on navigable waters, standard workers’ comp denied the claim, but the company’s USL&H coverage immediately stepped in to cover the medical bills and federal wage replacements.
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The Equipment Loss: A sudden wake from a passing ship caused a generator and several expensive tools to slide off a dock and sink; the Equipment Floater funded the immediate replacement of the gear.
Why Choose Barefoot?
Marine insurance is a highly specialized niche. Whether you are building private docks on the Gulf Coast, commercial marinas on the Great Lakes, or houseboats in the Pacific Northwest, your contracts likely require strict compliance with the Army Corps of Engineers or local port authorities. Because Barefoot Insurance Broker operates nationwide, we have deep relationships with the country’s top ocean and inland marine underwriters. We secure the exact federal liability limits you need and generate the complex Certificates of Insurance (COIs) required to get you on the water and to work.
Call or TEXT (251) 202-3090