Water Proofer Insurance
Written by
Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She has covered topics as easy as insuring a car, and as difficult as transparency in healthcare costs.
Reviewed by
Paul Martin is the Director of Education and Development for Myron Steves, one of the largest, most respected insurance wholesalers in the southern U.S.
Water claims are the number one cause of loss to homeowners. Waterproofing contractors help homeowners and building owners achieve peace of mind and avoid costly losses by making basements less vulnerable to mold, mildew, water damage, and structural problems.
Your customers hire you and trust your expertise in ensuring that their basements are properly waterproofed. It’s also important for you to complete your projects on time and as promised, without mishaps. Because your work and your clients vary greatly, you need a comprehensive business insurance program that covers all of your unique risks.
A local independent insurance agent can help you assess your risks and find the right waterproofing contractors insurance policies that are tailored to your industry.
Why Do You Need Waterproofing Contractor Insurance?
It’s a fact of life that problems can occur and mistakes can be made, no matter what your line of work is. An employee might damage a client's property during the waterproofing process, or a vendor or customer might trip, fall, and sustain an injury on your premises. One of your crew members could get into an accident on their way to or from a job.
In any of these cases you’d be responsible for the medical bills and property damage that you’ve caused. You might even be sued for additional damages. And the potential for problems doesn’t end there.
You face property losses (losses to tools, equipment, and other valuable commercial property) from a variety of sources, including fire, theft, severe weather, and vandalism. And your workers are exposed to dangerous environments and other job-related illnesses and injuries.
Waterproofing contractor insurance protects your business from these and other risk exposures. When you work with an experienced independent insurance agent, he or she can find insurance companies who specialize in covering businesses like yours. You likely need a variety of property and liability insurance policies in order to be sure that you are protected.
General Liability Insurance for Waterproofing Contractors
Waterproofing contractors must carry commercial general liability (CGL) insurance. CGL insurance protects you from having to pay out of pocket for damage or legal fees if your services happen to cause damage to any of the homes or businesses you work on. It offers broad protection for a wide variety of negligence claims and lawsuits.
If, for example, your work causes further damage to a basement wall or foundation, your insurance will cover the cost of repairing the damage, as well as any legal costs that may arise if the customer sues you.
CGL policies also include product liability insurance. This covers you if one of the products you install is harmful to a customer or anyone else who comes into contact with it. Product liability insurance covers your financial responsibility for losses or injuries to a user, buyer, or bystander caused by a defect or malfunction of your product.
You also have “completed operations” exposures that are covered by your CGL policy. For example, improper installation of a sump pump could cause a basement to flood and thousands of dollars in damage for the homeowner. If your work leads to a problem like this, you could be sued and your CGL policy would respond.
Some clients may require proof that you have CGL coverage before they will work with you.
What Other Types of Liability Coverage Do Waterproofing Contractors Need?
Your waterproofing contractor insurance package may contain the following additional types of liability coverage as well:
- Cyber liability insurance: This provides coverage in the event of a data breach involving your business. It helps pay for the costs of notifying affected clients, as well as public relations and investigation costs, and more.
- Commercial umbrella insurance: Also known as excess liability coverage, this provides supplemental liability protection beyond the limits of certain other liability policies. This policy can be invaluable for that once-in-a-lifetime judgment rendered against you.
- Employment practices liability insurance: This covers you if an employee sues you for discriminatory employment practices.
Property Insurance for Waterproofing Contractors
Waterproofing contractors need several types of property insurance to protect against property losses.
You likely have owned or leased office space or warehouse space where you perform administrative tasks and store all of your equipment, supplies, materials, vehicles, and more. Your physical space likely serves as a home base for your employees, and may be filled with valuable furniture, computer equipment, and other commercial property that is susceptible to theft, vandalism, fires, storms, and certain other causes of loss.
Commercial property insurance: This protects buildings and their contents, including computers, office equipment, furniture, and all of your commercial property (whether it is owned or leased) if it is damaged by fire, smoke, theft, vandalism, or some other covered peril. If, for example, someone vandalizes the outside of your building, breaks in and steals tools and equipment, your commercial property policy will help to pay for the repairs to your building as well as the cost of replacing the stolen or damaged property.
