As a plumber, it’s your responsibility to ensure that water and waste flows smoothly in an out of any building you work in. Knowing the details concerning piping and drainage is vital in your business. Fixing a leaking faucet may seem easy, but even the easiest tasks leave you exposed to various risks.
Too many believe that their actions don’t generate any risk, but the inverse is actually true – sometimes your actions may cause more damage than if you never showed up at all. You may be repairing a small leaking section, only to crack through the piping with one of your tools, causing extensive leakages. The client will surely seek compensation for the additional damage done to their property.
Similarly, leaking gas and sewer blockages may result in direct contact with hazardous material, exposing you or your client to unknown risks. Such risks, losses, and unfortunate incidences is what your liability insurance takes care of. As a professional plumber, you and your team risk paying a variety of claims out of pocket, which includes:
- Bodily Injuries to other persons
- Damage to property, which may consist of flood damage, structural damage, and more
- Slander and other business malpractices
The cost of these claims is significant. It can put your business on hold, if not run you bankrupt. To protect your business, your assets, and the general well-being of yourself and those around you, be sure to sign up for liability insurance.
This is what is covered under a plumber’s liability insurance policy:
- Damage to property and rental premises – In the line of your work, you may cause additional damage to your client’s premises, even if you take every precaution to prevent that from happening. In the sub-list below, you can see what types of damage plumber’s liability insurance can cover, should they occur
- Structural damage can occur at any place on a worksite, whether it’s localized to the plumbing itself, or if it’s located in an unrelated area of the property. If you puncture a PVC pipe on accident, or if you run over your client’s flower bed parking your vehicle, such accidents won’t be outside the policy’s coverage plan.
- Flood damage can certainly occur if a pipe bursts on your watch. It can be localized to the area near the pipe, or it could cover the entirety of the level of the building affected by the burst pipe. Whatever the extent of the damage, your specialized liability insurance will keep you covered.
- Body Injuries – This covers the medical expenses from injuries sustained by a client or third party, such as a passerby, when you’re working onsite. These injuries can also include illnesses that are borne standing water that may occur onsite for extended periods due to an error on your end.
- Slander and business malpractice – Claims such as these normally come from clients or other business professionals who sue you for defamation. Although this is a rare thing for plumbers to come across, it can be a costly affair to handle if it ever happens to you and you have no insurance to back you up.
In most states, it is required by law to have liability insurance, but even in states where these insurance plans are not required, it would be risky to operate without one. Implementing the costs of insurance into your budget is the best course of action if you want your business to continue to run safely for the long run. If you have your own personal insurance, think of how this has come in handy whenever something went wrong with your personal property. Why would it be a bad thing to transfer the same benefits to your business?
As insurance providers, we provide affordable liability insurance to plumbers to keep your business running smoothly. Because we experts in specialized insurance policy creation, we can fully advise you on the scale of coverage you need to avoid unnecessary risks and losses. Contact us today for fast and affordable liability insurance for your plumbing business.
