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If your crew welds, wires, paints, or repairs vessels, a standard contractor's general liability policy may not respond when something goes wrong on the water. Marine artisan's liability insurance is built for the tradespeople who work on boats, ships, and marine equipment, and for the specific ways that work creates claims.

We see the same pattern every year: a contractor buys a commercial general liability (CGL) policy, signs a shipyard or vessel owner's contract, and only learns after a loss that the policy excludes watercraft, excludes the customer's vessel in their care, or never contemplated work done afloat. This guide explains what marine artisan coverage is, who needs it, where a CGL policy falls short, how the exposures differ from Puget Sound to the Gulf of Mexico to South Florida, and what to ask before your next job.

What Is Marine Artisan's Liability Insurance?

Marine artisan's liability insurance is a liability program for contractors and tradespeople who perform repair, maintenance, installation, or fabrication work on vessels, marine equipment, docks, and waterfront facilities. You may also see it called marine artisan contractor insurance, marine contractor's liability, or ship repairer's liability.

Unlike a land-based contractor policy, a marine artisan policy is written with waterborne work in mind. It typically combines marine general liability with coverage for damage to customers' vessels while they are in your care, liability for work you have completed, and the contractual obligations that shipyards and vessel owners routinely impose.

The exact coverage depends on the carrier's form, endorsements, and exclusions. Two policies with the same name can respond very differently to the same claim, which is why the scope of work written on the policy matters as much as the limit.

Who Needs Marine Artisan Coverage?

Any business whose people put their hands on vessels or marine equipment should review it, whether you run a 200-employee shipyard or a two-person mobile service van. Common examples include:

Marine mechanics and engine shops: diesel, outboard, propulsion, hydraulic, and steering work
Marine electricians and electronics installers: wiring, navigation electronics, shore power, and systems integration
Welders and fabricators: hot work aboard vessels, on barges, or at the shop on removed components
Painters, blasters, and coating applicators: bottom paint, hull refinishing, and tank coatings
Marine carpenters and joiners: interiors, decking, insulation, and refits
Riggers, canvas and sail makers, and HVAC/refrigeration techs working aboard
Dockside and marina service providers: maintenance, dock repair, and waterfront facility work
Haul-out and boatyard operators who store, move, or launch customer vessels

Size does not lower the stakes. One mistake on a fishing vessel's main engine can produce a repair bill plus a lost-season claim that dwarfs the value of the job.

Marine Artisan Liability vs. General Liability: Where a CGL Policy Falls Short

A commercial general liability policy is designed for land-based operations. Its standard exclusions, and the marine exclusions many carriers add by endorsement, leave gaps that matter most to marine trades.

Situation	How a standard CGL may respond	What a marine artisan program is built to address
Your crew damages the customer's vessel while repairing it	Excludes property in your care, custody, or control, and the part of the property you were working on	Ship repairer's legal liability covers vessels and equipment in your care while being worked on
A weld or installation fails weeks later and causes damage	"Your work" and "your product" exclusions narrow or remove coverage	Completed operations written for marine trades, with the scope of work matched to what you actually do
Your employee is hurt on a vessel or pier	Not a CGL exposure; State Workers' Comp may not apply	USL&H and maritime employers liability coordinated with the program
Hot work starts a fire or causes a fuel release into the water	Pollution exclusion; possible marine operations exclusion	Marine pollution coverage, often written alongside the liability program
You use a skiff or workboat to reach jobs	Watercraft exclusion for boats you own or operate	Hull and P&I on the workboat itself
A shipyard contract demands additional insured status and a waiver of subrogation	Endorsements may not extend to marine operations	Contractual liability and endorsements written to shipyard and vessel-owner requirements

That does not make a CGL policy useless. Many contractors carry both. The point is to know which policy responds to a vessel-related claim before the claim happens.

What a Marine Artisan Insurance Program Can Include

Not every contractor needs every piece. A sound program is built from the work you actually do, the vessels you touch, and the contracts you sign.

Marine general liability (MGL): bodily injury and property damage to third parties arising from your marine operations.
Ship repairer's legal liability (SRLL): damage to customer vessels and equipment while in your care, custody, or control, including while hauled out, moored at your facility, or under sea trials if endorsed.
Completed operations: claims alleging your finished repair, installation, or coating caused damage after you left the job.
Contractual liability: indemnity and hold-harmless obligations you accept in shipyard, marina, and vessel-owner contracts.
Marine pollution liability: cleanup and third-party claims from an oil or fuel release connected to your work.
USL&H and maritime employers liability: injuries to employees covered by federal maritime law rather than state workers' compensation.
Hull and Machinery and P&I: for any workboat, skiff, or tender your business owns or operates.
Excess or Bumbershoot liability: higher limits when contracts or exposures call for them.

Underwriters write these on different forms with different exclusions. Matching the policy's described operations to your real scope of work is the single most important step.

USL&H and Workers' Comp for Marine Contractors

Ship repair is one of the occupations the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (USL&H) was written for. When an employee does maritime work on navigable waters or an adjoining area such as a pier, dry dock, or marine railway, their injury may fall under federal law rather than your state workers' comp.

State rules add another layer. In Washington, workers' comp runs through a monopolistic state fund at Labor & Industries, and that fund does not cover workers whose injuries fall under federal maritime law, so USL&H has to be arranged separately through the private market. Along the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast, contractors buy workers' comp from private carriers, but a standard policy does not include USL&H unless it is specifically endorsed. In either case, a gap can leave the business paying a federal claim directly.

