I have to get General Liability Insurance for my company, and I’m looking for online sources for obtaining such insurance and any FAQ’s that go with it. Thanks in advance.
Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
Replies
here's some advice I was given when I first started looking for insurance...
and it's advice I'm glad I took.
First .... get a legal pad and a pen .... now spend the next week writting down each and every situation you could possibly dream up where insurance may or may not cover you ....
I came up with over 50 "senerios" ....
Next ... find an agent that'll put the time in to explain each and every question ...
and figure out which policy and which riders you need and which ya want.
I found good insurance is very personal ... everyone's different. Not all policies cover the same thing.
The very last thing I'd want in an agent is one that I only know over the internet!
Find someone local who's office you can sit in as they explain every last bit of the policy they're recommending.
Another word of advice I've taken several times from Mike Smith ...
which I even adapted to the insurance search .... is find contacts your own age.
My ins company is run by the guy that started it ... and his sons work there to. He's a good friend of my father in law .. but when I went in ... I said I didn't want the old man to help ... I wanted one of the kids ... guys more my age. Mike told me to do the same with lawyers and accountants ... you pick yer dad's lawyer and he might be dead by the time ya really need him!
Made sense to me. Find people you can grow a working relationship with. I'm waiting to hear back from a buddy's dad who's a retired lawyer. I called a couple weeks ago to see if he could recommend a good ... young ... all around lawyer type that'd be interrested in working with a remodeling contractor from time to time. He had a coupla in mind but one he wanted to check with first as he thought he'd be the best fit.
You don't want to start with some guy on his first day ... but I'd suggest some local that's happy to have the biz.... grow and get rich together.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Thanks Jeff. I'm sorry if I came across like I wanted to buy insurance online; rather just wanted some good pre-purchase advice. You supplied that! Thanks again.Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
my fault.
mis-read ...
maybe someone else will come up with something better ...
but that "list the Q's" thing worked well .... and helped prove that the ins guy would actually spend the time to explain everything.
I've been talking with lotsa guys lately .... most say their rates have gone way up ... I had another reason to talk to my ins guy and asked if mine would go up to.
I have Erie 5 Star Contractors ... he said lotsa other ins companies were heavily invested in NYC .. and 9-11 hit them hard both insurance wise and investment wise ...
Said I shouldn;t be expecting anything more than the normal inflation raises. ... which was real good to hear. Said it also helps that I'm a small company ... I could have up to 5 employees before things went nuts price-wise.
And if I had over 10 or 15 ..can't remember which he said ... he wouldn;t even be able to write a policy without getting someone higher up at Erie invloved.
I have 2 electricians that work together ... one just switched to Erie and the other is gonna switch soon.
It ususlly compares pretty well ... check them out if they're in your area.
remember all the riders ... tool theft from vehicle ... from job site ... materials theftom van/site ... materials damage ... both van and site ... laibility not ony from installations but simply delivery ....
like tearing that imported wall paper when carrying the free standing book case into the house ...
it all invloves something different.
"limited roofing" ... that's a good low cost addition....
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
I like the way you think.
Ins companies have their problems but the agent sgo to bat for youwhen you have the right ones. Paper doesn't do business, People do business.
Excellence is its own reward!
Try http://www.insurancepoliciesonline.com
I bought a risk policy there for qbout 75% of the price of a local broker. Same policy underwriter. It's an insurance broker in St. Louis who runs the site. Very legit. My stone-faced, tight-fisted banker was OK with me using this outfit.
Formerly BEMW at The High Desert Group LLC