Shield Your Business: A Contractor's Guide to Insurance
As a contractor, your business is your livelihood. You've worked hard to build your company and reputation. That's why it's vital to protect your business with comprehensive insurance. At The Allen Thomas Group, we understand the unique risks contractors face and provide customized insurance solutions to keep your business safe. Whether you're a general contractor, trade contractor, or independent contractor, read on to understand why insurance matters and how to choose the right coverage.
Construction is an naturally risky industry. Each job site brings possibilities for injuries, property damage, and costly lawsuits. Just one incident can devastate your business if you're not adequately insured. From general liability to workers' comp to builder's risk, contractors need several types of insurance. Yet many make the mistake of being underinsured or having gaps in coverage. Don't let this happen to you. As a contractor myself, I've seen firsthand how key insurance is. At The Allen Thomas Group, our trusted advisors will assess your business risks and recommend comprehensive policies to protect you. With the right insurance partner, you can run your business with confidence assured you've safeguarded your company's finances and reputation. This guide will provide an overview of key coverages, insurance costs, and tips for choosing the best insurance agency for your contracting business.
Why Contractors Need Insurance
Running a contracting business comes with many risks that can lead to costly claims, lawsuits, or losses. Without proper insurance, a single incident could devastate your finances or even put you out of business. Some key reasons contractors need insurance include:
- Lawsuits - You may face liability claims over property damage, injuries, mistakes, and more. The right insurance protects you if sued.
- Employee injuries - Workers' comp insurance is mandatory in most states to cover medical bills and lost wages for injured employees.
- Property damage - Accidents happen. Builder's risk and equipment/tools coverage protects you if items are damaged or stolen at a job site.
- Contract requirements - Many construction contracts require you to carry certain insurance limits and name the client as an additional insured.
- Reputational damage - Lawsuits and uncovered losses can hurt your business' reputation. Insurance helps cover losses so you can keep your good name.
- Business investments - Your tools, equipment, offices and other business assets represent a major investment. Property insurance protects your assets in a loss.
Proper insurance gives you security and peace of mind to focus on your work, not risks. It's a vital cost of doing business.
Key Coverages for Contractors
As a contractor, you need several types of insurance for full protection. Below are essential policies every contractor should carry:
- General liability insurance - This covers claims of bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and advertising injury. It protects you in lawsuits, employee injuries, 3rd party property damage, etc.
- Workers' compensation - Pays for medical treatment and lost wages for employees injured on the job. It's mandated in most states.
- Builder's risk insurance - Also called course of construction, it covers projects under construction for perils like theft, vandalism, fire damage, natural disasters.
- Business auto insurance - Covers liability and damage involving vehicles used for business purposes like work trucks.
- Tools, equipment, and materials coverage - Insures business tools, equipment, supplies/inventory for loss or damage at the job site or in transit.
- Professional liability - Required for design/build contractors and covers mistakes in your professional work.
- Commercial property - Protects your offices, warehouses, showrooms for perils like fire, theft, vandalism, smoke damage, etc.
This mix of insurance coverages provides vital protection for your contracting business's exposures. A great agent can evaluate your specific risks and recommend optimal coverage, limits and additions like umbrella policies.
The Allen Thomas Group has the experience, carrier access and resources to tailor comprehensive coverage at competitive prices. We'll help you identify exposures, fill coverage holes, and choose cost-effective policies so you can keep focused on what matters most – excelling at the work you love. Our customized contractor insurance packages provide:
- Coverage gaps filled
- Bundles for cost savings
- Proper limits to safeguard your assets
- Advice to reduce risks
- Hassle-free claims service
- Year-round policy access & review
For over 20 years, The Allen Thomas Group has been a trusted insurance partner for general contractors, trade contractors, and independent contractors. We'll stand by you like family and empower you to run your business with confidence. Don't wait for a loss to realize you're underinsured – be proactive and protect your assets with The Allen Thomas Group. Call (440) 826-3676 for a free contractor insurance quote today.
Any business offering their expertise should seriously consider getting professional liability coverage, commonly known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, to safeguard both their company and bottom line from customer claims of late completion, incompleteness or substandard work that could potentially lead to costly lawsuits.
Professional liability policies fall into two broad categories, claims-made and occurrence coverages. Claims-made policies cover any incidents in which a policy was in force at the time of an event and lawsuit, while an occurrence policy will cover any incidents while the policy was active that qualify for coverage under that particular policy.
For effective risk management of construction projects, it is necessary to understand all four types of risks inherent within it - these could include financial, contractual, operational and environmental threats that come from both internal and external sources.
Liability insurance provides coverage against damage claims caused by contractors when performing work on your property and injury claims that may arise should someone get injured while performing duty. It also covers court judgments or medical or funeral expenses should someone become seriously ill while on duty.