Liability Insurance for Plumbers in Washington

If you own or manage a plumbing business, one of the most important things you need to protect your business and your assets is plumber liability insurance in Washington.

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We will try here to help you understand all the different aspects of business liability for plumbers, what insurance does a plumbing company need, and to appreciate just how important it is.

Liability Insurance for Plumbers in Washington

As a plumbing business in Washington, what liability insurance should you carry?

All businesses in Washington are governed by the relevant state and federal laws that assign the duty of “due care” to owners and operators. 

This means that the very fact that you are working in Washington means you accept that you will be responsible for the safety and protection of people and their possessions whenever they are inside your working domain.

For example, suppose you have a workshop or factory in Washington.

In that case, anyone who steps into your building, or even through a gateway onto its open space, could sue you if they suffer any injury or damage.

As well, if you are working inside another place in Washington, anyone who comes into this space and injures himself as a direct result of your being there can sue.

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You are probably aware that the regulations in D.C may require that you carry liability insurance to be eligible to work as a plumber.

You will probably be able to get more business when you can provide some proof of insurance coverage.

What does General Liability insurance for Plumbers cover?

Liability insurance for plumbers in Washington provides cover in case of accidents related to your activity as a business.

Should injuries or damage to property occur, the third party could sue for the costs arising from this.

In many instances in Washington, proof of plumber’s liability insurance is necessary before you will be able to sign a lease or a contract.

General liability insurance for plumbing in Washington is vital to protect your own interests if you cause property damage or bodily injury to third parties.

Some examples of what plumbers public liability insurance covers are:

  • people visiting or passing through your business premises
  • customers and their families conduction business
  • service providers such as messengers, carriers or technicians performing some business-related activity
  • people in their own homes or business premises where you are currently working.

Public liability insurance helps protect you and your business in Washington from claims in case there’s some accidental bodily injury or property damage involving a third party.

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‘Third party’ means someone who is not directly associated with you such as not a member of your own family or a friend or employee.

 Property damage means something that belongs to a third-party person but is temporarily subject to your control.

The claims that are covered by general liability insurance for plumbers include:

  • medical expenses arising from injuries sustained by any third-party non-employee caused by an accident that takes place on your premises or in any place where you conduct business in Washington.
    This includes all reasonable medical, surgical, hospital, nursing and ambulance fees.
    Any loss of income for absent workdays and even funeral expenses in the event of death
  • emotional distress can be included in a claim, even without actual bodily harm.
  • costs for fixing or replacing any property damaged or destroyed
  • legal defense costs in case a claim is made, regardless of whether or not you were at fault
  • slander, libel, or copyright infringement through the misuse of another’s adverts

What does Professional Liability insurance for Plumbers cover?

For any business in Washington, there is a risk that something can go wrong in the performance of your services.

It is especially true for the trade of plumbing in Washington, which involves special risks.

No matter how careful and skilled you may be, unpredictable results can and do occur, and unless you have insurance, the consequences are yours alone to bear.

Professional Liability insurance also known as Errors & Omissions insurance, or E&O insurance protects businesses in Washington in case a customer claims you made some error in performing your services.

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It will cover the amount of any agreed settlement and cover legal expenses, which can be very costly.

Professional liability (Errors and Omissions) insurance will protect your business in Washington from claims like:

  • Mistakes or errors in the services
  • Omissions or failure to perform necessary tasks
  • Misrepresentation of the work
  • Inaccurate or improper advice
  • Negligence in performance of the work

In any case where a customer in D.C sues your business for any of these in the plumbing services you’ve provided, the plumber’s liability insurance policy cover will cover the legal services for your defense.

If a court in Washington rules against you, the other party’s legal costs, plus associated court costs, can also be awarded.

Even if the court finds you were not at fault, you can be left with your own legal bills.

Plumbers Liability Insurance Cost in Washington

Every plumbing business in Washington is unique, so your insurance needs in plumbers professional liability will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Things like the size of your business, the location, the number of employees, the length of time that you have been operating in Washington as a plumber, your claims history, and many other factors will affect costs.

What we can do is give you some guides to plumbers insurance costs based on the experience of other plumbers in Washington as well as similar service providers,like Handyman, Roofing repairs, Solar panel installers, Painters, Glaziers, Electricians and Locksmiths.

Plumbers operating in Washington are grouped along with businesses like contracting, construction, metalworks, cleaning services and landscaping, etc. as high-risk.

These businesses can choose from offers of cheap public liability insurance for plumbers to take higher insurance limits if their levels of business warrant this.

The following estimates are of annual insurance premiums. Monthly payments may be a bit more expensive:

Insurance limits Price range
$4 million aggregate
$2 million single incident
$1400 – $1730
$2 million aggregate
$1 million single incident
$930 – $1340

FAQ

Are there any limits or restrictions on covers in plumbers liability insurance in Washington?

Plumbers liability insurance in Washington does not cover every kind of liability claim, such as knowingly breaking the law or deceiving customers.

As well, like any other business, you should be protecting yourself with the usual forms of insurance covering your plumbing activities.

You can read more about this on our general article about insurance for Plumbers, including Equipment Insurance, the option for a Business Owners Policy – BOP, Commercial auto insurance, Cyber insurance for small business, Product Liability Insurance and Hazard Insurance for Small Business.

Injuries to workers in the course of the performance of their work are not covered by liability insurance.

For this, you are required to have a Workers Compensation Insurance policy. You need to be aware of the regulations applicable in Washington that govern the minimum number of employees that make your cover mandatory, as well as the rate of premiums applicable.

Why do plumbers need insurance in Washington?

Plumbers insurance protects tools and equipment that you use for work.

It may be necessary to leave them unattended or exposed on a worksite, and unless you have the right insurance, if they are lost, stolen or damaged you may have to replace this expensive equipment and also suffer work delays.

With equipment insurance in D.C you will make sure that you are financially protected and also you will be prepared for any unexpected mishaps ahead.

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