Insurance: How do you guys insure your tractors for hire work?

[ultrarunner]

My contractor friends don't have trouble in California... then they need to be a State Licensed Contractor.

I had the reverse happen to me... twice now I have wanted to rent equipment and both times I was denied for not having a State Contractor License and it was based on Insurance Contractors have to carry...

Even had the same trouble when I was looking at buying Brush Bandit Chipper and the sales guy said I could rent one and if I liked it... the rental would be deducted from the cost of the Chipper... I said OK...

Then, just as I was about to leave... all hitched up and paid... the clerk said he didn't see my Contractor License on file... told him I don't have one and that was the end of that.

 

[TSO]

Mine is a commercial landscape policy... And I spent a bunch of time on the phone answering questions about what types of work I'd be doing. They were adamant that I not do "excavating" or tree cutting, or I'd need an entirely different policy.

Also, in Michigan we have "miss dig" which is a free utility service that marks underground utilities. Depending on the type of job I do, I require the customer to call them first.

 

[KubotaToy]

I have been shopping for insurance for a while now and it is all over the place on what you can get covered or not. My current HO ins will cover on my property or during transport for service but will not for any off property events (not for profit or otherwise). But they will not cover any equipment for fire damage if you burn anywhere on you property which put a real damper on clearing my trees. Found several commercial polices available but at a kings ransom and I really do no work for hire (may help a neighbor or two), so they were not a viable option. Found a couple of farm/ranch policies that cover work anywhere anytime but only as the work relates to farm/ranch work for liability coverage. So if I help a neighbor they would cover damage to my equipment but not any damage to their property. So it comes down to money, how much do you want gamble?

 

[Code54]

Subscribed!

 

[edgarrian]

I plan on purchasing a tractor here in a few months and starting a small company with it. So it should be interesting when i look for insurance. I might not even really look to hard as Im looking to just move snow in the winter. I just need the write off

 

[Complete Turf Care]

This year to date, I have paid about $3500 in liability insurance. And about $7000 in worker's comp, and about $5000 for vehicle insurance and about $6000 for health insurance.

Did I mention that I HATE insurance???

All of this is commercial insurance and my tractors are used for grading, digging, and all sorts of work.

 

[edgarrian]

When i had my excavator business I believe my policy was around 1500 for the season. My current insurance for my consulting business is around 6000 a year including my commercial vehicle policy. I think I got by decent there.

 

[LLS]

You will need to classify the work, a commercial general liability can't cover the tractor just your liability. You will need a equipment rider for the tractor and attachments. Go see an Independent Insurance agent, they write for several companies and should be able to help you. When it comes to commercial work and insurance it's all or nothing, meaning you better have the work to pay for it.

 

[LLS]

I am an Independent Agent but I am only licensed in IN. I also have a seeding business and it is classified as landscape type work. That's what you need to be classified as. Also you may have to change your auto to commercial if your hauling your tractor to and from the job. If you are inc. you will need a workers comp policy. When it comes to commercial work for hire it's all in, so you better have work to make it pay, this keeps the weekend tractor guys out of the way.

 

[jeff9366]

I plan on purchasing a tractor here in a few months and starting a small company with it. So it should be interesting when i look for insurance. I might not even really look to hard as Im looking to just move snow in the winter. I just need the write off

And when you slide into a Mercedes, parked on the slippery road? What about sliding into kids, watching you work?