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Does every federal contractor have the same insurance requirements?

No single fixed-price schedule applies to every federal award. FAR 28.306 says agencies are not ordinarily concerned with a fixed-price contractor’s insurance, but may specify it in special circumstances; FAR 28.310 prescribes an installation-work clause for a narrower set of contracts, with exceptions.[1][2]

Read the solicitation and signed contract to find the clauses and Schedule that actually apply. FAR 52.228-5, when included, points to the kinds and minimum amounts stated in those contract documents; the cited federal rules do not establish state or local procurement requirements.[3][1]

Read the Government Insurance Buying Guide

Sources and Further Reading

  1. FAR 28.306 — Insurance under fixed-price contracts — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 28.306(a)-(b); current display FAC 2026-01, effective 2026-03-13; accessed directly 2026-09-28

    Conditional federal guidance on when agencies may specify insurance under fixed-price contracts.

  2. FAR 28.310 — Contract clause for work on a Government installation — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 28.310(a)-(b); current display FAC 2026-01, effective 2026-03-13; accessed directly 2026-09-28

    The specific trigger and exceptions for FAR 52.228-5.

  3. FAR 52.228-5 — Insurance—Work on a Government Installation — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 52.228-5(a)-(c), clause dated January 1997; current display FAC 2026-01; accessed directly 2026-09-28

    Contract-specific insurance, notice, and subcontract flow-down language when this clause is included.

  4. FAR 52.228-7 — Insurance—Liability to Third Persons — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 52.228-7(a)-(g), clause dated March 1996; current display FAC 2026-01; accessed directly 2026-09-28

    Clause terms for certain cost-reimbursement circumstances; read alongside the prescription and contract.

  5. FAR 28.311-1 — Contract clause — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 28.311-1; current display FAC 2026-01, effective 2026-03-13; accessed directly 2026-09-28
  6. FAR 28.307-2 — Liability — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 28.307-2(a)-(e); current display FAC 2026-01, effective 2026-03-13; accessed directly 2026-09-28
  7. FAR 28.101-1 — Policy on use — Federal Acquisition Regulation, Acquisition.gov (U.S. General Services Administration). FAR 28.101-1(a)-(c); current display FAC 2026-01, effective 2026-03-13; accessed directly 2026-09-28

    Conditional federal bid-guarantee policy and its bond relationship, exceptions, and form distinctions.

  8. Small Business — National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). FAQ: BOP (lines 20-24); CGL and exclusions (29-54); other liability (55-63); property (102-126); work-from-home (269-283)

    General descriptions of commercial insurance categories and their policy-dependent scope.

  9. Launch your business — U.S. Small Business Administration. Get business insurance, lines 536-566: common coverage types and buying steps
  10. Cybersecurity for Small Business — Federal Trade Commission. Supplier-risk and insurance guidance (lines 51-59); vendor breach response (170-173); cyber insurance section (175 onward)

    General vendor-risk, contract, and cyber insurance questions for small businesses; not a federal contract requirement.

Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this guide and works in the commercial insurance market. This is general buyer education; actual contract clauses, policy wording, operations, and jurisdiction determine what applies. This guide addresses federal contracting examples only, not state or local procurement or public-entity insurance.

Updated 2026-09-28. Editorial Policy

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