PRODUCTS-COMPLETED OPERATIONS COVERAGE THAT PROTECTS YOUR BUSINESS
Mountain West contractors and manufacturers face liability risks that extend years after projects finish or products ship—from construction defects discovered three years post-completion to product failures that manifest long after delivery. As an independent brokerage serving Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Montana, we compare 20+ carriers to find products-completed operations coverage that protects your business from claims arising months or years after you've finished the work or delivered the product—not generic policies that leave gaps when latent defects emerge. We're local business advocates who answer the phone, explain coverage in plain English, and make sure you're protected throughout the entire statute of repose period relevant to your industry.
COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCTS-COMPLETED OPERATIONS PROTECTION
Coverage solutions that protect your business from liability claims arising after work completion or product delivery
UNDERSTANDING EXTENDED LIABILITY EXPOSURE
Mountain West businesses face unique products-completed operations exposures that extend far beyond the moment you leave a job site or ship a product—construction defects in Wyoming's extreme freeze-thaw cycles may not manifest until years after completion, manufacturing flaws can emerge months after products reach high-altitude Colorado locations where conditions differ from sea-level testing environments, and service failures often don't become apparent until customers put completed work through full seasonal cycles from summer heat to winter cold. These aren't hypothetical scenarios—we've handled claims where contractors discovered their "finished" work from three years earlier was generating lawsuits because foundation settling at altitude created structural issues that standard construction practices didn't anticipate, or where manufacturers faced claims when products performed differently in Mountain West's low-humidity, high-UV environment than in the coastal climate where they were designed. We structure products-completed operations coverage that specifically addresses the extended liability timeline relevant to your industry—matching coverage to your state's statute of repose period (typically 4-10 years for construction, potentially longer for manufacturing), ensuring adequate aggregate limits that don't get exhausted by multiple claims in a single policy year, and clarifying exactly what triggers "completion" for your specific type of work so there's no ambiguity about when coverage applies. Unlike generic policies that treat all completed operations the same, we adapt coverage to whether you're a residential contractor facing higher claim frequency, a commercial builder with lower frequency but higher severity exposure, or a manufacturer whose products remain in use for decades after delivery.
CUSTOMIZED COVERAGE STRUCTURE
Generic products-completed operations policies treat a small residential remodeling contractor the same as a commercial developer or product distributor, but a framing contractor building residential additions in Casper needs completely different coverage structure than a mechanical contractor installing HVAC systems in multi-story commercial buildings in Fort Collins—and a manufacturer distributing products regionally faces different exposures than either contractor type. We structure products-completed operations coverage by analyzing your business's specific risk profile: type of work or products you deliver (residential construction generates different claim patterns than commercial, while consumer products face different liability than industrial equipment), your completed project values and typical contract sizes (a contractor doing $50,000 kitchen remodels needs different per-occurrence limits than one building $5 million commercial projects), your geographic service area and applicable statutes of repose (Wyoming's 10-year statute requires longer protection than states with 4-year limits), your subcontractor relationships and contractual liability assumptions (whether you're responsible for subs' defective work after completion), and your business's claims history and loss experience. For example, we might recommend higher products-completed operations aggregate limits for a busy residential contractor who completes 50+ projects annually (more completed projects = more potential claim sources) compared to a commercial contractor completing 3-5 large projects per year, structure separate aggregate limits for products versus completed operations exposures if you both manufacture and install, and coordinate additional insured endorsements (CG2037 for completed operations) that match your contract requirements so general contractors and project owners have the coverage protection they're requiring. The result is coverage calibrated to your actual business operations and claim exposure patterns, not a one-size-fits-all policy that either leaves you underinsured when claims hit or makes you overpay for protection you don't need.
Local expertise matters
Independent agency committed to providing transparent, straightforward insurance solutions for Wyoming and Northern Colorado residents.
