Statewide

Commercial Contractors Insurance: Required and Very Important

June 30, 2012 By Statewide

Statewide General Liability Commercial contractors’ insurance quotes can address any of the numerous types of indemnity that autonomous businesses require. These include, but are not limited to, liability, workers comp, property insurance coverage, commercial vehicle policies, and umbrella insurances. These policies cover the business from more or less any calamity that might occur.

An investment will return with an individual claim. And matters will occur. That is an inescapable reality. It takes an elementary error or slip and matters go from sound to awful in a moment. Without coverage, a business could go under rather rapidly.

Obtaining commercial contractors’ insurance quotes are rather easy with the web. Like most additional indemnity types, business has quickened since brokers went online. They can get data rapidly and make informed determinations without departing their desk. That gives the contractor tractability and choices that weren’t available earlier. Acquiring a beneficial relationship with a broker is crucial. However, the broker doesn’t need to be next door these days.

Commercial contractors’ insurance quotes are useful instruments for both the commencing contractor and those that have been in business for a long time. For the commencing contractor, quotes afford them choices for discovering the right insurance policy at the proper cost. They also get perceptiveness into the brokers and underwriters that service their region.

For a lot of beginners, it is a beneficial thought to confer with others in the craft they would like to enter. This will afford them the names of brokers and companies that furnish insurance coverage for that type of commercial enterprise. It can also afford them names of those to avoid due to inadequate claims service or exorbitant pricing. All of that affords new contractors an effective beginning.

For experienced contractors, commercial contractors’ insurance quotes afford them ammo when considering their current insurance policy. A lot of times their broker will assume they would like to renew with their current underwriter and won’t do any legwork to discover the best cost at other companies. It’s up to the contractor to make the first motion to commence quotes.

A couple of weeks ahead of the renewal date, a contractor need to get hold of their broker and call for them to research other suppliers and other deductions. This gives the broker time to do the legwork. It also affords the customer time to see the alternatives and make informed determinations. It is a tool for the broker to utilize with the current underwriter to cut down the quoted renewal rate.

Contact Statewide Insurance Brokers for your commercial contractors insurance. We will get you a fast, free quote! Call 888-258-0272

Negligence or Pollution?

December 1, 2011 By Statewide

If you're a California contractor, understanding environmental issues is a vital part of general liability insurance.

The Thomson Reuters News & Insight website reports that the California state Supreme Court recently ruled that “a commercial general liability policy’s pollution exclusion barr[ing] coverage of third-party damages from environmental pollution also governed first-party property insurance policies.”

The case involved the Villa Los Alamos Homeowners Association (VLAHA); Cal Coast Construction (CCC), a firm the VLAHA had hired to do property maintenance work; and State Farm, the VLAHA’s insurer.

In a residential building that the VLAHA operated and managed, CCC scraped the acoustical ceilings and stairways, causing “asbestos fibers to be released into the air, individual units, and the building’s indoor and outdoor common areas.” As a result, “a local environmental agency ordered the association to perform comprehensive cleanup of the building.” The total cost came to $650,000.

The VLAHA complied, but asked State Farm to cover expenses. The insurer refused, citing a pollution exclusion in the VLAHA’s policy “which covered both first party robbery losses and third-party business liability claims.”

The association won a negligence suit against the CCC and was awarded $600,000. But it lost another suit it filed against State Farm for “breach of contract and bad faith.” VLAHA argued that “a one-time ordinary act of negligence failed to constitute environmental pollution.”

The California Supreme Court ruled that State Farm was within its rights to refuse payment because the work CCC had done for VLAHA “occurred over several days and resulted in sufficient release of asbestos fibers into the air contaminate the building complex in the adjacent outside areas, constituting environmental pollution.”

Statewide Insurance Brokers provides general liability insurance. Call us today with questions and to get fast, free quotes.

What Is Contractors Insurance And Why Do I Need It?

October 17, 2011 By Statewide

contractors insurance statewide insurance brokers

Contractor's insurance is a must. Call Statewide Insurance Brokers at 888-258-0272.

Contractor’s insurance is a special type of insurance for contractors. Contractors are at risk from liability not only from employees but from customers. Employees could be injured on the job, or cause injury to a client’s person or property. There are many ways in which contractors can be held accountable for actions they themselves did not commit and this is because, as a contractor, you assume responsibility as soon as you sign a contract for a job. Contractor’s insurance can prove invaluable in the case of an accident and save your business from expensive lawsuits.

There are several types of insurance that falls under contractor’s insurance. This includes general liability, workers compensation, bonds and commercial vehicle insurance. Each contractor will have a their own specific needs for insurance based on the exact nature of their business and how many employees they have. The best way to find out what the best contractor’s insurance policy is for you is to talk to your insurance representative so you can get a quote.

