How much umbrella coverage do tower contractors need?

The required umbrella limit for tower contractors is driven primarily by MSA requirements and the severity profile of tower claims. Most turf vendor MSAs require $5M to $10M in umbrella/excess liability. Some large carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon through their turf vendors) require $10M or higher. The actual exposure supports these requirements: a single fatality on a tower can generate a wrongful death claim of $5M-$15M or more, particularly when the tower owner, turf vendor, and general contractor are all named as defendants and seek indemnification from the subcontractor. Property damage from a tower collapse can reach $10M-$50M depending on collateral damage. Your umbrella should sit excess of your GL, auto, and employers liability policies on a following-form basis. This means the umbrella adopts the same coverage terms as the underlying policies without adding new exclusions. Confirm your umbrella does not contain its own height exclusion, independent contractor exclusion, or professional services exclusion that would narrow coverage below what the underlying provides. Layering is common for limits above $5M, with a primary umbrella of $5M and an excess layer of $5M sitting above it, each from different carriers.