AmyVollmer

Another tip to help you be smarter about your insurance. Products and Completed Operations Coverage Tip.pdf

If you want to play come over and "LIKE" our Facebook page. All are welcome to join in the fun! We kick off our first monthly contest tomorrow! https://www.facebook.com/Joseph-D-Walters-Insurance-427840823970237/

As a business owner you are used to having your hands full running your business, managing schedules, maintaining equipment and making your customers happy while trying to capture new ones. That leaves little time to focus on buying the right pressure washing insurance plan. There is a huge difference on what you need versus what other agents may often try to sell you. That's the #1 reason why you should call and request a review of your current policy from Joseph D. Walters Insurance. We’ve been insuring mobile cleaning contractors in the pressure washing, roof and window cleaning industry for over 35 years. We know your business and what you need to protect yourself from financial disaster. Our insurance program has exclusive coverages and exclusive benefits. We can help you choose what’s best for you because we understand your industry! NEW TO THE BUSINESS? If your a new start-up in this industry, you really don’t know what to buy or how much. That’s where we can really help you understand what is needed and explain why. Don't put off completing an insurance review any longer. Our agents are easy to work with and can speak your mobile cleaning contractor language. Call 1-800-878-3808 to speak with one of our agents.

It's a very tough market. If we find another market that's competitive we will gladly let everyone know

Good reading material to help you understand the challenges you could be facing. In some states, this protection can be added for just dollars per month. Each state has different limits and pricing available. Contact our office if you are interested in learning more about the availability of this coverage in our program! EPLI Coverage.pdf

Another tip to help you become smarter about your insurance. Subcontractor Liability Tip.pdf

Thanks for inviting me into this topic John. (Would have missed it!!) I have commented on this subject on a very basic level when asked in the past. However, what I decided to do was talk with the office directly on this and find out more to share. Below is a direct comment from our President at Joseph D. Walters on KEC topic: "It’s true we once aggressively wrote KEC risks. And its also true we lost our good carrier to do this. But we never wrote KEC risks through Liberty Mutual that insures most of our power/pressure wash risks. Last year we were notified by the carrier that worked with the KEC group that the loss experience from that group of risks has not been profitable and they were not willing to go forward writing new KEC risks on the books. And they increased their pricing. It was a hit for Joe Walters agency. We are however searching for another competitive carrier willing to offer the coverages needed at an affordable price for KEC risks. We are also looking for new programs for Workers Compensation for all risks too. But as of now, we don’t have a great solution to the problem. Sorry. We are not happy with the current situation and hope to resolve the problem soon". Regards Tom Svrcek

Attached is another insurance tip from our office written by our very own Bonnie Bradburn. Additional Insured Tip.doc

Insurance Tip #2 Understanding what an insurance premium audit is..... and why you don't want one What you, as a contractor, must know to protect yourself from the potential of financial disaster The insurance premium audit is a provision in most business insurance contracts. The purpose of the audit is to obtain the exact exposures and compare them to what was estimated by you. The exposures will be in the form of either payroll or sales figures you will be asked to report. This information is used to determine your final premium. It’s the audit that confirms what your premium is..."or should have been". The audit is completed an entire year after you bought your policy. Shortly after your policy expires you will need to verify the accuracy of what you estimated when the policy was originally started. Here is an example of how an audit can impact you: #1 ~ When a contractor goes into business he is asked to estimate what his sales figures will be over the next 12 months. It's almost impossible to predict the future. A million things will happen that are unexpected. So, a very conservative estimate is often given. Your agent provides you with a policy costing $700 per year based on your conservative estimate. Everyone is happy until a YEAR later when the audit paperwork shows up. First, you have to spend the time filling in and finding all of the information being asked of the insurance carrier. As your filling out the paperwork you realize that your actual sales figures were actually TWICE the amount of your original estimate. Then, the audit is processed and you receive a bill for an ADDITIONAL $700. At Joseph D. Walters, we hear this complaint over and over again when we are talking to our potential new customers. Welcome to the world of THE PREMIUM AUDIT At Joseph D. Walters our policy is NOT subject to any premium audit…EVER. That means that you’ll know your insurance cost upfront and receive NO ADDITIONAL BILLS. It’s a huge advantage especially when the policy is extremely competitive and full of needed and hard to buy coverages that are already included. The bottom line is this. The main reason you purchased insurance is to protect yourself against financial disaster. Your first mistake can be simply not knowing the differences between a policy that is audited versus one that is not. Why feel penalized for having a great year? Call us anytime and talk to any of our licensed professionals. When you hang up you'll be smarter about insurance. Whether you are a power washer, roof or window cleaner, dealing with an experienced agency that specializes in the type of insurance coverage you need could be one of the best decisions you make regarding your business. Because what you don't know can hurt you... Regards, Joe Walters Insurance

