Health Coverage for Contractors and Tradespeople

The trades combine physical risk with independent status more than almost any other field — and a ladder fall without coverage is a financial event, not just a medical one. Solo operators shop the individual marketplace; the calculus changes the day you put a crew on payroll.

Solo operators

Marketplace plans can't rate you up for your occupation — a roofer pays the same premium as an accountant of the same age and ZIP. Prioritize the max out-of-pocket over the deductible: it's the number that caps a genuinely bad year.

Pair the plan with an HSA if you choose a qualifying high-deductible option; contributions are deductible, and the balance rolls over for the year something actually happens.

With a crew

One W-2 employee unlocks the small-group and level-funded markets, and benefits are a real recruiting edge in tight trade labor markets. Level-funded pricing often favors young healthy crews; an ICHRA fits crews spread across regions. A licensed agent runs your census against both — free, and worth doing before your competitor across town does.