HVAC DUCT CLEANING · BELFOR FRANCHISE GROUP
DUCTZ
FRANCHISE
INSURANCE
DUCTZ is not a standard HVAC franchise. DUCTZ technicians do not install or service heating and cooling equipment — they access ductwork, physically clean it, and in doing so enter attics, crawlspaces, and wall cavities in every residential and commercial property they serve.
That is a distinct risk profile. The property damage exposure from technicians accessing confined spaces is different from a standard HVAC service call. The air quality claim exposure from duct cleaning that disturbs mold, asbestos, or accumulated debris is different from refrigerant handling. The insurance program that protects a DUCTZ franchisee needs to reflect those differences — not default to whatever the nearest HVAC carrier template produces.
This page covers what DUCTZ requires and where the standard policy falls short.
BELFOR Franchise Group
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COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
ATTIC AND CRAWLSPACE PROPERTY DAMAGE
AIR QUALITY CLAIMS AFTER DUCT CLEANING
COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT COI REQUIREMENTS
PREMIUM CALCULATION
BEYOND THE MINIMUM
BEYOND THE FDD REQUIREMENTS
FAQs
$1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
GL REQUIRED
$2,000,000
PRODUCTS & COMPLETED OPS
$1,000,000 combined single limit
AUTO REQUIRED
$500,000 per accident (FDD minimum — benchmark recommends $1,000,000)
WC EMPLOYERS LIABILITY
$2,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
UMBRELLA REQUIRED
ON THIS PAGE
COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
ATTIC AND CRAWLSPACE PROPERTY DAMAGE
AIR QUALITY CLAIMS AFTER DUCT CLEANING
COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT COI REQUIREMENTS
PREMIUM CALCULATION
BEYOND THE MINIMUM
BEYOND THE FDD REQUIREMENTS
FAQs
WHAT A COMPLETE DUCTZ FRANCHISE INSURANCE PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE
RELATED COVERAGE GUIDES:
FRANCHISEE QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT INSURANCE DOES A DUCTZ FRANCHISEE NEED TO OPEN?
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Your 2025 FDD requires general liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate, commercial auto at $1,000,000 combined single limit, workers' compensation at statutory limits with $500,000 employers' liability, and umbrella at $2,000,000. Three additional insured entities must be named: DUCTZ International, LLC; BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC; and BELFOR USA Group Inc. Proof of insurance is due at least 10 days before training.
WHO NEEDS TO BE LISTED AS ADDITIONAL INSURED ON MY DUCTZ POLICY?
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The 2025 FDD requires three entities: DUCTZ International, LLC; BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC; and BELFOR USA Group Inc. — plus designated affiliates, employees, officers, and directors. Each legal entity name must appear exactly on the certificate. Abbreviations or brand names are not substitutes for the legal entity names.
DOES MY GL COVER PROPERTY DAMAGE IN AN ATTIC OR CRAWLSPACE DURING DUCT CLEANING?
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General liability covers third-party property damage during operations — but property in your care, custody, and control during the service period may fall under a care, custody, and control exclusion. Confirm whether your policy includes a care, custody, and control endorsement, or carry a separate inland marine policy covering customer property during service.
DOES MY INSURANCE COVER AN AIR QUALITY CLAIM AFTER DUCT CLEANING?
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Standard general liability has a pollution exclusion that may apply to dust, particulate, biological contaminants, or asbestos-containing materials disturbed during duct cleaning. Contractors pollution liability covers these exposures specifically. DUCTZ franchisees doing commercial work in older buildings should carry contractors pollution liability.
HOW DOES ADDING COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS CHANGE MY COVERAGE NEEDS?
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Commercial accounts commonly require $2,000,000 per occurrence — higher than the DUCTZ FDD minimum of $1,000,000. They may also require additional insured endorsements for the property owner or manager that are separate from the franchisor AI requirement. Confirm your limits and endorsements match each commercial account's COI request.
WHAT IS THE NCCI WORKERS' COMPENSATION CODE FOR DUCTZ TECHNICIANS?
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Duct cleaning work falls under NCCI code 5537 (HVAC Work) in most states. Rates vary by state — approximately $2.24 to $5.14 per $100 of payroll. Confirm the correct code with your carrier at policy inception; confined space access may require additional review in some markets.
DOES MY FRANCHISE INSURANCE COVER SUBCONTRACTORS OR 1099 WORKERS?
