Construction

0 of 11 added

Job value jumps a tier

Permit issued at ≥3× the trailing 12-month median declared value, and above $2M.

Details
Standard cover
Probable gap
Needs
Austin Issued Construction Permits, Shovels, Company Websites
Exposure
GL and excess were sized to the old book. The owner's contract on a job that size demands more.
Window
2–6 weeks before ground breaks
Misfires
Austin fills job value on ~9% of commercial permits, and files $1 on 665 of them — run against it alone the rule returns arithmetic on placeholders. Needs Shovels or Gryd for a usable valuation. See docs/austin-permit-data.md.

First demolition or excavation

Permit work class or a new licence type adds demolition, excavation, shoring or underpinning, none in prior 24 months.

Details
Standard cover
Usually excluded
Needs
Austin Issued Construction Permits, Texas TDLR License Downloads
Exposure
Standard GL carries the XCU exclusion. The trades they just took in-house are the ones it names.
Window
1–3 months before the first job
Misfires
A licence can be added speculatively. Corroborate with a permit or posting.

First federal award

A prime award appears against the UEI with no prior award on record.

Details
Standard cover
Probable gap
Needs
USAspending API, Texas Comptroller Entity Search
Exposure
Miller Act bonds, Davis-Bacon wages, and federal AI and waiver language the package wasn't written for.
Window
Posts within days; performance starts 30–90 days later
Misfires
Match on UEI. Name matching collides across states.

Qualifies in a new state

A foreign-qualification filing appears in a state with no prior registration.

Details
Standard cover
Usually excluded
Needs
Middesk, OpenCorporates
Exposure
Comp is rated per state. OH, WA, WY and ND are monopolistic — private cover does not apply there at all.
Window
2–8 weeks before work can legally begin
Misfires
Signals intent, not certainty — some qualify to bid and lose.

Serious citation on the record

An inspection closes with a serious, repeat or willful citation.

Details
Standard cover
Probable gap
Needs
OSHA Enforcement Data, Company Websites
Exposure
Mod moves at the next unit-stat date, and GCs screen subs on citation history well before that.
Window
Posts 4–12 weeks after the inspection
Misfires
Citations get contested and reduced. Read current status, not initial.

Crew grows a quarter or more

Open field-trade postings plus stated crew size imply ≥25% headcount growth on the prior quarter.

Details
Standard cover
Probable gap
Needs
Company Websites, Austin Issued Construction Permits
Exposure
Comp premium is a payroll estimate trued up at audit. Nobody budgets that bill.
Window
Postings lead hiring by 4–10 weeks
Misfires
Postings over 60 days old are dropped; evergreen listings ignored.

Crane or heavy lift on site

Permit work class, licence type or an equipment listing shows crane or rigging work for the first time.

Details
Standard cover
Usually excluded
Needs
Austin Issued Construction Permits, Texas TDLR License Downloads, Company Websites
Exposure
Riggers' liability and an installation floater sit outside the package. The load usually outvalues the limit.
Window
2–4 weeks before the lift
Misfires
A rented crane with an operator often carries the lessor's cover.

First city contract

The entity appears as an awarded vendor on a City of Austin solicitation with no prior city award.

Details
Standard cover
Probable gap
Needs
Austin Public Contracts, Texas Comptroller Entity Search
Exposure
Public work brings payment and performance bonds, prevailing wage, and city-specified AI endorsements.
Window
Award posts before notice to proceed
Misfires
Being listed on a solicitation is not being awarded it. Read the award page, not the bid list.

Crosses into a new jurisdiction

A permit appears in a city the contractor has no permit history in, within the metro.

Details
Standard cover
Likely absorbed
Needs
Round Rock Permit Portal, Austin Issued Construction Permits, Shovels
Exposure
Nothing in the policy breaks, but the GC prequalification and the owner's contract are a new counterparty's.
Window
At permit issue
Misfires
Only meaningful if we hold that city's data. Absence of history may be absence of coverage.

Self-performs plumbing

A responsible master plumber is registered to the entity where none appeared before.

Details
Standard cover
Probable gap
Needs
Texas Plumbing Board Licensee Lists, Austin Issued Construction Permits
Exposure
Water damage from a subcontractor is someone else's claim. Self-performed, it is theirs.
Window
Registration precedes the first plumbing scope
Misfires
A master plumber can be registered to more than one entity. Confirm the employer field.

First residential multifamily

A permit classed five-or-more-family appears for a contractor with no prior multifamily permit.

Details
Standard cover
Usually excluded
Needs
Austin Issued Construction Permits, Shovels
Exposure
Residential construction-defect is the exposure most often excluded or sub-limited on a contractor's GL, and the exclusion is usually already sitting in a policy quoted on commercial work.
Window
At permit issue, before the first subcontract
Misfires
A trade sub on someone else's multifamily job is not the party carrying the defect risk. Check the trade of record.