You just landed a paid gig flying for a production company or a survey firm. Great news. Then they send over the contract and it asks for proof of your own insurance. You figured their policy would cover everyone on the job. It does not. This is one of the most common surprises subcontractor pilots run into, and getting caught without coverage at that stage can cost you the contract entirely.
Their policy covers them, not you
When a company hires you as a subcontractor, their commercial drone insurance is written to protect their business. If something goes wrong while you are the one flying, their insurer is going to look at who was operating the aircraft.
That is you. And if you do not have your own policy, you are personally exposed to whatever liability comes with that incident. Property damage, third-party injury, legal fees, all of it lands on you without your own coverage in place.
What "additional insured" actually means for you
Most client contracts include a clause requiring you to add them as an additional insured on your policy. This is standard in the industry and it is not something to push back on.
What it means practically is that your client gets named on your certificate of insurance, giving them a layer of protection tied to your policy. You cannot offer this if you do not have an active drone liability insurance policy of your own. No policy means no COI, and no COI often means no job.
What commercial contracts usually require
Drone coverage for subcontractors is not one-size-fits-all, but there are patterns. Many production companies and engineering firms require a minimum of $1 million in liability coverage before they will bring you on site.
Some contracts go higher, especially for work near infrastructure, crowds, or sensitive locations. Reading the insurance section of any contract before you sign is worth the five minutes it takes. Showing up to a job without meeting those minimums can get you pulled off the project immediately.
Your Part 107 certificate is your business, protect it
Holding a Part 107 certificate means you are operating commercially under FAA rules. If an incident happens on a subcontracted job and you are uninsured, the fallout can go beyond financial loss.
Complaints filed against your certificate, disputes with clients, or legal action can all follow an uncovered incident. Drone insurance for client contracts is one of the most straightforward ways to protect both your certificate and the business you have built around it. Part 107 drone insurance is not a legal requirement under FAA rules, but clients and real-world liability make it a practical one.
When you work with SkyWatch, getting covered as a subcontractor is fast. You can get a quote, bind a policy, and have your certificate of insurance the same day. That means you can respond to a client's contract requirements quickly and get on with the work instead of scrambling for paperwork.
If you have a job coming up and need to get your coverage sorted before it starts, get a quote now and be ready to fly.
