Stalled projects muddle cover; Owners, builders should check insurance when restarting work.

Byline: JEFF CASALE

Thousands of U.S. building projects were shut down when the economy crashed and the banking crisis dried up funding, creating insurance coverage dilemmas for property owners and contractors that persist today.

Resuming work on offices, hotels, condominiums and homes that stalled after the recession began in December 2007 raises a host of insurance-related questions. While the National Bureau of Economic Research said last week that the recession officially ended in June 2009, the economy remains weak and owners and builders face the additional challenge of what insurance will cover once a project is restarted.

"Stalled projects complicate things from an insurance standpoint," said Stacy Pocrass, Denver-based vp and account executive in Lockton Cos. L.L.C.'s construction practice. "Particularly when you restart a project, you need to know what type of insurance was in …