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Pool & Spa Specialty Program

Insurance Built for Pool & Spa Contractors

A purpose-built program covering every line your business needs — with coverages most standard contractor policies don’t offer, including pop-up coverage, job-site pollution protection, and a Safety Group Dividend Plan for qualifying members.

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Years serving New England contractors
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States served nationwide
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States with Safety Group Dividend Plan
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All lines. One program.

Pool & Spa Specialty Program

Every coverage your business needs, built to work together — with no gaps between policies.

  • Package — Property & Equipment
  • General Liability with Pop-Up Coverage
  • Job-Site Pollution Protection
  • Workers’ Compensation
  • Umbrella Liability
  • Commercial Automobile
  • Inland Marine Equipment Coverage
  • Safety Group Dividend Plan
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Specialized Coverage

A Program Designed Specifically for Pool & Spa Professionals

Pool and spa installation and service businesses carry one of the most complex risk profiles in the trades. Excavation, electrical work, plumbing, chemical handling, and long-term completed operations exposure — often all within a single project. A standard contractor policy approximates coverage for your risks. Our Pool & Spa Specialty Program addresses them directly.

Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group has been working with contractors and trades businesses across New England since 1932. We understand the specific hazards pool and spa professionals face — from underground utility strikes during excavation to chemical spill exposure to the liability that follows completed work for years afterward.

Our risk management approach focuses on identifying the areas of your business that need protection and building a program that eliminates serious loss — not just transfers it.

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Program Features

All Lines. All Coverages. One Coordinated Program.

Every component of the Pool & Spa Specialty Program was built to work together — eliminating the gaps that occur when different carriers cover different lines.

Package Coverage

Property and equipment protection for your facilities, inventory, and assets — at current replacement value, not outdated blanket limits.

  • Commercial property — yard, shop, and facility
  • Chemicals, pumps, and filtration inventory
  • Business interruption during peak season loss events
  • Equipment breakdown coverage

General Liability


Purpose-built GL for pool and spa contractors — with provisions that standard contractor policies frequently exclude or sublimit.

  • Pop-up coverage for underground utility strikes
  • Limited job-site pollution coverage
  • GL Expansion Endorsement included
  • Additional Insured by Contract — Ongoing Operations
  • Waiver of Subrogation where required by contract
  • Completed operations coverage

Workers' Compensation

Coverage structured for the actual work pool and spa crews perform — with correct classification across excavation, plumbing, electrical, and installation activities.

  • Correct multi-discipline crew classification
  • Seasonal payroll fluctuation accommodation
  • Safety Group Dividend Plan eligibility
  • Available in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI & VT

Umbrella Liability

An additional layer of protection above your primary GL — critical for pool and spa contractors where a single serious bodily injury or completed operations claim can exhaust primary limits.

  • Sits above the purpose-built GL program
  • Coordinated with primary policy — no gaps
  • Protection against nuclear verdicts

Commercial Automobile

Fleet coverage that accounts for the real-world complexity of a pool contractor’s vehicle operation — owned, hired, and non-owned.

  • Owned vehicle fleet coverage
  • Hired & non-owned vehicle protection
  • Trailer scheduling — specifically addressed
  • Peak-season rental vehicle coverage

Inland Marine Equipment

Equipment coverage at current replacement value for the tools and machinery that keep your business operating — protecting against theft, damage, and loss at jobsites and in transit.

  • Excavators, skid steers, and compactors
  • Specialty pool and fiberglass tools
  • Trailers and transport equipment
  • Jobsite and in-transit coverage

Coverage Spotlight

Pop-Up Coverage: Protection Where Every Pool Job Starts

Every inground pool installation involves excavation. And every excavation carries the risk of striking an underground utility — a gas line, electrical conduit, water main, or telecommunications infrastructure that wasn’t marked, wasn’t found, or was deeper than expected.

Standard general liability policies frequently exclude coverage for damages caused by underground utility strikes during excavation operations. When a contractor hits a gas line and the resulting incident causes property damage, project delays, or bodily injury claims, the policy that should respond often doesn’t.

What pop-up coverage does:

Pop-up coverage specifically addresses the underground utility strike exposure that is an inherent part of pool installation work — providing protection for the claims that standard GL policies treat as an exclusion. It was built into this program because pool and spa contractors need it on nearly every job.

This coverage is one of the most significant differentiators between the Pool & Spa Specialty Program and a standard contractor policy. Most pool contractors carrying a generic GL have never been told this gap exists.

Digging Exposures Covered by the Program

  • Underground utility strikes
    Gas lines, electrical conduit, water mains, and telecom infrastructure struck during excavation — covered under pop-up provisions.
  • Soil movement and subsidence
    Post-installation ground settling, soil shifting, and subsidence claims — addressed through completed operations coverage built for this class.
  • Adjacent structure damage
    Foundation and retaining wall exposure during excavation adjacent to existing structures — covered where standard policies exclude it.
  • Chemical spill and pollution
    Pool chemical handling, transport, and jobsite storage exposure covered under limited job-site pollution provisions.

Safety Group Dividend Plan

Your Safety Record Has Financial Value

The Safety Group Dividend Plan is a return of premium program available to qualifying pool and spa professionals who maintain favorable loss experience. If you run a safe operation and keep claims low, the program converts that record into a tangible financial return.

