TDC Insurance

Index

Current CoverageCoverage Database# TDC Insurance Reference Wiki

This wiki section is the operating reference for Texas Drone Company’s insurance policies, COI requests, contractor insurance requirements, and insurance-related terms.

Pages

Operating Principle

Insurance should be managed as a business control, not as a one-off administrative task. The goal is to know what we carry, know what customers are asking for, know where our gaps are, and make ROI-based decisions on whether to increase coverage.

Owner

Primary owner: Administration / Leadership
Supporting owner: Broker / Agent

Update Cadence

Current Coverage

Texas Drone Company Insurance Reference Matrix

Single source of truth for current policies, limits, contacts, expiration dates, and COI notes.

Owner: Administration / Leadership
Update frequency: At every renewal, every new COI request, and every contractor insurance exception.

How to Use This Page

Use this page as the company’s internal source of truth before responding to customer insurance requests, issuing COIs, signing subcontract insurance terms, or evaluating whether a new coverage is worth buying.

Required Internal Rules

Quick Current Coverage Snapshot

Coverage Category Policy / Coverage Plain-English Description Current Limit / Status Coverage Status Insurer / Carrier Broker / Agent Policy # Effective Date Expiration Date Deductible / SIR Key Endorsements / Requirements COI Notes
Employee Injury Workers' Compensation Pays statutory benefits for employee injuries/illnesses arising from work. In place / statutory Confirmed TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Waiver of subrogation may be requested by contractors. Confirm WC appears on COI.
Employee Injury Employer's Liability Part Two of most workers' comp policies. Protects the company if an employee injury becomes an employer liability lawsuit. Limit TBD Needs Confirmation TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Often requested as $1M or $2M each accident/disease limits. Confirm limits on WC policy/COI.
General Business Liability Commercial General Liability (CGL) Covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, products/completed operations, and contractual liability exposures. $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate Confirmed TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Additional insured, primary & non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation may be requested. This is the standard COI line most contractors check first.
Aviation / Drone Operations Aviation / UAS Liability Covers drone-related third-party bodily injury and property damage. This is the most important policy for flight operations. $2M per occurrence Confirmed TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Confirm whether aggregate limit applies; confirm additional insured and waiver options. Should specifically reference unmanned aircraft/UAS operations when requested.
Vehicles Commercial Auto Liability Covers company vehicles and related auto liability. Some contracts also require hired and non-owned auto coverage. $1M combined single limit Confirmed TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Confirm owned, hired, and non-owned auto status. Often requested as $1M or $2M CSL.
Excess Liability Umbrella / Excess Liability Provides additional limits above CGL, auto, and sometimes employer's liability. Often required by large industrial contractors. None Not Carried N/A TBD N/A N/A N/A N/A Could be added annually or project-specific if ROI supports it. No umbrella currently available for COI.
Professional Services Professional Liability / E&O Covers claims that professional advice, data, measurements, mapping, reports, or deliverables caused financial loss. Unknown / TBD Needs Decision TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Important for mapping, measurement, volumes, data processing, and reporting work. Not always shown unless specifically carried.
Equipment Inland Marine / Equipment Floater Covers drones, cameras, laptops, sensors, payloads, and equipment while in transit, in the field, or offsite. Unknown / TBD Needs Confirmation TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Schedule high-value equipment; verify theft-from-vehicle limitations. May not be required by contractors but is operationally important.
Office / Property Commercial Property / Business Personal Property Covers office contents, computers, fixtures, and business personal property at scheduled locations. Unknown / TBD Needs Confirmation TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Confirm off-premises coverage exclusions. Usually internal risk management, not contractor-driven.
Cyber / Data Cyber Liability Covers cyber incidents, data breach response, ransomware, funds transfer fraud, and certain privacy/security claims. Unknown / TBD Needs Decision TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Increasingly relevant as deliverables, portals, and customer data are stored online. May be requested by enterprise customers.

Coverage Database

Insurance Coverage Database

Common coverages a drone services / data company may carry. Use this to identify gaps and make renewal decisions.