A contractor’s insurance policy can be written and confirmed in as little as 30 minutes. This means that no matter how much of a time crunch a contractor is on, they never have to send their employees to a job without having adequate insurance. While contractors may think that insurance doesn’t matter, it really does. If an employee is injured while on the job, the contractor could be sued and even lose their business. All it takes is one accident to cause a contractor to lose their business. There is no reason to take a risk like this when contractor’s insurance is so inexpensive and easy to get.

Contractors that don’t have insurance run the risk of being sent to small claims court over injuries sustained on the job. If your employees drive a company car, you are also responsible for injuries that may happen while the employee is driving. There is no way that you can keep accidents from happening, especially when you have a number of employees scattered over several work zones. Contractor’s insurance policies can be custom written for your business to cover all your bases so that no matter what accidents may occur, you will be able to handle it inexpensively as well as quickly and efficiently.

Before you begin your next job as a contractor, you need to find out about contractor’s insurance if you haven’t done so already. Even if you have been able to get away with not having it in the past, there is no guarantee that your luck will continue. Contractor’s insurance will save you time, money and effort and will ensure that your business is backed by a secure insurance policy that will protect you from liability law suits. You can even get an insurance policy that will cover you for past jobs, so don’t forget to ask about this added benefit. There is no reason to let the business you have worked so hard to grow go under because of a liability law suit. Get contractor’s insurance and conduct your business worry free.

Call Statewide Insurance Brokers at 888-258-0272 to get a fast quote on contractor’s insurance today.

Contractors Insurance, Defective Construction and Liabilities

October 13, 2011 By Statewide

Contract work always has some risk, but contractors insurance and other smart moves can reduce it significantly.

As a contractor, you know the difficulties in balancing profitable work projects with savvy risk-taking. One small misstep, and you could be liable for losses you hadn’t counted on. A recent Business Insurance online article reveals that you can mitigate your exposure to litigation by following these seven steps.

First, “refine your project appetite and match it to your insurance program.” This means keeping track of warranty and repair costs and building them into future estimates. That way, you’ll be able to determine the true final job costs and profit levels on similar future time projects.

It’s also crucial to “familiarize yourself with the key exclusions and limitations within your general liability insurance program.” Your pricing estimates become more accurate and your insurance program becomes more sustainable over time when you know exactly how your insurance provider prices your risk.

Keeping track of your loss history and “link[ing] it to your quality control/quality assurance efforts” will also help you long-term. The best way to go about this is to do a review of the last 3 to 5 years: this is exactly what you ensure will do when estimating costs for your account.

When you negotiate your contracts, be sure to seek out competent advice, legal and otherwise. “Push back on risk allocations that are out of proportion to the work you performed or to the amount of profit or fee you might earn.”

It’s tempting to invest in the latest technologies, but the fact is that unproven systems and products may cause an increase in the number of claims you have to deal with. The best advice here is to “be cautious about pioneering in these areas.”

Also be careful about the subcontractors you hire for your projects. If you have any doubts, “avoid subcontractors with loss patterns that might affect your project or reputation.”

And last but not least, stay aware of who you are dealing with. Some business owners “have a pattern of suing contractors and only bid their work at margins that support the increased risk.” Keep a list of competent attorneys you can count on for good legal counsel.

No contractor wants to get involved in protracted wrangling over construction defects. A little careful planning ahead of time can go a long way towards protecting your business from costly and time-consuming disputes.

A vital part of that planning is acquiring solid contractor’s insurance. Statewide Insurance Brokers makes it fast and easy to do so. Call us at 888-258-0272 today.

Texas Workers Comp and the Exclusive Remedy Provision

October 11, 2011 By Statewide

Working in Texas? The workers comp rulings recently changed. Read about them here.

JDSupra.com reports this week that the Amarillo Court of Appeals has ruled that “the exclusive remedy provision of [the] Texas Workers Compensation statute also served to preclude contract-based claims against the employer arising under uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.”

Simply stated, workers cannot claim more from an employer than what workers compensation offers, even if the employer has other forms of applicable insurance.

The judgment stems from a case involving a city of Lubbock employee who was injured when the vehicle that employee occupied “was struck by another vehicle owned and operated by an underinsured drunk driver.” While the city was covered by workers compensation and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, it also had a half-million dollar deductible under its UM/UIM policy.

The employee received workers compensation, but then attempted to collect money from the UM/UIM policy as well. After the insurer, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, denied the claim, the employee filed a lawsuit. The court judged in favor of both the city of Lubbock and its insurer, but the employee appealed the decision.

