Builders insurance is designed to cover self-employed people, small construction companies and barn builder Winchester VA tradesmen for any potential liabilities that they and their employees may incur in the course of day-to-day construction work.
A typical package always includes public liability insurance to protect customers and the public against any claims or injuries against the builder.
Additional optional coverage’s include employer’s liability,
This is a legal requirement when a builder uses full-time employees and bona fide subcontractors, tool insurance, which covers all of the builder’s tools on or off site, and transportation goods insurance coverage, which covers damage to goods. Materials transported to and from the construction site.
Most policies include product liability as standard coverage. This protects the builder against possible defective materials that he may supply. All builders require public liability insurance as many accidents and damages can happen on a builder’s job site.
All kinds of risks can arise on the ground, for which the builder can be held responsible.
Electrical cables, tools, power tools, tool boxes, building materials such as limestone cement, paint and other chemicals, moving machinery, the risk of pollution and damage to neighboring properties are all real risks in construction, resulting in accidents that can all too often injure other on-site workers, customers or members of the public. All builders’ insurance policies will ask about the types of construction work you do and especially whether you work at heights.
Scaffolding, wood, bricks, walls, roofing tiles or even paint pots falling from a height can seriously injure or even kill the public or other site workers.
A typical builder’s insurance policy or liability package classifies
the type of risk into defined types with different levels, each with its own policy clauses and limitations. A further division is made according to the type of property the builder usually works on, whether residential or commercial.
Builders who work on single-story additions and do basement and interior finishing work on private houses and buildings are considered by insurers to be the lowest form of risk. The cheapest policy available on the market would be a self-employed builder or handyman who does this type of work and only requires public liability of one million to cover on-site risks to customers and the public.
The second class of builders insurance is for small construction companies
or sole proprietors with or without subcontractors who deal with private houses and new construction. For taller townhouses, the height limits for this type of covering are usually set at two floors or ten meters. This is the most popular form of small pole buildings Winchester VA insurance and covers most companies and subcontractors who work on new housing developments and single-family homes.
The commercial builder class includes small and medium-sized construction companies that work mainly on commercial properties such as offices, shops, pubs, hotels, government buildings and projects, as well as large apartment buildings and private apartments.
Public liability insurance for these companies is usually
ten million for each event, as required by the contract terms for this type of work. An expensive but often necessary extension of this cover is working in hazardous environments such as in an industrial plant or at extreme heights. If a builder uses heat in the course of their work, such as using a blow torch on metal pipe work, it poses a much greater fire risk to the building and as a result the quotes and premiums offered will be much higher. Insurers may also require higher liability limits to cover heat work.
If a builder hires even temporary or part-time laborers, ground workers, masons, carpenters, roofers, glaziers, plumbers or painters and decorators, aside from any statutory regulations and contractual obligations, he would be foolish not to have employer’s liability insurance.
Unfortunately, accidents with workers occur frequently
on construction sites, second only to farms in terms of risk. Workers may be seriously maimed or injured and will undoubtedly seek liability from their employer. Finally, builders should not forget to cover their tools against theft, loss or damage. Replacing a cement mixer costs more than the average construction company Winchester VA insurance premium. Most policies allow the proposer to determine the level of compensation for the value of the tools. When claims are made for the loss of tools, the insurance company will often reduce the amount paid for wear and tear.
Builders all risk liability and tools insurance policy can be purchased relatively cheaply today as it is a class of business that wants to encourage and offer competitive rates.