REAL COMPLETED OPERATIONS RISKS, REAL PROTECTION
Products-completed operations coverage that stands between your business and devastating liability claims
When Construction Defects Emerge Years Later
A residential contractor completes a home addition in Casper including a new bathroom and bedroom, receives final payment, and moves on to other projects—everything seems fine for three years until the homeowner discovers water damage throughout the addition caused by improper flashing installation around new windows that allowed water intrusion during Wyoming's intense wind-driven rain and snow. The homeowner files a lawsuit seeking $85,000 for water damage remediation, mold removal, drywall and insulation replacement, and damaged furnishings and electronics—plus another $40,000 to properly reinstall the windows and flashing. This delayed-manifestation claim is exactly why contractors need products-completed operations coverage: the damage occurred years after the contractor finished and left the property, the contractor no longer has any control over or access to the work, yet legal liability remains because the defect existed when the work was completed even though it didn't cause damage until years later. Many contractors discover too late that their general liability policy without completed operations coverage stops protecting them the moment they finish a project, or that their coverage has a products-completed operations aggregate limit that's been depleted by earlier claims leaving this new claim partially or completely uninsured. We structure completed operations coverage with aggregate limits appropriate for your annual project volume (busy contractors completing dozens of projects need higher aggregates than those doing a few large projects), per-occurrence limits that match your typical project values and potential damage exposure, and coverage extending throughout your state's entire statute of repose period (10 years in Wyoming) so claims from projects you completed years ago still have coverage—ensuring construction defect claims don't bankrupt your business because you didn't maintain adequate long-term protection.
When Products Fail and Cause Major Damage
A Colorado-based HVAC equipment distributor sells a commercial heating unit to a Fort Collins office building, the unit is professionally installed by a licensed contractor, and it operates normally for eight months until a manufacturing defect causes the unit to overheat and catch fire during a winter night—destroying the HVAC equipment itself, causing $300,000 in fire and smoke damage to the building's interior, creating $150,000 in business interruption losses while the building is repaired, and generating $50,000 in additional expenses for temporary heating during Colorado's winter. The building owner and their insurance company file a product liability lawsuit against the distributor seeking $500,000 in total damages. Even though the distributor didn't manufacture the equipment and wasn't responsible for installation, they're part of the product distribution chain and face liability exposure for selling the defective unit. The distributor's products-completed operations coverage would respond to this claim—paying for the fire and smoke damage to the building (property damage to third-party property), the business interruption losses (consequential damages from the product failure), and legal defense costs which in complex product liability litigation can easily exceed $100,000 even before any settlement or judgment—but the coverage would NOT pay to replace the HVAC unit itself because that's "damage to the product" which is explicitly excluded from products liability coverage. Many distributors, retailers, and manufacturers don't realize they can be held liable for defective products even when they didn't create the defect, or that their standard general liability coverage may have products-completed operations exclusions that leave them completely unprotected for product-related claims. We structure products coverage that addresses your role in the distribution chain, ensures adequate limits for the types of products you handle (consumer products versus commercial equipment, low-value items versus expensive machinery), and clarifies exactly what your coverage includes and excludes so you understand your actual protection when product liability claims arise.
When Your Business Grows Beyond Your Coverage
A small electrical contracting company starts with one owner and two employees doing residential service work with a basic general liability policy including $1 million products-completed operations aggregate—adequate when completing 20-30 small residential jobs annually totaling $400,000 in annual completed work. Five years later the business has grown to 15 employees completing 80+ residential projects and several small commercial projects annually with $3.5 million in completed work, but the contractor never increased their products-completed operations coverage which remains at the original $1 million aggregate limit. In year six, the contractor faces three separate completed operations claims: a deck collapse from work completed two years earlier ($300,000 claim), electrical system failure causing a house fire from work completed eighteen months earlier ($450,000 claim), and faulty panel installation discovered during a home sale inspection from work completed three years earlier ($180,000 claim, though ultimately settled for $120,000). The first two claims total $750,000 and nearly exhaust the $1 million aggregate, leaving only $250,000 available for the third claim and any additional claims that arise before the policy year ends—and the contractor still has 77 other completed projects from the past few years that could generate claims. The contractor faces either paying claims out-of-pocket once the aggregate is exhausted or being forced to settle claims for less than full value because coverage is depleted, all because coverage limits weren't increased as the business's completed operations exposure grew dramatically. Many contractors and manufacturers don't realize that products-completed operations aggregate limits need to scale with business growth—more completed projects or delivered products means more potential claim sources, requiring higher aggregate limits to ensure coverage doesn't get exhausted mid-year by multiple claims. We proactively review your completed operations exposure as your business grows, recommending coverage increases when project volumes increase significantly, suggesting separate aggregate structures for different types of work if you're diversifying, and ensuring your per-occurrence limits match your current project sizes not what you were doing when you started—protecting your growing business from the increased liability exposure that comes with success.
