Meta description: Contractors and trades insurance in New Castle, Indiana and Henry County. Plans and rates vary by business, compare coverage with a local independent agency.
Running a contracting business means keeping jobs moving, customers happy, and equipment ready. Insurance should not add unnecessary stress to your day.
At Jett Insurance Agency, Inc., we help artisan contractors and small trades find practical insurance options without the jargon. We insure businesses big and small, including plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors, roofers, remodelers, landscapers, painters, handymen, concrete contractors, general contractors, lawn-care companies, and cleaning services.
The right insurance program depends on your trade, location, employees, vehicles, equipment, contracts, and the type of work you perform. Plans and rates vary, so the goal is not to buy a generic policy. It is to build coverage that fits your business.
Start with General Liability Insurance
General Liability is often the foundation of a contractor’s insurance program.
In plain English, it may help respond when your business is accused of causing bodily injury or property damage to someone else. For example:
- A customer trips over materials at a job site.
- A plumbing mistake causes water damage to a customer’s property.
- A ladder or piece of equipment damages something at a client’s home.
- A completed project allegedly causes property damage or injury.
General Liability may also provide coverage for certain legal defense expenses, subject to the policy’s terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions.
Many general contractors, property managers, and commercial customers require subcontractors to carry General Liability before work begins. They may also require specific limits or policy endorsements. That is why having the right policy, and being able to document it quickly, matters.
General Liability does not cover every business risk. It generally is not a substitute for workers’ compensation, commercial auto, tools and equipment coverage, or professional liability where those coverages are appropriate.
Is a Business Owners Policy a Good Fit?
A Business Owners Policy, commonly called a BOP, combines certain business coverages into one package.
A BOP may include:
- General Liability
- Commercial property coverage
- Business personal property coverage
- Business income coverage for certain covered losses
For a small contractor with an office, shop, storage space, or business equipment, a BOP may provide a convenient starting point. It can help organize your coverage under one policy, though it is not automatically the right fit for every trade or operation.
For example, a contractor who stores supplies in a small building may have different needs from a remodeler who works entirely at customer locations. A BOP may also need to be supplemented with commercial auto, workers’ compensation, inland marine, or other coverage.
Coverage is subject to policy terms, conditions, limits, deductibles, and exclusions. Our job is to explain what the policy does, and what it does not do, in plain English.
Commercial Auto and Fleets
If you use a vehicle for business, personal auto insurance may not be designed for the way that vehicle is being used.
Commercial auto insurance may be appropriate for:
- Work vans and pickup trucks
- Vehicles with permanent tools or equipment
- Vehicles used to transport materials
- Company-owned vehicles
- Multiple work vehicles or small fleets
The right policy depends on who owns the vehicle, who drives it, how it is used, what it carries, and whether employees or subcontractors operate it.
If your business has multiple vehicles, we can help review the fleet as part of your broader commercial insurance program. Coverage for liability, physical damage, hired vehicles, or non-owned vehicles may be available depending on your business and the carrier’s underwriting guidelines.
Workers’ Compensation for Employees
Workers’ compensation is designed to address certain job-related employee injuries and illnesses, subject to applicable law and policy terms.
If you have employees, workers’ compensation may be required. Requirements can depend on factors such as your state, number of employees, business structure, and type of work. Independent contractors and subcontractors can also create insurance and contract questions, especially when a general contractor asks for proof of coverage.
Workers’ compensation may help with covered medical expenses and wage-related benefits for eligible workplace injuries. It can also help your business meet contract requirements.
Because rules vary, it is important to review your situation rather than assume you are exempt. We can help you identify questions to discuss when setting up or reviewing your coverage.
Inland Marine: Protecting Tools and Equipment on the Move
The name inland marine can sound confusing. For contractors, it often refers to coverage for certain tools, equipment, materials, and mobile property while they are being transported, stored, or used away from your primary business location.
This may be important for:
- Power tools and hand tools
- Compressors and generators
- Ladders and specialty equipment
- Job materials in transit
- Equipment temporarily stored at a job site
- Contractor’s equipment used at multiple locations
Your building or business property policy may not automatically provide the protection you expect for property that travels from job to job. Coverage availability and eligibility vary by item, cause of loss, location, and policy form.
A careful review can help identify what is stored at your office, what stays in a vehicle overnight, and what regularly travels to customer locations.
Certificates of Insurance: The Paperwork That Can Win or Lose a Job
A certificate of insurance, or COI, is a document that summarizes certain insurance information. It can show a customer, general contractor, or property manager that your business has active coverage.
A COI may list:
- The named insured
- The insurance carrier
- Policy types
- Policy periods
- Limits of insurance
- Certain endorsements or notes
General contractors and property managers often request COIs before allowing a contractor onto a job site. They want to confirm that vendors and subcontractors have insurance in place and that the requirements in the contract are being addressed.
Sometimes, the requesting party also asks to be listed as an additional insured. An additional insured is another person or organization that may receive limited liability protection under your policy for certain claims connected to your work. This is generally added through an endorsement, and the exact protection depends on the endorsement’s wording, policy terms, conditions, and exclusions.
A certificate itself does not change your coverage or create coverage where none exists. It is evidence of insurance, not the policy.
Why a Slow COI Can Cost You a Job
Contractors often work on tight schedules. A general contractor may be ready for you to begin, but the property manager will not release access until your COI is received. If the certificate is delayed, or does not show the required information, you may lose valuable time.
In some situations, the customer may move to another contractor who can provide documentation sooner.
This is one of the biggest ways Jett Insurance helps contractors. We take the stress out of certificates of insurance and work to issue COIs fast. When you tell us what the customer or general contractor is requesting, we can help review the requirements and coordinate the appropriate documentation, subject to carrier approval and policy terms.
Why Work with an Independent Agency?
When you go directly to one insurance company, you are generally comparing that company’s product and pricing options. If the fit is not right, you have to start the shopping process again elsewhere.
Jett Insurance is an independent agency. We work with more than a dozen insurance providers, which allows us to compare available commercial insurance options from multiple carriers.
That matters because one carrier may be a better fit for an electrician, while another may have different guidelines for a roofer, landscaper, cleaner, or concrete contractor. Carrier availability, underwriting, coverage forms, deductibles, limits, and rates vary by business.
We do not believe one size fits all. We use technology to compare options, then take the time to explain the results so you can make an informed decision.
You can learn more about our approach on our business insurance information page and our article about working with an independent insurance agency.
What Should You Have Ready for a Quote?
To help us build a useful commercial insurance comparison, it helps to gather:
- Your type of trade and description of operations
- Business address and service area
- Number of employees
- Payroll information, when applicable
- Vehicle details and driver information
- Estimated annual sales or receipts
- Tools, equipment, and property values
- Current policy information
- Contract or COI requirements from customers
Accurate information helps carriers evaluate the business correctly. Coverage, limits, deductibles, carrier availability, and rates vary by business, trade, location, and underwriting.
Let’s Make Contractors Insurance Simple
Whether you are a one-person handyman business, an established plumbing company, or a growing general contractor, Jett Insurance can help you review your options.
We offer commercial insurance guidance, convenient monthly payment options when available, multiple carrier comparisons, plain-English explanations, and fast help with certificates of insurance. All coverage is subject to the applicable policy terms, conditions, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and carrier approval.
For a free, no-hassle review, call 765-987-7019. If you need assistance after hours, call 765-524-2279.
We serve New Castle, Henry County, and surrounding communities with a simple goal: Savings Made Simple.