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Only if the subcontractor exclusion has been modified to require current certificates. Collect certificates from every 1099 worker before every job. A certificate valid at hire that has since lapsed produces the same audit result as no certificate at all.
WHAT DOES THE DUCTZ FDD SAY ABOUT INSURANCE COSTS IN ITEM 7?
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The 2025 DUCTZ FDD does not disclose specific insurance cost estimates in Item 7. Cost requirements are specified in Item 8. Obtain actual quotes based on your operation, payroll, and state to understand your specific premium.
WHY DOES THE FDD REQUIRE 30 DAYS' NOTICE OF CANCELLATION?
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Your carrier must notify DUCTZ International, LLC — and the other additional insured entities — 30 days before cancelling or materially altering your policy. This gives the franchisor time to address a compliance gap before the franchise relationship is technically in default. Confirm this endorsement is on your policy before the certificate is issued.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FDD'S $500,000 EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY REQUIREMENT AND THE $1,000,000 BENCHMARK?
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The FDD sets a minimum. The benchmark reflects the level experienced operators in this trade carry to protect against catastrophic injury claims that exceed the workers' compensation statutory limits. Employers' liability responds to personal injury lawsuits from employees that fall outside the no-fault workers' compensation system. In a trade where confined space injuries are a real exposure, $500,000 is the starting point — not the appropriate limit.
DOES MY POLICY NEED TO COVER BOTH ONGOING OPERATIONS AND COMPLETED OPERATIONS AS ADDITIONAL INSURED?
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Yes. The standard additional insured endorsement for ongoing operations (ISO CG 20 10) covers claims arising while work is in progress. The completed operations additional insured endorsement (ISO CG 20 37) covers claims that arise after the job is done. Duct cleaning produces both types of claims — physical damage during service and air quality claims after the job is complete. Both endorsements belong on the policy.
WHAT A COMPLETE DUCTZ FRANCHISE INSURANCE PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE
Six things that define a program built for duct cleaning — not a generic HVAC contractor.
Three additional insured entities must appear on every COI: DUCTZ International, LLC; BELFOR Franchise Group, LLC; and BELFOR USA Group Inc. Pull a recent certificate and confirm all three are listed by exact legal name. A certificate that names only the brand is non-compliant.
The care, custody, and control exclusion in your general liability policy limits coverage for damage to property in your possession during service. DUCTZ technicians work around customer property in every confined space they access. Confirm the endorsement is on your policy or carry a separate inland marine policy for this exposure.
The commercial market for multi-unit residential and commercial properties commonly requires $2,000,000 per occurrence. Your FDD minimum is $1,000,000. The two numbers are not the same. Build your limits to serve the accounts you are winning — not just the accounts you have.
Contractors pollution liability is the policy that responds when the standard general liability pollution exclusion applies to air quality claims. In pre-1980 commercial buildings with asbestos-adjacent materials, this is not a supplemental coverage — it is the primary gap.
Your workers' compensation employers' liability limit in the FDD is $500,000. The benchmark is $1,000,000. The difference in annual premium is small. The difference in protection for a serious confined space injury claim is significant.
The completed operations additional insured endorsement (CG 20 37) must be on your policy alongside the ongoing operations endorsement (CG 20 10). Air quality claims from duct cleaning often surface weeks or months after the job. Without CG 20 37, the additional insured coverage for those claims may not exist.
SUBCONTRACTOR RISK
SUBCONTRACTOR CERTIFICATE COMPLIANCE ACROSS YOUR FRANCHISE
Most home service franchisees use independent contractors or 1099 workers at some point. The coverage gap this creates is not obvious until a claim surfaces — and by then, the conversation is about who pays rather than what was preventable.
A lapsed subcontractor certificate is invisible until your carrier finds it. When they do, they invoke the subcontractor exclusion in your general liability policy. The work was done. The damage is real. The coverage is not there.
Rikor's subcontractor compliance monitoring tool tracks subcontractor certificates in real time. When a certificate lapses, you know before the next job starts — not after the claim comes in. See how it works for HVAC franchisees →
WADE MILLWARD, CIC
Founder & CEO · Rikor Insurance
Wade Millward has spent 18 years specializing in franchise insurance. He holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation and has reviewed hundreds of franchise disclosure documents across home service, food service, and commercial franchise verticals. He has built coverage programs for Authority Brands franchisees across electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and restoration trades.