The Amarillo Court of Appeals affirmed the previous judgment. According to its ruling, “if an employee suffers work-related injuries and seeks their redress from an employer that subscribes to a workers compensation program, there is only one [and that] is through [the] workers compensation program.”

Texas employers can now rest a little easier knowing that this latest court ruling lessens their chances of being taken advantage of by employees claiming more than their fair share of damages.

Get Texas workers compensation insurance quotes quickly from Statewide Insurance Brokers. Call 888-258-0272.

Why Buy Oregon Bonds Insurance?

September 30, 2011 By Statewide

oregon surety bonds statewide insurance brokers

Like a lighthouse for ships, Oregon surety bonds instill confidence in your customers.

Your clients want to know that their homes and businesses will be safe when they hire contractors like you. That’s why it’s so important for you to provide proof of your reliability to these clients whenever you take a job with them. The way you do this is by purchasing Oregon bonds insurance, or Oregon Surety Bonds.

An Oregon surety bond is valuable for both you and your client. On the one hand, it tells your clients that you stand 100% behind your work. And on the other, it provides your clients reassurance that the job you’ve been hired for will get done while telling your suppliers and subcontractors that they will receive payment for all services rendered.

Many states now require that contractors possess both a bond and a license. But even in places where bonding is not required, it’s still an excellent selling feature for contractors looking to land new clients.

Getting Bonded

Securing Oregon bonds insurance requires finding a surety company to back you or an insurance agent give you a bond policy. A bond requires that you pay a premium to keep it current. The amount you pay typically depends on your experience and the size of the bond. Shopping around for the best bond deal will help keep your costs down.

Making the Best Use of a Bond

Once you purchase bonds insurance, it helps to keep that information with you in a working notebook or portfolio. You never know when a potential client–or even subcontractor–might ask to see proof of bonding. If you ended up having to call back later with the information, you may lose the job to someone else who can provide proof on demand.

It may cost you extra time to get Oregon bonds insurance. But if something happens and you can’t complete a job, your work project could end up costing you a lot more than just a little lost time.

Statewide offers surety bonds for California, Texas, Nevada, Oregon, Minnesota and Virginia.

Call Statewide Insurance Brokers at 888-258-0272 for your Oregon surety bonds, or bonds for other states as well.

Nevada Contractor Bonds

September 30, 2011 By Statewide

nevada contractors bonds statewide insurance brokers

Don't gamble with your business, get Nevada contractor's bonds today from Statewide Insurance Brokers.

Contractor’s bonds are nothing new but as contractors face more and more competition to secure bids on jobs, they are becoming more important for contractors to get. Nevada contractors may be unfamiliar with the way in which Nevada contractor’s bonds work, and this could lead them to simply neglect to secure one. This can be a major mistake since without a Nevada contractor’s bond it is not only difficult to land a job, but it also leaves a contractor vulnerable to liability claims and expensive lawsuits. If you are a professional contractor that wants to have a successful future in the construction business, then you need to learn more about how to secure a contractor’s bond for your business.

In many states it is not even possible to obtain a contractor’s license without being bonded. This is because a bonded contractor not only protects themselves, but also protects their clients. If a contractor fails to complete a job or a client is unhappy with the job as completed, they can be compensated through the bond. A bonded contractor is more desirable to clients because they can be confident that their bid will be protected financially. Contractor’s that are bonded are thus more likely to land bids and to be more successful in their business.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for contractors to have materials lost or stolen from a work site. This can be due to employee negligence or just plain bad luck. In either case, if a contractor is not bonded this could be a very expensive experience and lead to delays in getting a job done on time. Contractors who are not bonded put themselves at greater financial risk in addition to putting themselves at greater risk for lawsuits from unhappy clients.

Once a bond is purchased by a contractor they will need to make regular premium payments to keep the bond current. The amount of the premium depends on the number of years the bond is purchased for, the amount the bond is valid for and the company from which it is purchased. In order for a claim to be paid for by the bond, a company or individual would need to present evidence to back up their claim. Being bonded gives a contractor an added layer of protection from extortion or clients who are not being fair in their demands of the contractor.

Being a licensed and bonded Nevada contractor is the best way to ensure a successful business that is free from damaging lawsuits. Being bonded gives clients an added level of confidence in your ability to complete a job to their specifications and this will make your bid more competitive. While securing a bond may cost you a small amount monthly, it will pay off. Don’t leave your livelihood—your business—vulnerable by not having it bonded. Nevada contractor’s bonds are inexpensive and easy to obtain and should be sought after by responsible contractors who value a successful and profitable business.

Don’t leave things up to chance. Get your Nevada contractor’s bonds from Statewide Insurance Broker. Call us at 888-258-0272.

