Cabinet Contractor Insurance in Washington State

Cabinet contractors in Washington operate at the intersection of precision woodworking and interior construction, a combination that creates a distinctive risk profile centered on property damage to finished spaces. Unlike rough-trade contractors who work on exposed framing, cabinet installers enter homes and businesses after flooring, countertops, paint, and appliances are already in place. Every drill hole, every heavy cabinet lifted into position, and every shim driven behind a face frame happens inches from surfaces that cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace. A dropped upper cabinet can shatter a granite countertop, gouge hardwood flooring, or punch through drywall — and the resulting claim covers not just the cabinet work but every finish it damaged on the way down.

Custom cabinet fabrication adds a manufacturing dimension to the risk. Shop operations involve table saws, routers, planers, jointers, and CNC machines that rank among the most dangerous equipment in any trade. Saw kickbacks, blade contact injuries, and wood dust inhalation are persistent hazards. Washington's Division of Occupational Safety and Health enforces strict machine guarding and dust collection requirements, and cabinet shops that fall short face citations and fines.Completed operations exposure for cabinet contractors extends well beyond installation day. Cabinets that are improperly secured can pull away from walls weeks or months later, potentially injuring a homeowner reaching for a dish on the top shelf. Water damage from cabinets installed too close to plumbing fixtures without adequate moisture protection leads to warping, mold growth, and replacement claims. Washington's six-year construction defect statute under RCW 64.50 means these claims can surface years after the original installation, and the homeowner's attorney will name every contractor who touched the kitchen.

Delivery and transportation risk rounds out the exposure picture. Cabinet contractors routinely transport large, heavy, and fragile finished pieces in vans and box trucks. Load shifting during transit can damage product before it ever reaches the job site, and delivery crews carrying 150-pound cabinets up staircases and through narrow hallways create bodily injury exposure for both workers and homeowners. Commercial auto coverage and inland marine protection for in-transit goods are essential components of a complete cabinet contractor insurance program in Washington.