Coverage Reference Database

Coverage Type Priority Typical for TDC? What It Covers Why It Matters Common Limits / Notes Typical Requested By Do We Carry? Recommended Action
Workers' Compensation Required Yes Employee medical/lost wage benefits for work-related injury or illness. Required for employee-based field operations and many contractor prequalifications. Statutory by state. Most industrial/construction customers Yes Maintain and keep certificates current.
Employer's Liability Required Yes Employer lawsuit exposure related to employee injuries, usually tied to workers' comp. Often appears right below workers' comp on COIs. Common limits: $1M each accident/disease; large contractors may ask for $2M. Industrial/construction customers TBD Confirm current limits with broker.
Commercial General Liability Required Yes Third-party bodily injury, property damage, products/completed operations, contractual liability. Baseline business liability and common customer requirement. Common: $1M occurrence / $2M aggregate; larger contracts may request $5M. Nearly all commercial customers Yes Confirm endorsements: additional insured, waiver, primary/non-contributory.
Aviation / UAS Liability Required Yes Drone-related third-party liability from flight operations. CGL often excludes aviation exposures; this protects the core flight risk. $1M-$5M common; higher for industrial/utility/energy work. Industrial, construction, utilities, municipalities Yes Confirm aggregate, covered aircraft, pilots, payloads, and additional insured wording.
Commercial Auto Liability Required Yes Liability from company vehicles and jobsite travel. Vehicle risk is a major field operations exposure. $1M CSL common; $2M requested by some contractors. Construction/industrial customers Yes Confirm hired and non-owned auto coverage.
Hired & Non-Owned Auto High Yes Liability when employees use personal/rented vehicles for business. Useful when employees drive personal vehicles to jobs or rent vehicles. Often included by endorsement under auto or CGL. Customers with site access requirements TBD Confirm included in auto policy.
Umbrella / Excess Liability High Maybe Additional limits above underlying policies. Often required by larger contractors, but ROI depends on how often it unlocks work. $1M, $2M, $5M, $10M common tiers. Large industrial, utility, energy, general contractors No Get annual quotes and track customer requests before buying.
Professional Liability / E&O High Likely Claims arising from errors in professional services, data, maps, measurements, volumes, reports, or advice. Important as TDC sells data deliverables, stockpile reports, topo products, and processing services. $1M-$2M common for small professional firms. Engineering, survey-adjacent, enterprise customers TBD Request drone/geospatial-specific E&O quote.
Technology E&O Medium Maybe Claims from software/platform failures, data processing errors, or hosted technology services. Relevant to Drone Service Pro, client portals, and automated processing/reporting products. Often paired with cyber. SaaS customers, enterprise buyers TBD Evaluate for Drone Service Pro separately from service company.
Cyber Liability Medium Likely Breach response, ransomware, data loss, privacy claims, funds transfer fraud. Growing risk as deliverables, customer data, portals, and payment systems move online. $1M common starting point. Enterprise customers, SaaS customers TBD Quote cyber coverage and evaluate controls requirements.
Inland Marine / Equipment Floater High Yes Drones, payloads, cameras, sensors, laptops, and equipment in transit/offsite. Protects expensive field equipment that may not be covered by property policy. Schedule high-value items; confirm theft-from-vehicle limits. Internal risk management TBD Build equipment schedule and confirm coverage/deductibles.
Drone Hull Coverage Medium Maybe Physical damage to specific drones/payloads. Useful for high-value aircraft/payloads but premiums can be high. Often scheduled per aircraft/payload. Internal risk management TBD Evaluate based on replacement cost and loss history.
Commercial Property / BPP Medium Yes Office contents and business personal property at scheduled locations. Protects office assets, computers, fixtures, and inventory. Limits based on replacement value. Landlord/lender/internal TBD Confirm property/BOP coverage.
Business Interruption Medium Maybe Lost income and extra expense from a covered property loss. Important if an office/equipment loss disrupts operations. Often tied to property coverage. Internal/lenders TBD Evaluate after property coverage is confirmed.
Employment Practices Liability (EPLI) Medium Yes as team grows Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation claims. More important as employee count and management layers grow. $1M common starting point. Internal risk management TBD Quote as employee count grows.
Crime / Employee Dishonesty Medium Maybe Employee theft, forgery, funds transfer fraud, social engineering depending on policy. Useful for small companies with payments, cards, and equipment access. Limits vary widely; social engineering often sublimited. Internal/finance TBD Evaluate with cyber/fidelity package.
Media Liability Low-Medium Maybe Claims from published media: copyright, defamation, privacy, likeness, advertising injury gaps. Relevant to creative/video work and client-published marketing assets. May be part of E&O or specialty media policy. Creative clients/agencies TBD Ask broker whether CGL/E&O covers media work.
Pollution Liability Low Rare Pollution cleanup/third-party environmental claims. Usually not central to drone services unless working with hazardous sites or causing spill-related claims. Can be project-specific. Industrial sites No Only quote if contract requires it.
Directors & Officers (D&O) Low Maybe later Claims against company leadership by investors, lenders, or stakeholders. More relevant with outside investors, board, or fundraising. $1M+ common. Investors/lenders No Not urgent unless ownership/financing changes.
Key Person Life / Disability Strategic Yes for owner-led business Protects business continuity if a critical owner/leader dies or becomes disabled. TDC is owner-led; this is continuity and lender-risk planning more than customer compliance. Limit based on debt, payroll runway, and transition needs. Internal/lenders TBD Consider as part of continuity planning.

