Construction insurance is required for most contracting companies before they begin work at a job site. Coverages are not as difficult to understand or acquire as you might think. Construction risks come from residential, commercial and public contract work, and all three types can be covered by insurance policies. Below are three insurance coverages that every construction company should consider.
Builders Risk Insurance
Builders Risk insurance covers buildings while they are under construction. As a builder, you typically have a financial interest in the materials used on the job site and materials that are in transit to be used at the job site. You also have an interest in the value of the structure until it is completed and accepted by the property owner. Builders Risk insurance covers you in the event there is theft or damage to any of these materials or the structure itself as it is being built.
General Liability
Commercial General Liability insurance policies cover you as a contractor for bodily injury or property damage for which you are held liable. Mistakes happen on job sites, and sometimes people get hurt and property gets damaged. If a visitor to your construction site falls off a landing where railings have not yet been installed, you could be held liable. If one of your workers throws construction debris from the second floor of a home that you’re building and damages a nearby car, you’ll be glad you have a General Liability policy.
Workers Compensation
Construction work can be dangerous for contractors. If one of your employees gets hurt while on the job and you don’t have a Workers Compensation policy, they can sue you personally for their injuries and medical bills. With things like buzz saws, nail guns, hammers and 2x4s swinging through the air, Workers Compensation is a necessary coverage to have as a builder. It pays your employee’s medical bills if they are hurt on the job, and it even pays a death benefit to surviving family members if the worst case scenario happens and an employee is killed on the job.
Conclusion
Buying construction insurance could be one of the smartest things you can do if you’re a builder or contractor. Builders Risk will protect your financial interests in a project. General Liability will protect you for bodily injury or property damage you cause. And Workers Compensation will prevent employees from suing you for injuries they incur on the job site. To learn more about construction insurance, call us today at 888.971.6304 or request a quote online today.