Washington Contractor Insurance
The state of Washington has 552,884 small businesses of various types, with 49,959 of them being in the construction industry. If your firm is one of these, you might want to get familiar with some statistics on other firms in this state, starting with the fact that Washington’s economy has been growing at a great pace. More specifically, its real gross state product increased by 2.7 percent in 2013, which is faster than the nation’s 2.2 percent increase in the gross domestic product the same year. (Source: BEA). Furthermore, unemployment in Washington has gone from 6.8 percent to 6.0 percent within a year. (Source: BDS). Clearly, it’s great to be a business owner in this state, especially when you have the right Washington contractor insurance.
Washington Contractors Need The Following Insurance
Coverage for Third Party (GL): Whether you invite people to check out your workplace or they just show up, you need to protect both visitors and your business by having general liability coverage. Its point is to pay for any medical treatment needed by anyone who gets injured on your business property. When you work in construction, you know that there are several ways to get injured at a worksite, so you can see why this is an important aspect of your Washington contractor insurance. Another benefit of this coverage is that it can pay to fix or replace any personal property that gets lost or damaged at your place of business.
Tools & Equipment Coverage (BOP): You should protect any tools or equipment that you regularly use at work, and the best way to do this is to include tools & equipment coverage on your Washington contractor insurance policy. This way, if you lose any important items that you use in the construction field, your insurer will replace it. The same goes if any items are stolen or damaged.
Employee Coverage (WC): In Washington, 140,342 small businesses have employees, and 19,125 of those are in the construction trade. One thing such firms have in common is that they all need workers compensation to pay for the medical needs of any employees who are injured while working. This helpful portion of your Washington contractor insurance can also pay injured employees any wages they miss while they take time off work to heal.
Business Vehicle Insurance: No matter how much or how little you drive for your business, you need business vehicle insurance. The reason is that even the best personal car insurance policy will not cover a car accident that you cause when you are operating your vehicle for business purposes. This is why any employees who drive for your firm also need this coverage.
Bond: Surety bonds are good to have as part of your Washington contractor insurance because they show that you can be counted on to live up to the terms of your contract. Otherwise, you will have to pay a fee. This often appeals to clients who feel more secure working with contractors who are bonded in this way.