By: Robert M. Hinderliter
RAHSCO Cleaning Systems of Fort Worth
2513 Warfield Street
Fort
Worth, Texas 76106-7554
1-800-433-2113, Fax: 817-625-4213, Email:
mailto:rahsco@dcs1.comdelux@dcs1.com
When you go to buy business insurance you naturally go to a Business Insurance Agent. He will ask you what business you are in and what geographic area you will serve. You should tell him exactly what you intend to do. The reason he needs to know this is so that he can determine what business insurance code to put you in. "Surprise!!!" Most states still do not rate or acknowledge that the mobile power wash industry exists. Let alone know how to differentiate between an operator who does trucks and an operator who does aircraft. Your next response will be either: 1) They do not write that kind of insurance, or 2) They will have to guess at the rates. "Surprise" again. If they guess (estimate) at the rates your quote will likely vary from $500.00 to $15,000.00 per year. This is the normal range of prices you should expect. So how do you buy insurance?
The professional contract cleaners buys insurance by getting several quotes. You tell the Insurance Agents exactly what they want to know truthfully as you can and expect the rates to vary greatly. Then choose the insurance company you prefer.
One peculiarity I have seen is that some Insurance Companies will only write the Power Wash Industry through one agent. Upon calling the insurance companies and their underwriters I was informed that the reason for this is because the Power Wash Industry is not rated by the State Insurance Board and therefore the underwriters have to determine a rate for the power wash industry. What has happened is that they have one or two insurance agencies or individual agents that they consider knowledgeable enough about the power wash business to write the policies. They will not allow all agencies or agents to write power wash policies.
Insurance Companies can file for special rates with the State Insurance Boards. There is only one Insurance Agency who has gone to this effort on a national basis for the Power Wash Industry. It is: The Joseph D. Waters Agency , 2706 South Park Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102. Phone: 1-800-878-3808, Fax: 412-831-7498, email: joe@jwagency.com . They are licensed 45 states.
We asked Joe Walters what insurance package they quoted for the average Pressure Wash Contract Cleaner, this was his response:
1. GENERAL LIABILITY: Limits will be quoted at $300,000.00 unless higher coverage is requested. The General Liability coverage is broken down into several sections.
GENERAL AGGREGATE LIMIT:
The maximum the company will pay for
covered losses during one policy period.
PRODUCTS-COMPLETED OPERATIONS
AGGREGATE LIMIT:
Includes all Bodily Injury and Property Damage occurring
out of your work, except work that has not been completed or
abandoned.
PERSONAL & ADVERTISING INJURY LIMIT:
Injury arising out of
oral or written publication of material that slanders or libels a person or
organization. False arrest, detention or imprisonment.
EACH OCCURRENCE
LIMIT:
An accident including continuous or repeated exposure to
substantially the same general harmful condition.
FIRE OCCURRENCE
LIMIT:
Fire coverage which you are legally liable for, which you are renting
or leasing.
PROPERTY DAMAGE DEDUCTIBLE:
Injured agrees to contribute up
to a specific amount per claim towards the amount paid to claimant as
damages.
2. The Inland Marine portion of the policy provides coverage for the
Pressure Wash Unit. The limit will vary for each insured. The washer will be
covered for Fire, Theft and Vandalism to the limit stated on the policy. There
will be either a $250.00 to $500.00 deductible depending on the value of the
washer.
3. The last part of the policy is for the Business Auto.
The auto liability portion will be quoted with a $300,000.00 limit
unless other limits are requested. Auto liability is for Bodily Injury or
Property Damage caused by an accident resulting from ownership maintenance or
use of a covered auto.
Physical Damage: Loss to a covered auto or its
equipment under comprehensive coverage & collision coverage. The normal
deductible quoted is $250.00 for comprehensive and $500.00 for collision.
Policies are underwritten through a major Best Rated carrier. The package consists of coverage for vehicles, equipment and includes comprehensive General Liability. Each policy is made specific for each individual requirements.
Once you are insured with the Walters Agency their service department takes over. If you have a claim call 1-800-878-3808 and report the specific and the information is immediately faxed to the nearest claims office.
Certificates of insurance are promptly expedited in the same manner. Financing plans are also available.
The Joseph D. Walters Agency is a professional, full service agency with experienced staff who can answer your questions and provide you with a same day quote. Call an agency with a proven track record in the Power Wash Industry. Call Joe at 1-800-878-3808.
