What Businesses Need Contractors Insurance in Ohio?

If you are a contractor in Ohio, you already know what you’re up against. Besides the normal hazards of your trade, unforeseen situations can put up roadblocks or add risks to an already complex project. No matter the circumstance, there’s always a “what-if” out there, waiting just around the corner. Contractors insurance is an easy way to fight back. But who really needs contractors insurance?

What is Contractors Insurance?

 As a contractor, you’re often working with heavy equipment and potentially dangerous tools or substances. You’re lifting and moving materials and you have a team of workers on site. Put all these factors together and the potential for injury or damage looms large. That’s where contractor’s insurance comes in, to protect you, your company, your workers, and your clients from the risks you’ll likely encounter on the job. A contractors policy can do this by grouping together various types of coverage into one comprehensive policy that is specifically designed for the risks that contractors face. That way when an unavoidable, unforeseen accident happens, you don’t have to hold up a job’s completion or worry about the security of the business you’ve worked so hard to build.

 Some events that are covered by contractors insurance:

 Workplace injury (subcontractors, pedestrians and others)

• Damage to your client's property
• Damage to your equipment (accident, vandalism, storm or fire)
• Theft of your equipment or supplies
• Injury or damage sustained after work is done

Which Businesses Need Contractors Insurance in Ohio?

Every contracting business out there has a long list of potential risks. Whatever your skillset or business size, you need to think about insurance. You’ll likely need different levels of protection from risk, but knowing that injuries, property damage, or a job shutdown won’t put you out of business is vital.

General contractors and artisan contractors alike want to protect their assets and their reputation, and insurance is a key way to accomplish both. So whether you are a general contractor and handle large-scale projects, or a smaller, more artisan contractor who’s called in to work on a big job, you’ll want to ask your trusted agent about the best coverage for your business.

Beyond protection, insurance could also be vital to win bids and get needed permits. And your policy will shield you from major liability lawsuits that could result from an oversight or error, whether it’s your fault or your employee’s. It really only takes one serious issue to compromise your life’s work, so insurance is a must. And because artisan contractors may not have as many resources available as a larger general contractor, recovery from an accident could be difficult––insurance can help there too.

 At Insurance for Contractors by Zinc, we help all sorts of contractors to protect what matters, including folks in these varied fields:

• General Contractors
• Subcontractors
• Landscape
• Excavators
• Masons
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Carpenters
• Roofers
• Pools
• HVAC 
• Concrete
• Road Construction
• Property Management
• Septic Companies
• Small Operation Water Hauling
• Distributors
• Heavy Equipment

What Type of Insurance Do Ohio Contractors Need?

Given the wide range of risks you face day in and out, you want to be sure that your insurance coverage addresses whatever comes up. Here’s a selection of the most common policy types and what they cover:

• General Liability: everyday accidents and some liability lawsuits
• Contractors Liability: accidents caused by work errors
• Commercial Umbrella: extended liability protection
• Commercial Property: business-owned buildings and supplies
• Inland Marine: equipment or tools in transport
• Commercial Auto: business-owned vehicles
• Workers Compensation: employee’s work-related injury

Are you a small-scale contractor and you’re not sure which coverages you need? Our agents can definitely help. Once we know some key data points–number of employees, size and scope of projects, equipment used, etc.–we can better understand how our insurance partners classify your business. Then we can get down to finding the protection that suits you best, at a price you can afford. That way you and your business are protected but still profitable.

And if your business needs go beyond what’s listed here, a skilled Zinc agent can custom craft a policy, just for you. With reliable insurance in place, you can then confidently bid on jobs and operate your business, come what may. So what are you waiting on? Get in touch today to learn more or to get your own customized quote.