Why Subcontractors Need Insurance

While you’re busy trying to build up your business, it’s easy to forget that you need to get insured yourself. But if you’re planning on hiring subcontractors in the future, you can’t forget about this step. Subcontractors can’t work without insurance. And even if they can, many of them will not be able to work with your company because they won’t have their own insurance policy in place first.

The Risks of Being Uninsured

If you hire subcontractors, is vital for them to have insurance.

If you hire subcontractors, you know that the risk of being uninsured is very real. Without an insurance policy, you are personally responsible for all damages that occur on the job. This means when something goes wrong, your personal assets could be put at risk. For example, let’s say one of your subcontractors trips over a piece of equipment that wasn’t fully secured, falls and sustains severe injury. The injured employee might sue you for their pain and suffering as well as other related costs such as medical expenses and lost wages from missed workdays. You’ll have to pay them out-of-pocket if you don’t have coverage or you can face getting sued yourself.  Even worse, if the incident results in death then family members can also sue for wrongful death!

What Types of Insurance Do Subcontractors Need?

While there are many different types of insurance for subcontractors, some of the most common include general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and auto liability insurance. General liability insurance will help protect your business from potential lawsuits that may be brought against you as a result of your work with another company. Workers’ compensation insurance will help protect you in case an employee gets hurt on the job or has an illness related to their work. Auto liability insurance can come in handy if one of your vehicles is involved in an accident with someone else’s car. The right type of insurance coverage will vary depending on what type of subcontracting work you’re doing.

Comprehensive New Construction Insurance for Contractors

A construction project filled with half built red platforms.

The typical contractor will be protected by a general liability/errors and omissions (E&O) policy and a workers compensation policy. Both of these policies provide coverage for claims that result from accidents and injuries of employees or contractors.  However, these policies typically do not provide coverage for the contractor’s operations. For example, what if a worker falls off of scaffolding that was built incorrectly? Will the workers compensation or general liability policy cover any losses associated with this accident? In many cases, neither will because these types of incidents are considered to be errors and omissions on behalf of the contractor.

Construction companies have a unique set of risks, which is why builders risk insurance is the best type of coverage for construction companies.

What are the unique threats that a new construction site has that need insurance?

To mitigate these risks, contractors should look into purchasing new construction insurance.

This type of policy is designed to fill in the gaps that a traditional workers’ compensation or general liability policy will not cover. New construction policies are usually written as all-risk policies and cover losses resulting from basic errors and omissions, such as those mentioned above.

Work With a Broker

How do you ensure that you have comprehensive new construction insurance? The answer is to work with a broker who understands the industry. Brokers work with multiple insurance companies and can layer coverage to ensure that contractors are adequately covered. Remember, not every policy is the same, and not everyone will be able to offer access to the best new construction rates.

They also should consider purchasing a blanket bond if their business has more than one location or subcontractors. Speak to your local insurance agent to better understand your options.

For contractors, the challenge is to accurately determine what their exposures are and then purchase insurance that addresses those exposures, but minimizes unnecessary costs. Insurance can be complex and confusing, but an agent who works directly with multiple carriers and understands how risks fit together can help contractors find the best coverage for their needs. The added benefit of working with a broker means you can avoid paying the markup on your insurance, and you have someone to call when you need help.

Find Local Insurance Support

Contact Prince Insurance today for a free quote on new construction insurance.

Best Home Builder Insurance Packages

Homeowners Associations (HOA) Insurance

Construction projects are fraught with risk, no matter how careful you are. Even if you choose the best contractors in the world, there is always a chance that something could go wrong. That’s why you need home builder insurance. The best packages will offer coverage for you, your team, and your equipment. Accidents happen, and the right coverage will help protect you and attract cautious clients. Ready to find the right insurance for a home builder?

The Best Insurance for a Home Builder

First, let’s understand the coverage. Construction and home building include a variety of complex tasks. After all, the home needs to be durable and livable. You need coverage to protect you while you install electrical, plumbing, woodwork, plastering, roofing, and more. On-site, workers are often required to use power tools or climb scaffolds. If something falls on a car parked at your construction site, would it be covered? While you’re in the process of building someone’s home, you need insurance that covers everyone and everything. This should include broad liability protection, workers compensation, materials coverage, and vehicular protection. Not only is this good for your business, but it’s a great way to gain the trust of your clients.

Man sliding a piece of wood across a table saw.
Make sure your home builder insurance covers everyone and everything on site.

The Importance of Home Builder Insurance

Protection can’t be underestimated in risky businesses like construction. Your reputation is at stake. If you don’t have insurance, and one of your workers gets injured, you might struggle to hire great contractors in the future. Insurance for a home builder is critical from a client’s perspective, too. Your potential customers will want to know that you have robust coverage in case of an emergency.

The right coverage could help you get more business. Ready to explore your policy options as a home builder? Get in touch with Prince Insurance, and we’ll find an option that gives you the coverage you need.

Why Insurance for Subcontractors Is Essential

Man sliding a piece of wood across a table saw.

Let’s say you’re a construction subcontractor trying to convince a contractor to give you work. You have all the necessary skills and materials, but you’re missing one crucial thing – insurance.

Why does not having insurance affect your ability as a subcontractor to get work on a construction site? To give you a tip, it has something to do with accountability.

Continue reading to learn more about why not having insurance is often the single biggest reason why subcontractors don’t get work.

Risk of Injury

Not having insurance – a seemingly small detail that doesn’t affect your ability to do your job – automatically makes your contractor more accountable. This is because, without insurance, employers become more at risk of having to pay you for any injuries, should they occur.

Construction subcontracting tends to come with more risk of injury, and therefore the need for insurance is higher.

With an insurance policy in place, however, that responsibility becomes your insurance company’s–not your employers. Therefore, employers are much more willing to hire you because they know they won’t have to pay you in the event of an injury.

Best Policies for Subcontractors

Now that you know the importance of insurance for subcontractors, the next step is to choose the right coverage for your needs.

For construction subcontractors, a good place to start is a comprehensive construction insurance policy. With this type of policy, you can expect coverage for:

  • General Liability: A broad type of policy that provides your company with liability insurance for general business risks.
  • Commercial Auto: Covers physical damage and liability coverages for vehicles used by your business.
  • Workers’ Compensation: Offers coverage if an employee suffers injury or illness while on the clock or within the scope of their job duties.

However, as a subcontractor, or someone who owns their own business, you’re also going to probably need one or all of the following additional coverages:

Armed with these types of policies, you’re sure to increase the likelihood of getting hired for construction-related projects as a subcontractor.

Finding an Insurance Agent

The final step to securing the insurance you need as a subcontractor is to find the right insurance agent, looking at such factors as experience, customer reviews, and the ability to provide insurance for subcontractors in the first place.

To start off in the right direction, check out Prince Insurance Group. We offer one of the most diverse insurance menus on the market, with plenty of options specifically designed to work for subcontractors (including the types of policies listed in the section above).

Check out your options by getting in contact with Prince Insurance Group today!