When Coverage Interpretation Becomes Critical
A commercial roofing contractor completes a large retail building roof replacement in Utah, and eighteen months later the building owner reports leaking—investigation reveals that the roofing contractor's crew improperly installed flashing around rooftop HVAC units allowing water intrusion. The building owner files a claim seeking $180,000: $45,000 to repair the roof installation defects, $85,000 for interior water damage to ceilings, walls, inventory, and fixtures, and $50,000 for business interruption during repairs. The contractor's insurance company agrees to cover the $85,000 interior water damage (property damage to third-party property caused by the contractor's work) and the $50,000 business interruption (consequential damages), but denies coverage for the $45,000 roof repair cost citing the "damage to your own work" exclusion which states that damage to the contractor's completed work itself is not covered—only damage that work causes to other property. The contractor, unfamiliar with this fundamental completed operations coverage limitation, assumed the policy would cover the entire claim and is now facing $45,000 in out-of-pocket repair costs plus the difficult conversation with the building owner about who pays for fixing the defective work. Without an insurance advisor to explain this distinction before the claim, the contractor made business decisions assuming full coverage that didn't exist. This scenario illustrates why having an experienced completed operations insurance expert matters—not just when buying coverage, but throughout the claims process when policy interpretation determines what's actually covered. We help contractors and manufacturers understand critical coverage distinctions before claims occur—explaining that completed operations coverage protects you from damage your work causes to other people and property but typically doesn't cover the cost to repair or replace your own defective work (that's why warranties and workmanship guarantees exist separately), clarifying when the "impaired property" exclusion might apply (property made unusable by your defective component but not physically damaged), and reviewing claim scenarios to ensure you understand your actual protection versus gaps you need to manage through other means like warranty reserves or contractual provisions. When claims do arise, we review adjuster determinations for accuracy, identify when insurers are misapplying exclusions or underpaying covered damages, and help you navigate the complex policy language that can mean the difference between full coverage and significant out-of-pocket exposure—advocating for proper claim resolution rather than leaving you alone to fight with claims departments using insurance terminology you don't fully understand.
PRODUCTS-COMPLETED OPERATIONS INSIGHTS THAT MATTER
Practical knowledge to guide your completed operations protection strategy
Understanding Statute of Repose in Your State
Why the time limits for filing construction defect claims vary dramatically across Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Montana—covering how your state's statute of repose determines how long you need to maintain completed operations coverage, what triggers the statute of repose clock (substantial completion, certificate of occupancy, or final payment), and why contractors retiring or exiting the industry must maintain coverage through the entire statute period to protect against claims from past projects. Includes specific statute of repose periods for each Mountain West state and practical guidance on coverage planning for long-term protection.
The Critical Difference Between Ongoing and Completed Operations Coverage
What every contractor and manufacturer needs to know about when premises-operations coverage ends and products-completed operations coverage begins—including how "completion" is defined for insurance purposes (it's not always when you think work is finished), why understanding this distinction prevents coverage gaps when claims arise, and how additional insured endorsements (CG2010 vs. CG2037) must address both ongoing and completed operations to provide seamless protection. Covers real scenarios where businesses discovered too late that they only had one type of coverage when they needed both.