If you sustain damage that forces you to temporarily close or relocate, business interruption coverage will reimburse you for ongoing expenses (rent, salaries, etc.) and lost income during the closure or relocation period.
You may also need additional property coverage for your business. Talk to your independent insurance agent about your need for the following.
- Flood or hurricane insurance: Your basic commercial property policy does not cover flood or hurricane damage. Talk to your agent about flood and hurricane insurance if you live in an area that is prone to these events.
- Employee crime and dishonesty coverage: This protects your business from the costs of theft, dishonesty, and fraudulent acts committed by an individual employee or a group of employees. It provides coverage for forgery, alteration, theft, unauthorized electronic funds transfers, credit card fraud, computer fraud, money order fraud, and counterfeit fraud.
You also need coverage for your contractors equipment, tools, and supplies that are in transit from job to job and that are in use or stored at a jobsite. Inland marine insurance covers these tools, equipment, and supplies while they are in transit. And if any of your tools are stolen from a jobsite, inland marine insurance will cover the cost of replacing the tools.
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Commercial Auto Insurance for Waterproofing Contractors
Your work crews travel from jobsite to jobsite in commercial vehicles owned by your business. Your commercial vehicles must be covered with commercial auto insurance. If one of your drivers causes an accident, it covers bodily injury and property damage that the driver is at fault for.
Commercial vehicle insurance for waterproofing contractors covers your cars, trucks, and any other vehicles you use for business. In addition to liability coverage, it provides collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorist coverage.
Your commercial auto insurance can be tailored to your needs, and your coverage and premiums will be based on how your vehicles are used and who drives them. Each vehicle owned by your business or used for business purposes can be listed separately on your business auto policy, with corresponding coverage for each vehicle that can differ depending on the vehicle’s characteristics and the coverage it requires.
If you have employees who drive personal vehicles for business purposes, talk to your insurance agent about your need for non-owned auto liability insurance.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Waterproofing Contractors
Your workers may be exposed to a wide variety of accidents, injuries, and illnesses resulting from their work. If one of your employees gets injured while on the job, you’re responsible for paying for his or her medical expenses. What’s more, he or she may not be able to work until fully recovered, leaving the employee without his or her income.
Workers’ compensation insurance: This protects your employees and your business from the costs associated with work-related injuries and illnesses. It provides coverage for medical care and income protection for an injured worker while he or she is unable to work. Workers’ compensation insurance also helps protect employers from lawsuits by injured employees.
Each state has workers’ compensation insurance laws. Most states require nearly every business that has employees to provide this coverage. Your state’s workers’ compensation statutes determine the amount of benefits injured workers are entitled to, which impairments or injuries are covered, how those impairments will be evaluated, and how medical care will be delivered.
How Much Does Waterproofing Contractor Insurance Cost?
Your costs for waterproofing contractor insurance will vary depending on the unique characteristics of your business, such as the location, the number of employees, the value of your commercial property (building plus contents), whether or not you own your building, and how many vans or commercial vehicles you own and operate.
Waterproofing contractor insurance could cost several thousands of dollars per year, or more. The amount of coverage you need and the deductibles you choose also impact your insurance costs.
Find and Compare Quotes
An independent insurance agent can work with you one-on-one to determine the types and amounts of coverage you need. Your agent can get quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can evaluate the cost and coverage options and make the best choice.
Benefits of an Independent Agent
Our agents simplify the search process for finding the right waterproofing contractor insurance. They’ll walk you through the handpicked policy options and explain the details and options.
Most importantly, they’ll be there for you when claim time comes. They know the ins and outs of the process and will make sure your claim is handled appropriately.
The Lowdown on Online Quotes
Online quotes can be tempting. They are fast and easy to get — but are they accurate? And are you getting quotes for the right coverage? For business owners, choosing speed over accuracy can cost you.
Online quotes can’t and don’t see the whole picture. They can omit important coverage that will leave you devastated if something unexpected happens. And they can leave out cost-saving opportunities that an agent can help you take advantage of.
Instead of getting an online quote, find an independent insurance agent now, and get one-on-one consultation and affordable options for the best coverage for your unique needs.