Get a quote on Business Insurance
In order to protect your business from any unforeseen risks, consider securing a comprehensive range of business insurance policies that can provide financial support in your time of need. From natural disasters to automobile accidents to workplace injuries, accidents and unfortunate events can happen at any moment, but the right insurance coverage can protect your business now and in the future.
What insurance coverage do I need for my gutter cleaning business?
There are many types of insurance coverage to consider, but these policies are particularly relevant to gutter cleaning companies:
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance is a key coverage that covers accidental damage or injury to third parties and third-party property. Your employees perform their work at a variety of locations, and there’s always a possibility that they may unintentionally damage someone else’s property or injure someone in the process of their work. If your business is sued, general liability insurance can cover legal fees and damages and even medical payments in the case of an injury. General liability can also cover non-physical personal and advertising injuries such as libel, slander, or copyright infringement.
Examples:
- Property damage: While working at a client’s two-story home, your employee accidentally drops some tools that shatter a skylight in the roof below. Your general liability policy would cover the damages.
- Bodily injury: While on-site at a client’s home, your employee improperly secures a ladder, which ends up falling and hitting a passerby. The injured individual suffers a concussion and needs medical treatment. Your general liability policy would cover the injured person’s medical costs and any damages if he sues.
- Personal and advertising injury: Your company comes up with a new slogan for advertising purposes. Unfortunately, the slogan is almost identical to another company’s slogan. The other company sues for copyright infringement. Your general liability policy would cover your legal costs and any resulting settlements.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ compensation insurance is legally required in almost all states, and it’s an especially important coverage for gutter cleaning companies. No matter how careful your employees are, there’s always a chance that they may be injured on the job. Workers’ comp will provide funds for employees’ medical expenses and a portion of lost income if an employee is injured or falls ill as a result of their work and is unable to earn his or her usual wages. Workers’ comp also provides financial benefits to surviving dependents if an employee dies in a work-related accident.
Workers’ compensation is regulated by each state, so requirements and laws may be different. On the whole, though, most businesses with employees will need to secure adequate workers’ comp coverage for their employees. Violating workers’ comp laws can lead to hefty civil fines, and in some cases, may result in criminal charges.
Example:
- An employee loses her balance and falls from a second-story roof, injuring her spine. She is unable to return to work while recovering and will likely be out of commission for six months. Your workers’ compensation insurance would cover her medical treatment, physical therapy, and a portion of her lost income while she is medically excused from work.
Commercial Auto Insurance
As a gutter cleaning company, you may own vehicles that are used to transport your employees and equipment to work sites. If your company owns vehicles titled under the business’s name, commercial auto insurance is both a key coverage and a legal requirement. If the driver of a company car is at fault in an accident, your commercial auto insurance will pay for any resulting third-party bodily injury, property damage, or pollution cleanup. Commercial auto insurance also covers the value of the vehicle itself if it’s damaged by a collision or another peril.
Example:
- Your employee attempts to answer a phone call while driving a company truck, becomes distracted, and rear-ends the car in front of him. Your commercial auto insurance would cover damages to both vehicles.
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance financially protects your business property, including buildings, computers, equipment, furniture, and tools. This is important coverage for companies that work from offices and rely on valuable business property, but it could also be relevant for small companies that do not have offices, since homeowner’s and renter’s insurance typically do not cover business-related losses. Commercial property insurance can help provide funds to replace or repair damaged business property in the event of a fire, storm, explosion, or other covered peril.
Commercial property insurance covers the following:
- Buildings belonging to or leased by your company
- Contents of the building, including furniture, equipment, and tools
- Property of others while it is under your care, custody, or control
Example:
- Lightning strikes the building your gutter cleaning company operates from, causing a fire that destroys computers and other equipment. Your commercial property insurance policy would cover the loss.
Additional Coverage
- A business owner’s policy combines general liability, property, business income, and extra expense coverage into a single package. For qualified small or midsize companies, this type of insurance could help you obtain a wide range of coverage. Premiums for a business owner’s policy are typically cheaper than the cost of buying each coverage separately.
- Inland marine insurance is a type of coverage that provides financial protection for property that does not remain at a fixed location and is not covered by a standard commercial property policy. Coverage could include a variety of high-value, specialized equipment or tools that a company may need to transport from location to location or store at client sites.
- Business income coverage will reimburse you for lost income and operating expenses if your business is forced to close due to a covered peril, such as fire, storm damage, or other property damage.
Pricing and Quotes
Pricing for business insurance will vary based on the type of insurance coverage and the risk profile of your business. Insurers consider factors such as:
- Business size
- Industry
- Location
- Number of employees
- Claims history
Businesses with higher risks will have higher premiums than those deemed lower risk. For example, a gutter cleaning company with a history of frequent claims will face higher premiums. Premiums also rise as you increase the limits of insurance. Different insurance companies have different models for rating risks, so it is worth comparing pricing across different insurers.
In order to get an accurate estimate on pricing, it’s best to get a quote from a reputable insurance company. Below we’ve highlighted a few of our trusted partners who offer coverage for a variety of cleaning services:
Provider | General Liability | Professional Liability | Business Owner's Policy |
---|---|---|---|
Embroker | ?? | ?? | ?? |
CoverageSmith | ?? | ?? | ?? |
CoverWallet | ?? | ?? | ?? |
Hiscox | ?? | ?? | ?? |
Thimble | ?? | ?? | ?? |
Final Word
As you build your business, it’s critical to be ready for the hazards that could affect your company’s success. Your work could present physical dangers to your clients and employees or damage the property of others. Although you work hard to avoid incidents from occurring, it’s impossible to remove every risk. With a broad range of insurance coverage to provide financial support, you and your clients can feel confident that your business will be able to survive even if a damaging incident occurs.