Liability insurance recommend
- Thread starter elecold
- Start date
- Status
just the cowboy
Inactive, Email Never Verified
- Location
- newburgh,ny
How long have you been doing it?
How much coverage? I was 1 mil with another 1mil rider when needed.
Are you licensed? If needed in your area.
What type of work? State all aspects of residential
Do not say " maybe a boiler" that is a separate trade.
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
Why not , it's better for you to do it and for the insurance company to tell you " You are not insured for that leak that caused the whole house to flood.
Not all AHJ require license for certain repair work.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
I wire up boilers often. Working on an ongoing project right now.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
So do I. I even got to tell the plumber their piping was wrong. Twice.
washingtonian
Member
- Location
- Tacoma, WA
They will ask you about 100 questions regarding your business and the work you plan on doing as well as what you will own as far as equipment, what you will rent, where you will be working, what safety plans you have in place, all of your licensing and certifications, its pretty indepth from my experience
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
The worst thing you can do is if for some reason the insurance broker tells you " don't let them know you do poles or work on condos. " but you do. You won't be covered and will be terminated. I know many who signed the form that states " will you , do you , do you plan to install poles, or work on condo's , work on new multi family over 4 units in size.
Find a different insurance company if they want this from you. It's not worth it in the long run. You want no exclusions.
Find a different insurance company if they want this from you. It's not worth it in the long run. You want no exclusions.
electricguy61
Senior Member
My insurance asks if I wire new condo's, or work for condo associations. Personally, I believe it's insanity to do so, so it's not an issue for me. I will do service work for individual owners.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
If you only install wiring to boilers you have a different liability risk factor then if you run the boiler piping. If it is high pressure system or if the burner is over a certain capacity you also have different liability risk factors, and likely different licensing (non electrical licensing) requirements as well.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- Semi-retired engineer
You probably should talk to your lawyer first before you accept advice from random people on the internet about such things. Although I understand the random people give you free advice and your lawyer wants to be paid.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
True, but but at the very least we may have mentioned things OP never considered and at least got him thinking about some things that maybe he should be thinking about.
If you are taking on activity that has higher liability risk, no matter how easy the tasks seem reality is you have higher overhead costs, and may need to reevaluate how much some services should be billed at or if you should even be performing those services.
- Location
- Massachusetts
But it is not your insurance is it?
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
Don't know. The outfit I work for has always wired up boilers and circ pumps and zone controls. We don't plumb anything.
- Location
- Massachusetts
What I am pointing out is insurance rates can change greatly depending on the work you do. If you wire boilers and your insurance company is not aware of it that might be an issue or not. I think it really varies greatly.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I hope it comes down to specific tasks. If you are just the EC and all you are doing is powering the unit, and maybe accessory pumps, valves, and room thermostats, I think the risk should be different then if you are involved with installing high limits, combustion controls, low water cut off's, etc. All those items are typically part of the boiler package in a smaller capacity setup. Higher capacity units they may need to be field installed even though they might be shipped with the unit.
I guess the insurance industry don't always see the technicalities though. Just mention doing anything associated with a boiler and it opens up a whole different perspective on their part. Personally IMO if all it has is input power terminals, room thermostat terminals, and accessory pump or zone valve terminals - the risk from the electrical installer to the rest of the property isn't as high as if he crossed grounded and ungrounded conductors at the service equiopment, hooked the high leg to the wrong terminal, or things like that.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
Things also vary from state to state. All I know is my companies blanket liability is pretty good. Every once in a while the boss will take out a special rider. One thing for sure, it pays to have a good agent and not go for the bottom dollar cheapest guy and his bottom dollar policy that has more holes in it than a Haitian life raft.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- Semi-retired engineer
There are possibly things your liability insurance does not normally cover because your company does not normally engage in those activities so it is more cost effective to insure them as needed.
Most liability policies are pretty clear about what they do and don't cover. Its not like the insurance company is trying to fool anyone but there are things a business might engage in that add risk for the insurer so if the insured wants to be covered for those kind of things the insured pays extra. If the insured does not need that coverage no reason to pay for it. Usually there are not many exclusions. However, some liability policies don't cover things like employment practices or criminal acts unless you pay extra, and some are not primary insurance unless you pay extra.
It is surprisingly affordable for most small businesses, often less than $500/year for a million dollar policy. It does not much matter what business you are in either for the most part.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
That is exactly what it was.
Basic questions will be wiring inside the building, wiring outside the building, underground, and employing / using subs. Basic policy is wiring inside the building, single trade contractor liability.
As mentioned earlier, shop around for the agent, not necessarily the insurer although Nationwide is big in that. An independent agent who handles multiple lines and businesses could be a good find. I was lucky to find someone great who knows everything about insurance, on my second try for quote. A friend and trade ally.
Depending on what you do the insurer may audit you, records check, and dial in to what you are doing for business. Most likely the agent will be on the phone to the underwriter occasionally. Insurer will be on the lookout for premium fraud (generally) and of course, they do not insure for illegal, any non code, work.
As mentioned earlier, shop around for the agent, not necessarily the insurer although Nationwide is big in that. An independent agent who handles multiple lines and businesses could be a good find. I was lucky to find someone great who knows everything about insurance, on my second try for quote. A friend and trade ally.
Depending on what you do the insurer may audit you, records check, and dial in to what you are doing for business. Most likely the agent will be on the phone to the underwriter occasionally. Insurer will be on the lookout for premium fraud (generally) and of course, they do not insure for illegal, any non code, work.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I understand the concept, but sometimes illegal or non code is just an honest mistake or oversight - part of why we buy insurance - I would hope illegal intent needs to be proven before coverage is refused.
If you installed something, an inspector approved it, yet something happens to cause an insurance claim and they determine you didn't install to code - I would sure hope the fact the inspector missed it as well would help your case.
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