Good Morning Alexy ~ No, we do not have a market for Kitched Exhaust Cleaners at this time. JDW is not writing anything new in the KEC market. Amy

Insurance Tip #1 Understanding Care, Custody and Control What you, as a contractor, must know to protect yourself from the potential of financial disaster Many different contractors fall under the broad definition of Artisan contractors. Plumbers, painters, electricians, power washers, roof washers and glass cleaners are a few examples. And their exposures are similar. Artisan contractors do work at customer's premises. Some or all of the premises or equipment may be deemed to be in the "Care, Custody and Control" of the contractor. The problem is that if a contractor damages the customer's property, the contractors General Liability policy will decline to provide coverage, citing the Care, Custody and Control exclusion that is in the General Liability contract. Here are a few examples of how the exclusion works: #1 ~ A painter was hired to paint the exterior trim of a brick house. The owners went elsewhere during the week long job and gave the painter the keys to the house. Because the house was encased in a lot of vines, part of the job was to remove the vines. The painter used blowtorches to do this. The flame from the blowtorch went through a crack in the brickwork igniting some combustible material on the inside of the brickwork. The contractor did not notice the small fire when he quit for the day and locked up and went home for the night. That night the house burned to the ground. The painter's insurer denied coverage for the loss of the entire house. Because he was working on the house and the house was in his Care, Custody and Control and NO coverage applies. #2 ~ Another claim involved a heating and air conditioning contractor who was removing a cooling unit from a customer's roof. Just as the unit was moved off of the building, one of the cables holding it frayed and broke. The excessive weight on the remaining cable caused them to break also and the air conditioning unit fell to the ground six floors. The unit was destroyed. Again, NO coverage because of the Care, Custody and Control exclusion. #3 ~ An employee of a power wash company was cleaning an expensive lava glass floor of a customer's vestibule. The spray head flew off and drove right into the glass floor. The floor was damaged to the tune of $10,500. The insurance carrier denied the claim The same Care, Custody and Control exclusion applied under the General Liability policy for the item being worked on. The examples are endless. Any firm that does work at a customer's premises has some degree of a Care, Custody and Control loss exposure. Most policies include this confusing Care, Custody and Control exclusion, resulting in claims being denied. ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN! At Joseph Walters Insurance, our General Liability policy provides coverage for the property of others that is damaged by your operations. This "Good Will Coverage” sometimes referred to as “Faulty Workmanship Coverage”, has been included to provide payment for damage to customer's property caused by your business operations. As a result, the Care, Custody and Control exclusion is eliminated. There is a maximum payout per policy. The bottom line is this. The main reason you purchased insurance is to protect yourself against financial disaster. Your first mistake can be simply not knowing what to ask for. Call us anytime and talk to any of our licensed professionals. When you hang up you'll be smarter about insurance. Whether you are a power washer, roof or window cleaner, dealing with an experienced agency that specializes in the type of insurance coverage you need could be one of the best decisions you make regarding your business. Because what you don't know can hurt you... Regards, Joe Walters Insurance Joseph D. Walters Insurance 4552 Route 51 South Belle Vernon PA 15012 Pressure Washing Insurance 1-800-878-3808 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Josep...27840823970237

Better yet Marko ~ you will be better served by calling your own agent first and discussing your exact policy with them first to see what you have or don't have. Best starting point! Amy

Marko - The bond is only going to cover “theft”.....not damage. The Care, Custody and Control coverage will cover you under OUR policies if you damage the item being worked on. Two completely separate coverage’s. You are fee to call the office and talk with one of the agents at any time for a more in depth discussion here. Bonnie is available for you. 1-800-878-3808. Amy

My name is Amy Vollmer and I am the Marketing Director for Joseph D. Walters Insurance in Pennsylvania. I look forward to getting to know everyone and assist in answering any questions you may have about insurance for your business. We do specialize in powerwash insurance programs in 45 states! Every power wash company needs Insurance. But most of us never think about it until there is a claim. That’s not the time to discover that your insurance is not working for you, and that’s not a risk you can afford to take, especially for power washers when it comes to your business. With Joseph D. Walters Insurance you will work with an experienced team that will analyze your business from top to bottom and develop options that provide you with solutions customized for the power wash industry. At Joseph D. Walters we ask questions that allow us to get to know you and better understand how your business operates and do what’s right for you. Looking forward to talking more and working with you!

Hi John, Thanks for the information. I am new out here on the forums and BB's. Any others you would recommend please let me know or message me. :smile-new: Thanks again!

Thanks for welcoming me! Looking forward to getting to know everyone.