Decision Guidance

COO Rule

Track demand before buying expensive coverage. If a missing policy repeatedly blocks profitable work, buy it. If it only appears once and the customer accepts a waiver, document the exception and move on.

COI Request Log

Contractor Insurance Request Log

Track every insurance request, gap, waiver, and written approval.

Log Template

Date Received Customer / Contractor Project Requested Coverage / Clause Requested Limit / Wording TDC Current Coverage Gap? Waiver / Exception Granted? Written Approval Location COI Sent Date Internal Owner Next Action

Logging Instructions

COI Checklist

COI and Contract Insurance Checklist

Use before signing contracts or sending certificates.

Checklist

Step Question Why It Matters Answer / Notes Owner Status Due Date Evidence Location
1 Do the contract insurance limits match our actual policies? Prevents signing a contract that puts TDC in technical breach. Not Started
2 Are additional insured endorsements required? Common contractor requirement; must be supported by policy wording. Not Started
3 Is waiver of subrogation required? Broker must confirm it can be added for each applicable policy. Not Started
4 Is primary and non-contributory wording required? Large contractors often require it on CGL/auto/aviation. Not Started
5 Is umbrella/excess liability required? TDC currently carries no umbrella; this must be waived or quoted. Not Started
6 Is professional liability/E&O required? Could matter for mapping, volumes, data processing, or reporting work. Not Started
7 Is aviation/UAS specifically accepted? Drone work should not be treated as normal CGL-only field work. Not Started
8 Are covered aircraft, pilots, and payloads listed correctly? Avoids coverage issues if a drone/payload is not scheduled or approved. Not Started
9 Does the COI include correct certificate holder and project wording? Contractors may reject COIs with incorrect names or addresses. Not Started
10 If there is a gap, do we have written acceptance or a contract revision? Verbal approval is not enough; keep evidence in the file. Not Started
11 Are policy expirations after the project duration? Long projects may require renewal COIs mid-project. Not Started
12 Have insurance costs been priced into the job? Project-specific endorsements or higher limits should not quietly eat margin. Not Started

Completion Standard

This checklist is complete only when the contract requirements, COI, broker confirmation, and any customer-approved exceptions all match. Verbal approval is not enough.

Insurance Glossary

Insurance Glossary

Plain-English definitions for common contractor insurance terms.

Additional Insured

Plain-English meaning: Another party, usually customer/contractor/owner, is added to receive certain protection under your policy.

Why TDC cares: Common requirement before entering jobsites.

Typical action: Ask broker to add certificate holder as additional insured where available.

Waiver of Subrogation

Plain-English meaning: Your insurer agrees not to seek recovery from the customer/contractor after paying a covered claim.

Why TDC cares: Contractors want to prevent your insurer from coming back against them.

Typical action: Confirm policy endorsement and cost with broker.

Primary and Non-Contributory

Plain-English meaning: Your policy responds first and does not require the customer's insurance to contribute first.

Why TDC cares: Large contractors use this to keep claims off their own insurance where possible.

Typical action: Broker must confirm endorsement wording.

Occurrence Limit

Plain-English meaning: Maximum paid for one claim/event.

Why TDC cares: Contractors compare this to their required per-occurrence limit.

Typical action: Check exact amount on COI.

Aggregate Limit

Plain-English meaning: Maximum paid during the policy period for covered claims.