On a personal note the Joseph
D. Walters is the insurer of choice for:
RAHSCO Cleaning Systems of Fort Worth ,
Phone: 1-800-433-2113.
Steamaway
Mobile Power Wash Phone: 1-817-625-6443
If you call Joe be sure and tell him where you obtained his phone number.
By: Bonnie Bradburn
Joseph D. Walter Insurance Agency
Phone: 1-800-878-3808
Fax:
412-831-7498
When a client requests to be named as an Additional Insured on your policy do you understand what he is asking you to do? Does the endorsement do what you think it does? The following explains an Additional Insured endorsement and what it does to your policy.
Adding additional interests or additional insured's to liability coverage has become an important part of business today. Requests to add additional insured's are very common. You need to understand that naming an additional insured on your policy may impair or restrict limits of liability.
Consider a typical mercantile insured. The owner of the premises asks to be named on your policy as an additional insured for liability. Standard forms are available and the premium is normally nominal. You usually accept the endorsement without giving much thought as to how this endorsement affects you financial security. For example, if a customer had an accident (a simple slip and fall claim while entering the your shop), a suit could be filed. Such litigation would normally allege building and/or safety deficiencies and would more than likely name both the building owner and you, both insured under your policy. The policy must respond equally for both you and the additional insured. In the adjustment process, a settlement could be reached on behalf of the building owner and a release obtained. Such a payment reduces the occurrence limit available for remaining insured's, in this case you. It also reduces or depletes your aggregate limit.
When dealing with construction sites and a combination of multiple additional insured's, this process gets more complicated. There are many cases when the entire limit of liability is exhausted settling claims with additional insured's, leaving no liability limits available to you.
Please understand that when you request an additional insured be added to your liability policy, you could be eroding the limits of liability available for your own benefit.
By
Joseph D. Walters
Joseph D. Walters
Insurance Agency, Inc.
2706 South Park Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102
Website: http://www.dcs1.com/jwalters/
Phone:
800-878-3808, Email: joe@jwagency.com.
With almost 25 years of providing insurance coverage for the pressure wash industry, I've watched operators experience many changes in their business. Some changes may require an immediate review of your insurance to assure proper coverage.
A very important power wash operation is that is often overlooked is the washing of vehicles. This exposure requires specialized coverage to assure that claims resulting from your movement of vehicles is covered. Additional coverage's required when moving a vehicle are:
Should you change your business operations, it is imperative that you contact your insurance agent to assure that your policy is adequate to provide coverage for any additional exposures. If we are your Insurance Agency call Bonnie or Susan immediately at 800-878-3808. They can provide you with prompt answers to your questions and apply coverage where needed.
Sincerely,
Joseph D. Walters, President
Joseph D. Walters Insurance Agency
By: Bonnie Bradburn
JOSEPH D. WALTERS AGENCY, INC .
I am sure you are all aware of how important it is for you to carry insurance on your business. Especially General Liability Coverage. All General Liability policies will cover your company for Bodily Injury and/or Property Damage that you may cause while you are doing your job. Have you ever thought about what may be EXCLUDED from your policy? That dreaded word "exclusions"!!
If you take the time to read the working policy under the exclusions portion you will probably see that coverage is excluded for "that particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because "your work" was incorrectly performed on it. What does that mean to you? It means that if you damage the exact thing you are working on, you have no coverage! An example of this would be, if you were hired to wash the siding on a customers home and the water seeped in the windows damaging the wallpaper, the drywall, and the carpeting, you would have coverage under a normal General Liability Policy. While washing this siding the solution dropped down and damaged the plants and shrubs, you would have coverage under a normal General Liability Policy. However, if you damaged that siding, (the exact item you are working on) you would not have coverage for it. It would be considered "property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because "your work" was incorrectly performed on it".
When purchasing your policy be sure that you advise your agent that you want an endorsement added to your policy called "Extended Broad Form Property Damage Liability Coverage". This endorsement will give you back coverage for care, custody, and control. In other words, you can be covered for the exact thing you are working on. The limit on this is normally $25,000 but you can purchase higher limits on an optional basis for an additional premium.
Review your policy today with your agent and make sure you have "Care, Custody, and Control" coverage?
Bonnie Bradburn
JOSEPH D. WALTERS AGENCY, INC
2706 South Park
Road
Bethel Park, PA 15102
Phone: 1-800-878-3808, Fax: 412-831-7498
URL: http://www.dcs1.com/jwalters email:
joe@jwagency.com
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