Insurance · Workable depending on profile
The Hartford Review
Long-established direct carrier with strong AARP partnership — solid product, less competitive pricing than digital-native alternatives
Quick verdict
The Hartford is best for Mid-market trades contractors (10+ employees) who value brand-name carrier backing, comprehensive single-carrier coverage, and don't mind paying a premium for legacy-carrier reliability. Quote speed: Online quote in 15-20 minutes; phone-agent often required for full bind. Pricing: $60-$250/mo for GL on a 1-5 person trades shop. Higher pricing than digital-native competitors, slower bind workflow, less competitive on small accounts — solid product but pricing-competitive options exist.
About The Hartford
The Hartford is one of the oldest US insurance carriers (founded 1810) and one of the most recognizable SMB-business-insurance brands — partly through its long AARP partnership for personal lines and partly through extensive marketing of its small-business segment. The product is solid, the financial strength is A.M. Best A+ rated, and claims handling has a long institutional track record.
The trade-off versus digital-native carriers: pricing tends to come in higher than NEXT or Simply Business for comparable coverage on standard trades, and the quote-bind workflow is more cumbersome — online quoting works for simple cases but full bind often requires phone-agent involvement. For contractors who value brand-name carrier backing and don't mind paying a 10-25% premium over digital-native pricing, The Hartford is a credible option.
The affiliate program isn't a primary channel for The Hartford — they focus on direct customer acquisition and broker partnerships rather than editorial publisher relationships. Editorial recommendations of The Hartford are unaffected by affiliate considerations.
How it works
Visit The Hartford, enter business details, receive online quote in 15-20 minutes. Full binding often requires phone-agent engagement, particularly for workers comp and commercial auto. Annual renewal with carrier-direct policy management.
Pros & cons
What works
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Long institutional history + A+ financial rating
Founded 1810. A.M. Best A+ rated. Among the most stable SMB insurance carriers in the US market. The 'will this carrier exist?' concern doesn't apply.
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Strong claims handling reputation
Claims experience is consistently described as professional and reliable. The institutional depth on claims handling exceeds most digital-native carriers.
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Comprehensive insurance lines
Covers most contractor insurance needs in one carrier relationship — GL, WC, commercial auto, professional liability, umbrella. Single-carrier consolidation is operationally valuable for some contractors.
What doesn't
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Higher pricing than digital-native carriers
Premium typically 10-25% above NEXT or Simply Business for comparable coverage. The legacy-carrier cost structure (broker channels, agent relationships, traditional underwriting) shows up in higher pricing.
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Slower quote-bind workflow
Full binding often requires phone-agent engagement. The 15-20 minute online portion is just the start; complete bind can take 1-3 business days for complex cases.
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Less competitive on small simplest accounts
For 1-2 person solo trades shops with simple GL needs, the digital-native carriers (NEXT, Simply Business) are usually meaningfully cheaper and faster. The Hartford's value emerges at slightly larger accounts.
Coverage
- Insurance lines
- general liabilityworkers compcommercial autobopprofessional liabilityumbrella
- Geographic coverage
- Available in all 50 states
- Typical premium range
- $60-$250/mo for GL on a 1-5 person trades shop
- Quote speed
- Online quote in 15-20 minutes; phone-agent often required for full bind
- Trade coverage
- HVACPlumbingElectricalGeneral ContractorsLandscaping & Lawn CareCleaning ServicesPest ControlHandyman Services
- Affiliate program
- None. Not a primary affiliate-channel carrier; editorial recommendations are unaffected by commercial alignment.
External ratings & sentiment
Trustpilot
3.8 / 5
BBB
A+ (BBB-accredited)
A.M. Best
A+ (Superior)
neutral to positive — solid carrier reputation, higher pricing noted
Frequently asked
Should I pick The Hartford over NEXT?
For most SMB residential trades, NEXT is faster and cheaper. The Hartford makes more sense for mid-market contractors (10+ employees) who value the legacy-carrier brand and comprehensive single-carrier coverage.
Other insurance providers
NEXT Insurance (Ergo NEXT)
Tier SDirect digital insurance built for small contractors — online quote, bind, and certificate-of-insurance in 10 minutes
Hiscox
Tier FEstablished direct carrier for SMB contractors with strong digital quoting — though 2025 reputation has deteriorated
Simply Business
Tier SOnline insurance broker (Travelers-owned) — shops multiple carriers and lets you compare quotes in one form
CoverWallet
Tier SOnline insurance broker owned by Aon — comparison quoting plus account-management dashboard for multi-policy contractors
Embroker
Tier SMid-market-focused online broker with deeper professional liability and cyber coverage capacity
Insureon
Tier AOnline broker with dominant SEO presence — solid quoting infrastructure but no clear differentiation vs Simply Business or CoverWallet