Fall protection and insurance for a new roofing company

Why falls come first

OSHA's fall prevention campaign calls falls the leading cause of death in construction, reporting 389 fatal falls to a lower level out of 1,034 construction fatalities in 2024, based on BLS data. Fall protection is also the rule OSHA enforces most. On its list of most frequently cited standards for fiscal year 2025, general fall protection requirements ranked first, construction ladders third, scaffolding sixth, fall protection training seventh and eye and face protection ninth.

The residential rule: 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13)

For work on houses, the controlling paragraph is 1926.501(b)(13). Each employee doing residential construction 6 feet or more above a lower level must be protected by a guardrail system, a safety net system or a personal fall arrest system, unless another part of the standard allows a different measure.

There is one exception, and it is narrow. If the employer can show those systems are infeasible or create a greater hazard, it must develop and implement a fall protection plan meeting 1926.502(k). OSHA presumes at least one of the listed systems is feasible, so the burden of proving otherwise sits with the employer.

The same section has separate paragraphs for roof types. On steep roofs, workers 6 feet or more above a lower level need guardrails with toeboards, safety nets or personal fall arrest systems. On low-slope roofs, the rule allows combinations such as a warning line with a guardrail, net, fall arrest system or safety monitor, and a safety monitoring system alone on roofs 50 feet wide or less.

Training, and proving you did it

Under 1926.503, the employer must provide a training program for every employee who might be exposed to fall hazards, delivered as necessary by a competent person. The employer must also keep a written certification record showing each employee's name, the training date and the signature of the trainer or employer.

What an OSHA roofing case looks like

In July 2026, OSHA cited a Florida roofing company over work at residential sites in Rockledge. Investigators found workers exposed to a 10-foot fall while installing sheathing on a sloped roof with no fall protection, and later a worker exposed to a 9-foot fall while installing metal hurricane clips. The release also cites missing written fall protection training certificates, no eye protection for workers using nail guns, and ladders whose side rails did not extend 36 inches above the landing. That last item tracks the ladder rule, 1926.1053(b)(1), which requires side rails to extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing.

The result was two willful and four repeat violations and $349,754 in proposed penalties. OSHA noted the company had been inspected seven times since 2023, with fall protection violations every time.

Plan, provide, train

OSHA's campaign reduces prevention to three steps. Plan the job, including the cost of safety equipment in the estimate; on a roofing job, that means thinking through holes, skylights and leading edges and choosing protection such as personal fall arrest systems. Provide the right equipment, including a harness for each worker who needs to tie off. Train every worker to set up and use it. The National Roofing Directory's document library collects OSHA publications alongside code chapters and training material.

Workers' compensation is a state question

The rules differ sharply from state to state.

• Florida. The state's Division of Workers' Compensation requires construction employers with one or more employees, counting corporate officers and LLC members who own the business, to carry coverage. Officers and members can file for an exemption for themselves. Contractors must confirm their subcontractors are covered; if a sub's workers are not, they become the contractor's employees for benefits. Out-of-state employers must tell their carrier they are working in Florida, and those without coverage must get a Florida policy.
• Texas. The Texas Department of Insurance says private employers can choose whether to carry workers' compensation and that it is not required in most cases. Employers without it must report that to the state and notify their employees.
• Licensing states. Several licensing and registration systems require proof of coverage or a documented exemption before they issue anything, including Minnesota's roofer license, Oklahoma's registration and Kansas's registration.

General liability, and the state minimums

The Small Business Administration describes general liability insurance as coverage against financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses, libel, slander, defending lawsuits and settlement bonds or judgments, and notes that insurance requirements vary by state. For roofers, the state minimums usually arrive with the license:

Read the certificate as well as the limit. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department in Colorado Springs, for example, requires that the certificate of insurance show reroofing as included, or not excluded, in the description of operations.

Once your coverage is in place, show it. The National Roofing Directory's Verified level includes a check of your insurance and license by a person at the directory; see the membership levels and claim your listing. The Roofing Wire's OSHA Watch tracks new enforcement cases that touch roofing crews; subscribe free.

Frequently asked questions

At what height does OSHA require fall protection on a house?

Six feet. 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13) applies to employees doing residential construction 6 feet or more above a lower level.

Can I use a fall protection plan instead of harnesses?

Only if you can show that guardrails, nets and personal fall arrest systems are infeasible or would create a greater hazard. OSHA presumes they are feasible, and the plan must meet 1926.502(k).

Is workers' comp required for a roofing company?

It depends on the state. Florida requires it for construction employers with one or more employees, while Texas leaves it optional for most private employers.