Having the protection offered by contractor’s Insurance just makes good business sense. Without it, one nasty lawsuit could put you out of business and your employees out of work. And don’t forget: some state and federal laws require certain types of insurance.

But finding the right contractor’s insurance is a balancing act. You don’t want to pay for more coverage than you need to reasonably protect yourself, your employees, and your business. But then again, you don’t want to find yourself underinsured if something does happen. Remember Goldilocks? You want it "just right".

Using an insurance broker who is familiar with contractors’ needs and risks is the best way to ensure that you have the right amount of coverage at the best possible price.

Here are five tips to help minimize your contractor insurance premiums without giving up the protection you need

#1) Review Your Policies Regularly

Things change. You may have purchased a new piece of equipment, hired your first employee, or sold a vehicle. You want to make sure that all of your current assets are adequately protected. When you do a review, you should consider the different types of insurance available to contractors and determine if any of them need to be added or deleted from your current policy.

Here are the five insurances you should be familiar with as a contractor:

• Commercial General Liability (CGL) – Construction is one of the most dangerous industries, making CGL Insurance an essential part of your insurance portfolio. It protects you and your company if someone gets hurt on your property or if you or an employee causes property damage or injury on a job site.
  
  
• Commercial Auto – If you have started using your personal vehicle to drive back and forth to project sites or to transport tools or equipment or if you’ve begun allowing employees to drive your car or truck, personal auto insurance does not provide enough coverage. You may need to add Commercial Auto Insurance.
  
  
• Workers’ Compensation (WC) – If you have employees, you may be required by law to have Workers’ Compensation Insurance. WC is meant to ensure that your employees who are disabled due to a work-related injury are compensated for lost wages and receive the necessary medical treatment. To learn more about WC requirements in Pennsylvania, go to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
  
  
• Inland Marine Insurance (Aka Tools and Equipment Insurance) – What’s more important than your tools of the trade? Inland Marine Insurance is designed to protect your property when it is in transit.
  
  
• Builder’s Risk Insurance - Builders risk insurance is designed to protect your equipment in the event of losses caused by theft and other perils that can occur.

#2) Check your deductibles

Increasing your insurance deductible (the amount you need to pay when you file a claim) is one way to decrease your premiums (what you pay for your insurance coverage). If you have enough money in savings to comfortably cover a higher deductible, this may be a good choice for you. 

But be careful. The purpose of insurance is to protect you financially if something happens – an accident, theft, lawsuit, etc. If you don’t have the financial resources to cover the costs of your deductible, then your insurance policy isn’t providing the financial protection you need and could expose you to risks that affect your business – in the worst case, shutting it down.

#3) Bundle your insurance policies

Bundling is kind of like economies of scale. Sometimes if you purchase more than one insurance policy with the same provider, it can be less expensive per policy. Ask your insurance agent if bundling your policies would save you money.

#4) Know when to make a claim (and when not to)

The fact is that the number of claims you submit can affect your insurance premiums, so sometimes it makes sense to pay for certain losses out of pocket. If making a small claim will increase your insurance premiums, it may be less expensive in the long run to pay the minor loss out of pocket.

#5) Risk Management

If you can determine potential hazards and how to avoid them and implement a risk management plan, you will probably have fewer losses and injuries, which means you’ll have fewer claims. Fewer claims usually mean lower premiums. Plus, there are many intangible benefits in keeping your employees and your equipment safe – higher employee morale, higher productivity, less downtime, etc.

Don't Overpay for Contractor Insurance!

As an insurance broker, American Insuring Group specializes in contractors insurance. We can ensure that you have insurance required by law, help you determine risks specific to your industry, and create the best insurance bundle to protect your business, all at a great price. Even Goldilocks would find our insurance to be "just right"!

To learn how we can help save you money on any type of commercial insurance coverage, call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, or contact us online.