Why TDC cares: A $1M occurrence policy may have a $2M aggregate cap.

Typical action: Monitor aggregate erosion after claims.

Combined Single Limit (CSL)

Plain-English meaning: One auto liability limit shared for bodily injury and property damage.

Why TDC cares: Common auto policy limit format.

Typical action: Usually shown as $1M CSL or $2M CSL.

Deductible

Plain-English meaning: Amount TDC pays before insurance responds.

Why TDC cares: Affects cash exposure after a claim.

Typical action: Track by policy, especially equipment and cyber.

Self-Insured Retention (SIR)

Plain-English meaning: Amount TDC must pay/handle before insurer has duty to pay, often more serious than deductible.

Why TDC cares: Can create administrative and cash-flow burden.

Typical action: Avoid surprises on E&O/cyber/umbrella policies.

Contractual Liability

Plain-English meaning: Coverage for certain liabilities assumed in a contract.

Why TDC cares: Construction contracts often include broad indemnity clauses.

Typical action: Do not assume every indemnity obligation is insured.

Completed Operations

Plain-English meaning: Coverage for liability arising after work is completed.

Why TDC cares: Relevant when deliverables or completed site work are later challenged.

Typical action: Confirm CGL includes completed operations.

Professional Liability / E&O

Plain-English meaning: Coverage for financial loss caused by alleged professional mistakes.

Why TDC cares: Relevant for mapping, measurements, volumes, reports, processing, and advice.

Typical action: Consider quote; avoid using licensed survey language publicly.

Inland Marine

Plain-English meaning: Property coverage for equipment that moves around.

Why TDC cares: Drones, payloads, sensors, cameras, and laptops are mobile assets.

Typical action: Maintain current equipment schedule.

Certificate Holder

Plain-English meaning: Entity named on the COI to receive proof of insurance.

Why TDC cares: Does not automatically make them additional insured.

Typical action: Use exact legal name/address from customer.

Endorsement

Plain-English meaning: Policy amendment that changes coverage or adds required wording.

Why TDC cares: COIs sometimes reference endorsements; actual policy controls.

Typical action: Ask broker for endorsement confirmation if needed.

Umbrella / Excess

Plain-English meaning: Extra limit above underlying policies.

Why TDC cares: Often requested in large contracts; not always necessary for small work.

Typical action: Track frequency of requests and ROI.

Broker Questions

Broker Renewal and Gap Questions

Use this list with your broker at renewal or when a large contractor sends insurance requirements.

Questions for Broker

Topic Question for Broker Why We Ask Broker Answer Follow-up Needed Priority Owner
Workers' Comp / Employer's Liability What are our current Employer's Liability limits? Can they be increased to $2M if required? Large contractors often request this. High Admin
CGL Do we have blanket additional insured, waiver of subrogation, and primary/non-contributory endorsements? These are the three most common contract wording requests. High Admin
Aviation/UAS Can aviation policy name customers as additional insured and provide waiver of subrogation? Drone work must be supported by aviation coverage, not just CGL. High Admin
Aviation/UAS Is our $2M aviation limit per occurrence only, or is there an aggregate? Some contracts list both per occurrence and aggregate limits. High Admin
Auto Does our auto policy include owned, hired, and non-owned auto? Employees may use company, personal, or rented vehicles for work. High Admin
Umbrella Quote $1M, $2M, $5M, and $10M umbrella/excess options. Which underlying policies can they sit over? Lets leadership make ROI-based decision. Medium Leadership
Professional Liability / E&O Quote E&O for drone mapping, stockpile volumes, data processing, and deliverable reports. TDC increasingly sells data products, not just images. High Leadership
Cyber Quote cyber liability for client portals, stored data, email compromise, and payment fraud. Cyber exposure grows with portals, SaaS, and online deliverables. Medium Leadership/IT
Inland Marine Confirm covered equipment, deductibles, theft-from-vehicle limitations, and replacement cost terms. Drones and sensors are mission-critical mobile assets. High Admin
Contract Review When we receive customer insurance requirements, can broker review against our current coverage before we sign? Prevents accidental breach and uninsured obligations. High Admin

How to Use

Use this page before renewal, before signing a large contractor agreement, or when a customer’s insurance exhibit includes terms that do not appear on the standard COI.