Eligibility is based on premium volume and the loss experience of both the group and individual participants. Businesses that invest in safety protocols, crew training, and risk management practices are the ones that qualify — and benefit.

This isn’t a discount or a promotional rate. It’s a dividend — earned by the businesses that are already doing things right.

Connecticut Massachusetts Maine New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont

Safety Group Dividend Plan

Available to pool and spa professionals in six New England states who meet premium volume and loss experience criteria.

  • Meet qualifying premium volume requirements through your workers' compensation coverage
  • Maintain favorable individual loss experience — run a safe operation with low claims frequency
  • Benefit from the favorable group loss experience of other qualifying pool and spa professionals in the program
  • Earn dividend returns based on both group and individual performance — rewarding your investment in safety

More Than Insurance — A Risk Management Approach

We help pool and spa contractors build the operational practices that prevent claims from happening in the first place — and ensure coverage responds properly when they do.

Jobsite Safety Protocols

Documented excavation safety procedures, chemical handling protocols, and electrical work guidelines tailored to pool and spa operations — reducing frequency and severity of claims and supporting Safety Group Dividend Plan qualification.

Contract Review & Risk Transfer

Review of your client contracts for scope definition, limitation of liability language, warranty terms, and change order procedures — the contract dimension that shapes nearly every significant claim in this industry.

Equipment & Asset Valuation

Annual equipment schedule review to match insured values with current replacement costs — preventing the coverage gap that leaves contractors holding significant out-of-pocket exposure after a theft or loss.

Workers' Comp Classification Audit

Independent review of crew classification codes across excavation, plumbing, electrical, and installation activities — identifying both compliance exposure from under-coding and overpayment from incorrect classification.

Ready to Secure Your Pool & Spa Business?

Find out how the Pool & Spa Specialty Program compares to your current coverage — and whether your business qualifies for the Safety Group Dividend Plan. Our specialists work with pool and spa contractors across CT, NY, RI, NJ and MA every day.

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Eric P. Ferraris, CIC, CRM, CLTC

Chief Executive Officer & Principal

Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group

Eric has spent his career building specialized insurance programs for contractors and trades businesses across New England. As CEO and Principal of Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group, he brings deep expertise in commercial risk management, including the unique exposures faced by pool and spa installation and service businesses. Eric holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Certified Risk Manager (CRM), and Chartered Life Underwriter designations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Common questions from pool and spa contractors about the Specialty Program.

The Pool & Spa Specialty Program was designed specifically for pool and spa contractors — not adapted from a generic contractor policy. The key differences are the GL provisions: pop-up coverage for underground utility strikes during excavation, limited job-site pollution coverage for chemical handling exposure, and the GL Expansion Endorsement with Additional Insured by Contract and Waiver of Subrogation provisions. These are built into the program because pool and spa operations specifically need them. Most standard contractor policies exclude or severely sublimit these exposures.

Pop-up coverage addresses the exposure created when excavation work strikes an underground utility — a gas line, electrical conduit, water main, or telecommunications infrastructure. This is an inherent risk in every inground pool installation. Standard GL policies frequently exclude coverage for utility strikes caused during digging operations, which means a contractor whose backhoe hits an unmarked line can face property damage, project delay, and third-party injury claims with no coverage response. Pop-up coverage fills this gap directly.

The Safety Group Dividend Plan is a return of premium program for qualifying pool and spa professionals in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT. Policyholders who meet premium volume requirements and maintain favorable loss experience — both individually and as part of the group — are eligible for dividend returns. The dividend is based on the performance of the group as a whole and each individual participant’s claims experience. Businesses that run safe operations and keep claims low earn a financial return that reflects that performance. Speak with Eric Ferraris to determine whether your business qualifies and what the potential return looks like.

Yes. Completed operations coverage is a core component of the GL in the Pool & Spa Specialty Program. Pool and spa contractors face long-tail liability — a pool installed this season can generate a claim two or three years later due to soil movement, structural settling, or electrical failure. The program includes completed operations limits and addresses the earth movement and subsidence exclusions that void coverage in many standard policies for exactly this type of post-installation claim.
The Pool & Spa Specialty Program is available to contractors operating in CT, NY, RI, and MA. The Safety Group Dividend Plan component of the workers’ compensation coverage is available to qualifying policyholders in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT — a broader six-state footprint across New England. Contact us to discuss availability in your specific state and operation type.

Yes. The program is structured to accommodate pool and spa businesses that perform installation, renovation, and ongoing service and maintenance work. Each creates different risk profiles — installation carries excavation and completed operations exposure, while service and maintenance involves chemical handling and recurring access to existing systems. The program is designed to address both, and the coverage is structured around your specific mix of operations. A full program review will identify the right structure for your business.

The best way is a complimentary program comparison. Eric Ferraris will review your current policies across all lines — GL, workers’ comp, inland marine, commercial auto, and umbrella — and provide a side-by-side assessment against the Pool & Spa Specialty Program. This includes an honest evaluation of any gaps in your current coverage, whether the switch makes financial sense, and whether your business would qualify for the Safety Group Dividend Plan. There’s no cost and no obligation. Contact us to schedule.

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