Contractor Liability Issues on Rented Equipment

September 23, 2011 By Statewide

Whether the equipment is rented or owned, general liability insurance will help protect you and your assets

Contractor liability issues can get quite complicated when it comes to who can use specific kinds of contractor-owned equipment and under what conditions. The Chronicle online reports that the municipal council of Dutton/Dunwich in Ontario is carefully reconsidering its policy of renting out municipal equipment–such as backhoes and front end loaders–to municipal employees.

The review came about after one Dutton/Dunwich resident complained that ‘it’s not [the] council’s equipment to rent out. It’s the taxpayers’.’” Questions of ownership aside, what the resident found especially troubling was this: who would ultimately be liable for problems that could arise with the rented equipment—the renter or the potentially overstepping Dutton/Dunwich township?

Because the full council was not present during the debate, the issue has not yet been resolved. However, one councilman did state that even though the municipality insures its equipment, “‘the liability rests with the person who makes the rental.’” Another seconded the remark by saying, “‘if you go and rent something, the liability becomes yours.”

The moral of the story? Regardless if you are renting equipment or utilizing equipment you own, it just makes sense to get general liability insurance to protect yourself and your assets.

Contact Statewide Insurance Brokers at (888) 258-0272 to acquire general liability insurance for your business, or use the simple form in the upper right for a fast, free quote.

Adequate California Commercial Auto Insurance Is A Must

August 31, 2011 By Statewide

california_commercial_auto_insurance_statewide

Hurricanes are just one concern, along with earthquakes, mudslides, tornados and more.

Natural disasters are rarely considered when purchasing commercial auto insurance, but with the recent geographical and meteorological events in the U.S., this might change.

The article here discusses the vital necessity for businesses to be insured, and one of those needs is commercial auto insurance.

Commercial auto is no different than any other business insurance. If you have your big vehicles and trucks insured, you’ll be a lot less concerned about Mother Nature wreaking havoc on your invaluable assets. After all, if your trucks or equipment go down…you go down.

So don’t take chances. Get your investments insured and rest easy knowing you are covered for when the unpredictable happens.

Call Statewide Insurance Brokers at 888-258-0272 today.

Contractors Insurance: Why It Makes Your Bid More Competitive

August 19, 2011 By Statewide

contractors insurance statewide insurance broker

Obtaining contractors insurance has several benefits. Contact Statewide Insurance Brokers.

It’s no secret that contractors are finding it more and more difficult to land bids these days. Jobs are scarce and the competition for them is fierce. In order to make their bid stand out, contractors need to make their bid competitive so that clients will take notice. Contractor’s insurance is a must for contractors who want to win a bid and land a job. Here’s why.

You will get better, more highly skilled employees for your job. Employers who do not offer workers compensation to employees will not succeed in hiring the best skilled laborers. Skilled and highly trained craftsmen expect to be given a certain level of respect and protection when they work. Contractors who do not offer workers compensation and do not have contractor’s insurance will succeed in only hiring the more desperate of workers, usually those with a much lower skill level. This will reflect in their job and most likely result in unhappy clients and fewer future jobs.
Clients know that you are a safe bet. Clients typically have several choices of contractors to choose from for any one job. When a contractor has contractor’s insurance, the client knows that in the event the job is not completed, or is not completed to their liking, they will be compensated. By choosing a contractor without contractor’s insurance, they are taking a chance. Since they don’t have to, many clients will not consider hiring a contractor who is uninsured.
Makes your business seem more professional. Professionalism is key to landing a job. When a business presents a professional bid, a client is more likely to take their bid under consideration. Contractor’s insurance lets a client know that you are a professional, responsible contractor and that gives them trust and confidence in your ability to complete a job professionally.
Promotes confidence and trust. Contractor’s insurance promotes confidence and trust in a contractor from their employees, their clients, and their suppliers. Contractor’s insurance is a safety net that contractor’s cannot afford to operate without. By doing so, they risk harm to their employees, their business and they leave their clients at risk as well. There is never a good reason to operate a business without contractor’s insurance because everyone becomes more vulnerable to the winds of chance.

If you are a contractor who is trying to grow a business during this difficult economic time, then you need to take steps to make your business more competitive and attractive to clients. Having contractor’s insurance is a great first step to building a more professional and reputable image. Clients can have confidence knowing that even if the job doesn’t work out, they will not lose out on hard earned money.

On the other end, contractors are not vulnerable to liability and lawsuits due to employee negligence or other accidents. While having contractor’s insurance will not guarantee that you will win every bid you place, it will make give your business a competitive edge.

Get the fast quotes you need for contractor’s insurance. Contact Statewide Insurance Brokers at 888-258-0272.