The Hartford is the best insurance company for independent contractors, based on Investopedia’s research into 16 insurers. An independent contractor or freelancer is anyone hired to do a specific job for a person or company, but isn't an employee. Because of that, they need to get their own business insurance to cover business liabilities. Our list of the best business insurance for independent contractors considers 31 data points for each company, including customer complaints, coverage limits, digital features, and financial strength.
Best Independent Contractor Insurance Companies of 2025
- Best Overall, Most Coverage Options: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: The Hartford
- Best Customer Service Record: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Travelers
- Best for Temporary Coverage, Best Digital Experience: Thimble
- Best for Handy Workers: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Huckleberry
- Also Great for Coverage Options: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: Nationwide
Best Overall, Most Coverage Options : The Hartford
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The Hartford
- Customer complaints: More than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $4 million
The Hartford proviඣdes a strong suite of insurance for independ🏅ent contractors with the highest liability limits in Investopedia’s review.
Tied for most coverage types i🎐n Investopedia’𒐪s review
Covers home-based businesses
Highest general and professional liability limits
More c𝓰omplaints than expecteౠd for liability coverage
No live customer service chat
The Hartford provides several protections for independent contractors, including general and professional liability inꦰsurance, cyber liability insurance, and business interruption insurance. The Hartford’s coverage for home-based businesses may appeal to freelancers with hꦆome offices.
You can get up to $4 million in general liability coverage and $5 million in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:professional liability coverage, the highest limits among the insu🅷rers Investopedia reviewed. These coverage limits are a significant advantage for independent contractors, as they provide strong financial protection against expensive lawsuits from work-related accidents or professional negligence claims.
澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Liability insurance pr﷽otects against claims from injuries or damage to other people’s property. It pays for legal costs and settlements when the insured is lawfully responsible.
The Hartford’s general liability coverage includes protections that may be especially important for 1099 contractors. These pro෴tections include coverage for costs arising from accidental damage to someone’s property, lawsuits related to reputation harm (like slander or libel), and malicious prosecution. They also shield against legal costs from advertising injury, such as unintentional copyright infringement.
However, The Hartford has more customer complaints for its liability coverage than expected for a company of iꦐts size. Numerous complaints can indicate issues with claim proces🦄sing or customer service. Also, the company does not offer live customer service chat.
The Hartford was founded in 1810 and is♈ based in Hartford, Connecticut.
Best Customer Service Record : Travelers
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- Customer complaints: Fewer than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: Not disclosed
Travelers has an excellent customer complaint record. The company is financially strong𝕴 and offers a wide array of contractor coverage options.
Few customer complaints about liability coverage
Financially strong
Wide selection of coverage options
No online quotes
Travelers stands out for its strong customer complaint record and financial stability. For independent contractors, this 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:financial strength suggests Travelers is likely to pay out claims, even very large🐎 ones.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) compiles a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:complaint index 🍌that lets you compare the number of customer complaints received by insuran🔯ce companies.
Independent contractors can choose from a wide selection of coverage types. Options include general liability for client injuries, professional liability for service-related errors, or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:commercial auto for business vehicles. You can easily obtain a certificate of insurance online from Trav🍎elers. This featurꦜe simplifies demonstrating proof of insurance to clients or landlords, which is often required for contract work.
However, T꧃ravelers doesn’t offer online quotes. You must co💟ntact an agent to get pricing information.
Tra💟velers was founded in 1864 and is based in Hartford, Conn♑ecticut.
Best for Temporary Coverage, Best Digital Experience : Thimble
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Thimble Insurance
- Customer complaints: More than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $1 million
Thimble is well-suited for independent contractors seeking flexible,𒁃 short-term liability insurance online.
Offers short-term coverage
Online quotes and cl🐼aims, with coverage in minutes
Online certificate of insurance
High complaint rate for liability coverage
Other companies handle claims
Lower coverage limits than competitors
Thimble ൲offers the advantage of short-term liability insurance for independent contractors. You can purchase coverage⛎ by the job, month, or year, making Thimble ideal for people with project-based work who need insurance only when actively working.
Tﷺhimble is one of only two companies in our review that offer short-term coverage. The company also streamlines the🅺 insurance process with fast online quotes, claims, and certificates of insurance.
A 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:certificate of insurance (COI) is a document from an insurance company verifyin🌼g your coverage. It summarizes your policy’s details, such as your name, the policy’s dates, coverage types, and limits. Clients often want to see 🐈a certificate of insurance before hiring a contractor.
Thimble’s consultant and freelancer policy includes general and professional liability insurance. General liability covers bodily injury, property damage, advertising injury, and related legal and medical ♏costs. Professionalꦉ liability protects against client claims of errors, omissions, or inadequate services, and covers associated costs.