A few points to review with your broker:

Which employees board vessels, work on piers or in dry docks, or only work in an inland shop
Whether any recreational boat work falls under the Act's narrow exceptions
Whether any employee who works aboard a vessel underway could be considered a Jones Act seaman
How subcontractors and temporary labor are covered

These determinations are fact-specific. Classify workers by what they actually do and where they do it, not by job title, and involve qualified legal counsel where the answer is unclear.

Regional Exposures: Pacific Northwest, Gulf Coast and Southeast

The trades are the same everywhere, but the fleets, the weather and the contracts are not. A marine artisan program written for a Seattle diesel shop will not fit a Louisiana fabrication yard or a Fort Lauderdale yacht refit contractor without changes.

Region	Typical marine trade work	Exposures to address
Pacific Northwest and Alaska (Puget Sound, Columbia River, Alaska ports)	Commercial fishing fleet repair, tug and barge maintenance, ferry and workboat yards, seafood processor vessels	Tight yard windows before fishing openers, so a delayed or failed repair can bring a loss-of-use claim; the Washington state fund gap for USL&H; remote work and travel to Alaska job sites
Gulf Coast (Houston Ship Channel, coastal Louisiana, Mobile Bay)	Offshore supply and crew boats, inland tug and barge, shipyard fabrication, marine construction	Named-storm exposure to vessels in your yard; large USL&H payrolls; energy-industry contracts with broad indemnity, additional insured and waiver requirements; an active maritime injury claims environment
Southeast (South Florida, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston)	Yacht and superyacht refit, sportfishing and charter boats, shrimp and commercial fishing vessels, port and terminal equipment	Very high vessel values in your care, which drives the ship repairer's liability limit; hurricane haul-out and storage plans; whether recreational-vessel repair work falls inside or outside USL&H

Hurricane season deserves its own conversation in the Gulf and Southeast. Ask how your policy treats vessels in your care during a named storm, whether a separate deductible or exclusion applies, and whether your written hurricane plan matches what the policy expects.

What Affects the Cost of Marine Artisan Insurance?

There is no flat rate. Underwriters price marine artisan liability on the details of your operation, and a clear submission usually earns better terms. Expect questions on:

Scope of work: hot work, fuel systems, propulsion, and steering work rate differently than carpentry or canvas
Vessel types and values: commercial fishing vessels, tugs, ferries, and yachts each carry different exposures
Where you work: your shop, a shipyard, a marina, at berth, or aboard vessels underway, and whether your yard sits in a named-storm zone
Care, custody, and control: how many customer vessels you hold at once, their values, and storage or haul-out conditions
Payroll and employee duties: especially USL&H-exposed payroll
Contracts: required limits, additional insureds, waivers, and indemnity wording
Loss history and safety controls: hot-work permits, fire watch, quality control, and sign-off procedures

Good documentation of your controls is one of the few cost levers fully in your hands.

Marine Contractor Insurance Checklist: 9 Questions to Ask

Bring these to your next renewal or before you sign a new shipyard or vessel-owner contract:

Does my policy describe the work I do today, including any welding, electrical, or field service added since it was written?
Am I covered for damage to a customer's vessel while it is in my care, custody, or control?
How does my policy treat claims that arise after a job is finished?
Do my contracts require marine-specific limits, additional insured status, or waivers my policy can actually support?
Is any of my payroll exposed to USL&H or the Jones Act, and is it covered?
Who pays if hot work or fueling causes a release into the water?
Do I own, charter, or operate any workboat that needs its own hull and P&I coverage?
Are my limits adequate for the vessel values I work on?
If my yard is on the Gulf or Southeast coast, how are customer vessels in my care covered during a hurricane?

Frequently Asked Questions About Marine Artisan's Liability

What does marine artisan's liability insurance cover?

It generally covers third-party bodily injury and property damage from marine trade work, damage to customer vessels in your care while being worked on, and claims arising from completed work. Exact coverage depends on the policy form and endorsements.

Is marine artisan's liability the same as general liability?

No. A standard CGL policy is built for land-based work and often excludes watercraft, property in your care, and marine operations. A marine artisan program is written for work on and around vessels.

What is ship repairer's legal liability?

Ship repairer's legal liability covers your legal responsibility for damage to a customer's vessel while it is in your care, custody, or control for repair or service. It fills one of the biggest gaps in a standard CGL policy.

Do marine contractors need USL&H coverage?

Many do. Employees who do repair work on vessels, piers, or dry docks may fall under federal maritime law instead of state workers' comp. In Washington, the state fund does not cover those workers at all; on the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast, a private workers' comp policy needs a USL&H endorsement to respond.

Does hurricane season affect marine artisan coverage?

Yes, for contractors on the Gulf and Southeast coasts. Policies may apply named-storm deductibles, exclusions, or hurricane-plan requirements to customer vessels in your yard. Review those terms before June, not when a storm is in the forecast.

Does a shoreside repair shop need marine coverage?

Often, yes. If you take in customer engines, electronics, or vessels, or send technicians to marinas and shipyards, you have marine exposures even if your shop is on land.

How much does marine artisan insurance cost?

It depends on your scope of work, vessel values, payroll, contracts, and loss history. A specialist broker can give you a realistic range after reviewing your operations.

Get a Marine Artisan Coverage Review from Lightship Maritime

Lightship Maritime is a Seattle-based marine specialty insurance brokerage. Our family has been in the marine insurance business since 1966, and our team works with marine contractors, shipyards, vessel operators, and waterfront businesses across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Gulf Coast, the Southeast, and the Caribbean.

With direct access to more than 20 insurance markets, including Lloyd's of London and the P&I Clubs, we can match your actual operations to the right forms and markets instead of forcing marine work into a land-based policy.

Not sure your current policy fits the work you do on vessels? Call our team at 407.890.1036 or request a coverage review for a practical, no-pressure conversation about your operations.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. All coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy issued.

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