A lot of construction coverage lives with the contractor or the hall, not with you. The next job, a winter layoff, or a different local can change what your family actually has.
What shifts between jobs
- Employer or union life insurance that can change when you switch contractors or locals
- A winter or weather layoff while the mortgage payment stays the same
- Overtime and per diem the household already spends, which a base-wage benefit may not reflect
- A work truck, tools, or a small crew you finance in your own name
If you only know the coverage as whatever the company provides, write down the amount, who owns the policy, and what happens if you are not on that payroll next month.
Construction questions
Does union life insurance follow me to a non-union job?
Sometimes there is a union or association plan, and sometimes the only coverage is the contractor’s group policy. They are not the same thing. Ask who owns the policy and whether it continues if you take a job outside that agreement.
I work for a different contractor every few months. What should I look at?
Look at any coverage that ends when that contractor’s payroll ends. A policy in your own name is one way people keep coverage that does not reset every time the general contractor changes. A licensed agent can see what you already have before talking about anything new.
We count on overtime. Should a policy be based on base pay?
Group benefits are often a flat amount or a multiple of base pay, not the overtime you actually bring home. Compare that figure with the bills that would remain if the overtime stopped.
General information, not insurance advice. Products, availability and pricing vary by insurer and state.