Thimble has received a🐓 higher-than-expected number of complaints about its liability business. Additionally, its liability coverage limits for independent contractors are only $1 million, far lower than those of competito🃏rs like The Hartford.
Thimble operates as an 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:insurance broker, meaning it doesn’t underwrite policies or handle claims directly. Instead, Markel Insurance Company or National Specialty Insurance Company issue these liability pol⭕icies. As a result, your experience filing a claim may differ from your initial purchase experience.
Also, Thimble doesn’t offer employment practices liability insurance. Independent contractors who hire employees or 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:subcontractors have to look elsewhere for protection against claims of di♓scrimination, harassment, or wrongful termination.
Thimble was founded in 2018. Jersey City-b🥀ased Arch Insurance acquired Thim🅘ble in 2023.
Best for Handy Workers : Huckleberry
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Huckleberry
- Customer complaints: Fewer than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $4 million
Huckleberry is a solid 🦩choice for handymen and handywomen who perform home repairs, carpentry, or plumbing, due to its low complaint rate, high liability limits, and convenient online tools.
Few customer complaints for commercial liabilityꦓ business
High coverage limits for generܫal and profe❀ssional liability insurance
Convenient digital tools
Few protections for transported property
No surety bonds
No online claims
Huckleberry offers several advantages for independent contractors 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:working in trades such as home repair, carpentry, and plumbing. It offers robust coverage and conveni༒ent digital tools. Additionally, its commercial liability business has a low rate of customer complaints for an insurer of its 🧜size.
The company provides up to $4 million in general liability coverage and $2 million in professional liability coverage, among the highest limits Investopedia f🍎ound for tradespeople. High coverage limits are crucial if you perform home repairs because they protect against expensive lawsuits from accidents causing bodily injury or property damage, or claims of negligence, 💧mistakes, or misrepresentations in their work.
Huckleberry also streamlines the insurance process for by offering easy online quotes and digita꧙l insuranc𓄧e certificates. These offerings allow for quick proof of coverage, which clients often require for jobs. You can also access customer service support through a live online chat.
However, Huckleberry has some limitations. If you need su🤡rety bonds to obtain lice𝓰nses or permits, you must find another provider, as Huckleberry doesn’t offer them. You also can’t file claims online.
Clients in construction or contracting may require 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:surety bonds to guarantee project completion♎ 𓂃or payment to subcontractors.
Huckleberry is a broker that partners with insurance companies, including AmTrust, Markel, Employers Holdings, and Chubb, so your customer experience may vary dep𓄧ending on which insurer issues your policy.
Huckleberry is owned by Paychex, which was founded in 1971 and is based in Rochester, ℱNew York.
Also Great for Coverage Options : Nationwide
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Nationwide
- Customer complaints: More than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $2 million
Nationwide may appeal to independent contractors because of its extensive coverage options—comparable to The Hartford’s—andᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ its suitability for home-based businesses.
Tied for most coverage options,🐓 including for𝄹 home-based businesses
Online claims and quotes
High complaint rate for liability coverage
Nationwide is a strong choice for independent contractors, particularly those who 🎃operate a home-based business. Nationwide offers a wide range of 🉐coverage types, allowing independent contractors to get all their insurance from a single company.
A 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:business owner's policy (BOP) from Nationwide can include up to $1 million of cyber liability and employment practices liability coverage. Cyber liability is important for protecting 🍌against data breaches, as even solo independent contractors may handle se💮nsitive data.
꧅ Nationwide allows for online quotes and claims, but does not offer digi🦄tal certificates of insurance.
Nationwide was founded in 1926 and is based ﷽in Columbus, Ohio.
Why You Should Trust Us
Investopedia launched in 1999 and has helped readers find the best independent contractor insurance since 2020. Our unbiased, in-depth reviews are based on thorough res🅘earch into eac♔h insurance company to help you make informed decisions for your business.
How We Chose the Best Independe💫nt Contractor Insurance Companies
To find the best independent contractor insurers, we first researched industry data, market share, and customer search trends to pinpoint key features and top insura෴nce providers. We evaluated 16 companies across 31 criteria, sorted into six categories. We conducted the research between April 1 and April 15, 2025.
Our research included financial strength ratings from AM Best and complaint data from the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:National Association of ✨Insurance Comm𓂃issioners. We also looked at coverage types, coverage limits, and digital feat𝕴ures.&n♉bsp;
We ranked each company 🧸according to the following categories and weights:
- Plan types: 34%
- Customer complaints: 20%
- Financial strength: 20%
- Coverage limits: 14%
- Digital features: 8%
- Discounts: 4%
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澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Michela Buttignol / Investopedia
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