COVERAGE FOR EVERY BUSINESS STAGE
Startup Contractor or New Manufacturer
Just starting your contracting business or launching a new product line? Your priority is essential products-completed operations coverage that meets contract requirements and legal compliance without overwhelming your startup budget—basic per-occurrence and aggregate limits appropriate for your initial project sizes and volumes. We structure foundational completed operations coverage that provides required protection for your first projects or products, with clear understanding that this coverage needs to remain in force for years as your early work enters the statute of repose period—giving you the baseline protection you need while keeping costs manageable as you build your business and establish your track record.
Growing Operations
Expanding your workforce and taking on larger projects or increasing product distribution? You're completing more projects annually or delivering higher product volumes, hiring additional crews or expanding manufacturing capacity, and your total completed operations exposure is growing faster than you may realize—requiring proactive coverage increases to ensure your aggregate limits don't get exhausted by multiple claims. We expand products-completed operations coverage as your business scales—increasing aggregate limits to match your growing project volume, raising per-occurrence limits when you start taking larger contracts or selling higher-value products, and potentially restructuring coverage to separate products and completed operations aggregates if you're doing both manufacturing and installation work—protecting your expanding business from the increased liability exposure that comes with growth.
Established Company
Running a mature business with years of completed projects or delivered products? You've built a substantial backlog of completed operations exposure—potentially hundreds of finished projects or thousands of delivered products from the past 4-10 years still within your state's statute of repose period—meaning you have significant accumulated liability exposure that requires stable, adequate coverage. We optimize completed operations coverage for established operations—ensuring your aggregate limits are adequate for both new claims from recent work and potential claims from projects completed years ago, reviewing your claims history to identify patterns that might require coverage adjustments, and potentially implementing higher retentions or deductibles to reduce premiums if your loss experience justifies it—maintaining comprehensive protection calibrated to your mature business's actual risk profile and financial capacity.
Succession Planning or Retirement
Planning to sell your business, transition to new ownership, or retire from contracting or manufacturing? You cannot simply cancel your products-completed operations coverage—you need extended protection for all the work you completed or products you delivered during your entire business operation, potentially decades of exposure that remains throughout the applicable statute of repose. We structure long-term completed operations protection for business transitions—ensuring coverage remains in force throughout the statute of repose period for your jurisdiction (typically 4-10 years minimum, potentially longer), coordinating coverage transfer if selling the business so new owners understand their ongoing liability for your past work, and potentially arranging extended reporting period endorsements or tail coverage if you're fully exiting the industry—protecting your personal assets and legacy from claims arising from work you completed years or decades ago, ensuring you can retire without ongoing liability anxiety.
FAQs
The cost of general liability insurance varies widely depending on your business type, industry risk, location (like operating near the oil fields in Wyoming), and your chosen coverage limits. A small consulting firm will pay less than a construction company. The best way to get an accurate price is to chat with us for a personalized quote tailored to your specific business needs.
General liability insurance has specific exclusions. It typically does not cover professional errors or omissions (you'd need professional liability), injuries to your employees (that's workers' compensation), or damages due to vehicle accidents (commercial auto insurance). Intentional acts, punitive damages, and property damage to your own business's property are also generally excluded.
If an incident occurs, the first step is to report it to us as soon as possible. We'll help you gather all necessary information about the event, like date, time, involved parties, and any witnesses. Then, the insurance company will investigate the claim, and if covered, we'll work to resolve it, either through direct payment or legal defense. Our JWR team is here to guide you through every step.
General liability is foundational, covering broad third-party risks like bodily injury and property damage. A Business Owner's Policy (BOP) combines general liability with commercial property insurance, making it a cost-effective package for many small businesses. Professional Liability (also called Errors & Omissions) is separate and covers claims arising from mistakes, negligence, or failure to perform professional services. We can help you determine the best fit for your business.
Even if you operate a home-based business or a small startup in Wyoming or Colorado, general liability insurance is crucial. Unexpected accidents can lead to costly lawsuits that could devastate your business financially. It provides peace of mind and often is required by clients, landlords, or for obtaining business licenses.
General liability insurance primarily protects your business from claims of third-party bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury. For example, if a customer slips and falls in your Colorado store, or if you accidentally damage a client's property, this policy helps cover medical expenses, repair costs, and legal defense fees.