Down to the water table.
General liability, coverage for drill rigs and support trucks, pollution liability, underground damage and workers' comp for water well drillers and pump installers.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed October 2026 · How this page is researched
Rigs, aquifers and buried lines
Drilling rigs are expensive, they travel on public roads and they work on uneven rural ground. A rollover, a fire or a stuck string of drill pipe can stop the business for weeks.
Below ground the risks change: hitting a buried line, contaminating an aquifer with drilling fluid or fuel, or a dry or failed well that the owner blames on you. Few markets write drillers, so I match you to the ones that do.
- General liabilityProperty damage and injury.
- EquipmentDrill rigs, pumps and tooling.
- Pollution liabilityFuel and drilling fluid releases.
- Workers' compRig and pipe-handling injuries.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- License: CSLB number and C-57 classification.
- Work: residential, agricultural, monitoring wells.
- Depth: typical and deepest wells drilled.
- Rigs: year, make and value of each.
- Revenue and payroll: annual figures.
- History: current policies and claims.
Well drilling insurance, answered
Which license do well drillers hold in California?
The C-57 well drilling classification with the Contractors State License Board.
Does general liability cover contamination?
Most general liability policies exclude pollution. Contractor's pollution liability fills that gap.
Is a dry well covered?
Not finding water usually isn't an insurable loss. Liability is for damage or injury your work causes.
Why is my policy with a surplus lines insurer?
Few standard markets write drilling. Surplus lines markets are common here, and I'll explain the difference.
Do you offer well drilling insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in 48 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. In Florida and Washington, where Sam's licenses are still being issued, a partner agency in your state helps in the meantime. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Official sources
Insure the rig and the hole
Send me your license, rigs and the kind of wells you drill. I'll take it to markets that write drillers.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Some policies may be placed with nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers, which are not members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA).
Tell me how to reach you. I’ll take it from there.
Takes about 30 seconds. Your application link comes by email right away, and you get an update at every step until your quotes are ready.
(877) 711-4545Answered 24/7 · CA License #4348151
Get a reminder before your renewal.
Tell me when your policy renews and I’ll email you about six weeks before, when it’s worth comparing. One email, no calls.