Focus

In "The insurance market: no easy answers," page 34, William Good, NRCA's executive vice president, discusses changes in the insurance market and what led to them. Good acknowledges obtaining commercial general liability insurance now is difficult if not impossible for many contractors performing residential roofing work and NRCA's insurance program with CNA Insurance Cos., Chicago, has been affected, as well.

He writes, "There are a number of reasons the current situation has reached a near-crisis level. These include the continuing aftereffects of Sept. 11; losses in areas—most notably falls and fires—where progress to limit claims has been slow; consolidation in the insurance industry; the crush of construction-defects litigation; and state-specific issues that have driven national carriers out of some key markets."

NRCA is aware of a possible alternative insurance program offered through Construction Insurance Solutions (CIS), an underwriting facility that has been developed to write general liability and umbrella coverages for contractors involved in more than incidental residential work. Coverage will be subject to certain limits and exceptions but should be a plausible solution for many NRCA members.

CIS is an entity independent of CNA. CNA accepts no responsibility for nor does it make any representations as to the underwriting criteria used or specific products or services CIS offers. All products, programs and services may not be available in all areas.

For more information about CIS, NRCA members should ask their insurance agents to contact CIS at (866) 247-4675. Members also can contact Tom Shanahan, NRCA's associate executive director of risk management, at (800) 323-9545, Ext. 7538, or tshanahan@nrca.net for more information about the CIS program.

Ambika Puniani is editor of Professional Roofing magazine and NRCA's director of communications.