888-900-0205What Is Hood Cleaning Insurance
Hood cleaning insurance is a must for vent cleaners working in various restaurants. As a restaurant hood cleaner, you can’t control the environment you work in and may perform duties while workers complete other kitchen tasks for the day. As a contractor, you understand and mitigate the risks as much as possible, but that isn’t to say that there aren’t risks that you could be liable for if something happens.
When you are on the job, if someone gets hurt or experiences property damage as the result of your negligence, you are responsible for their medical bills and damage losses. Plus, when it comes to injuries, you could also be liable for lost wages if someone can’t work because of their injuries. Liabilities like this can add up quickly and are often too much for a small business owner to pay. To avoid the risk of bankruptcy in these circumstances, you need restaurant hood cleaning insurance.
Hood cleaning insurance is not a specific insurance policy. Instead, it is a series of commercial insurance policies that cover different types of risk depending on your needs. You might choose one or more policies so that you have the proper protection under different circumstances. Policy types include general liability, workers’ compensation, and commercial auto insurance, to name a few.
Let’s dive into the different types of insurance you can get so that you can evaluate what policies you need.
General Liability
Some cities require general liability insurance for licensing purposes. Even if the city or state doesn’t require it, it’s a good idea to start with this type of insurance. It protects you from the financial ramifications of someone getting hurt or incurring property damage due to your business operations. A typical example of a claim is someone tripping over your ladder, falling, and getting hurt. These liability claims can be some of the most expensive claims out there, often costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Of course, you should have safety protocols in place while you work, but you can’t prevent every accident from happening, which is why you need general liability insurance. It’s well worth the $25 to $50 a month to ensure you aren’t held financially responsible for major claims.
Inland Marine
Inland marine insurance is a type of policy that protects your tools and equipment while they are in transit to and from job sites. Your work truck is likely your mobile office and storage center filled with everything you need to do your job. If you lose your stuff in an accident or theft, you don’t have coverage for them with general liability insurance. You need inland marine to pay for the replacement of items so that you can get back to work.
For example, assume someone steals your work truck. When found, the tools are missing. While commercial auto insurance covers the truck damaged in the theft, inland marine pays to replace your tools so that you can get back to work without footing the bill from your pocket.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ compensation is a required insurance policy in most states for employers who have at least one part-time employee. It provides coverage for medical bills and lost wages to employees who are hurt while doing their job.
You might have a team of workers who perform the vent cleaning services as select restaurants because your business has grown, and you can’t service them all yourself. If a technician falls off a ladder and hurts his back, he likely will need medical attention and could miss days, if not weeks, of work. Rather than you paying his expenses out of pocket and continuing to pay his salary, the workers’ compensation insurance pays it for you.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Because you have a work truck to get to and from job sites, you will need to have insurance on that vehicle that covers you for commercial activities. Regular personal auto insurance will not cover claims when they result from business activities. Thus having the wrong insurance can lead to costly losses that you need to pay for out of pocket.
Commercial auto insurance starts with liability for any vehicle, person, or property that you hit. It pays for damages and medical bills. If you have full coverage that includes comprehensive and collision coverage, the insurance company pays for damages to your work truck. So if you hit a car on your way to a job, your commercial auto insurance will pay to repair the other party’s car and your collision coverage will pay to repair your truck.
Surety Bond
Surety bonds provide a guarantee that you will perform your work professionally and according to contract terms. It is an insurance product but doesn’t work like traditional insurance. When you buy a bond, and there is a claim, the insurance company pays the claim and then recoups the amount paid from you. This is different from traditional insurance, where the insurance company pays the claim without collecting anything from you.
States often require bonds for licensing. They also make you more professional, giving clients a way to ensure that you perform as contracted.
Excess Liability
Excess liability insurance pays for liability claims that exceed the primary liability policy in question. For example, you might have a general liability policy with $1 million in coverage. Suppose there is a claim for $1.5 million. In that case, the excess liability policy will kick in after the general liability policy pays its $1 million in coverage to take care of the rest of the claim. It’s a way to get more coverage for a small cost.
Restaurant Hood Cleaner Insurance Cost
Restaurant hood cleaning insurance costs do vary widely, depending on a host of factors that include:
- The types of policy(ies) purchased
- The amount of coverage needed
- Your location
- Total annual revenues
- Claims history
As already mentioned, it’s important to at least have a general liability insurance policy. The cost of a policy starts at $40 per month. This is a reasonable amount to pay for a policy that offers so much protection from the biggest claims. Get a free quote to find out exactly how much a policy will cost you.
Restaurant Hood Cleaning Insurance FAQ
We’re big believers in keeping things simple, so ask us anything and we’ll answer honestly and without the jargon.
How To Get Restaurant Hood Cleaning Insurance
Getting insurance shouldn’t be a burden. Start by calling an insurance agent to discuss your needs. The agent will help you identify the policies you need and the coverage amounts that you should have. From there, the agent will provide a quote for the policies in question so that you can see the cost.
To save money, ask about any available discounts. Sometimes you can get a break if you choose paperless billing or have security systems protecting your stuff. You can also ask about increasing your deductible to reduce the premium. Just make sure that you can afford the deductible if there is a loss.
Why Do I Need Hood Cleaning Insurance?
Restaurant vent cleaners need insurance because their job involves risk. There are tools involved, and you often have to go up onto ladders. Plus, kitchens are busy and can have people moving in and out rapidly trying to get meals out.
What Are The Risks Facing Restaurant Hood Cleaners?
Risks to the restaurant hood cleaner include falling from ladders or getting hurt with tools. On top of that, anyone around the vent cleaner is susceptible to an accident: they may trip on tools, or something may fall on them. If you use chemicals to clean the vent, this can lead to fumes and exposure issues.
Is Insurance Required For Hood Cleaning ?
While general liability is seldom required, workers’ compensation is more commonly needed as a hood cleaning business grows with employees. Having insurance also makes a contractor look more professional to potential clients, helping them get bigger and better contracts.