Understanding Height Exclusions in Commercial GL Policies

A height exclusion removes coverage for bodily injury or property damage occurring above a specified height, typically 20, 40, or sometimes 60 feet. For tower contractors whose crews regularly work at 100 to 400 feet, a height exclusion effectively eliminates coverage for the most hazardous portion of their operations. Yet many contractors carry policies with this exclusion without realizing it. Height exclusions appear in CGL policies for two primary reasons. First, standard market carriers that do not specialize in tower work often add the exclusion to limit their exposure when they discover the insured performs work at height. Second, some carriers include height exclusions by default in their base tower programs and require additional premium or safety documentation to remove them. In both cases, the exclusion may be buried deep in the endorsement schedule rather than prominently displayed on the declarations page. The exclusion language varies but typically reads something like: "This insurance does not apply to bodily injury or property damage arising out of or related to operations performed at a height of more than [X] feet above ground level." Some versions are even broader, excluding claims "in any way connected with" work above the threshold, which could extend to ground-level injuries caused by objects falling from height. Identifying a height exclusion requires a full policy review, not just a glance at the declarations page or certificate of insurance. The exclusion is typically added via endorsement and may use generic language that does not specifically mention "height" in the endorsement title. Your broker should provide a coverage checklist confirming the absence of height exclusions at every renewal. Removing a height exclusion requires either negotiating with the current carrier (providing safety documentation, training records, and rescue plans to demonstrate acceptable risk management) or moving the account to a specialty tower market that does not impose height limitations. Carriers that write tower contractors as their primary business generally do not use height exclusions because they understand and price for the height exposure in their base rating. If your policy has a height exclusion, you should treat this as an emergency. Any claim occurring above the exclusion threshold will be denied, leaving your company exposed to potentially millions in uninsured liability for bodily injury, property damage, and defense costs. Contact your broker immediately to confirm your policy status and develop a remediation plan.