# General Liability Insurance in New York



## Snowplow newbie (Dec 7, 2003)

Hello all,

I have been reading as many threads as I can to find out about insurance requirements. I am plowing commercial lots and need to have the correct insurance. My problem is I live in a small town in Upstate NY. I can't find General Liability insurance anywhere. 
The place where I get my insurance quoted me 15,000 a year for 500,000 of coverage. I then had one place quote me 2100 dollars a year just for commercial auto insurance and they told me that they can't get GLI anymore for snowplowing. 
I guess what I am looking for are some suggestions. PM me or post it here because I am at my wits end. There are no large cities around me for over 2hrs so I don't know what to do.


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## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

Depending on your exposure, you should only be paying about $1500.00 for a $1,000,000 policy.

Try this woman. She is in Ohio and should be able to write in New York. [email protected] Her name is Particia. Please tell her that Christopher Kinkade referred you to her. You can go to their web site also at www.aoc-insurance.com They specialize in amusement insurance but also write snow plow GL insurance.

Oops They are not licensed in New York or anywhere east for that matter. Get ahold of her anyway. She may be able to point you in the right direction.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

I use Middlesex Mutual Assurance Co. http://www.middlesex-mutual.com/ .

Looks like they might not offer GL in NY, but you can ask, anyway.


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## awayne (Dec 15, 2003)

I have been told by State Farm to add additional coverage to my insurance and make it a L1 type of policy which I understand stands for "using vehicle for commercial use" would only cost $10.00 more per month... Would this be good enough for plowing?

Thanks
Wayne

2000 F-350 Extended Cab Diesel


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

awayne, that MIGHT cover your Commercial Vehicle Insurance, but will NOT provide coverage of General Liability.


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## Brother1 (Oct 29, 2002)

Hey Newbie - try Farm Family Insurance Co. We've been with them since business started and they are real good with landscapers and contractors. I don't know if they have a website but if you look thru the web or in your local yellow pages you might find a representative near you. If not let me know where you are in NY. My agent is a good friend of mine and I have to call him Monday and I can ask him if there are any reps up near you or he might be able to help you out. They handle all our insurance needs for landscaping and snow plowing. Email me at [email protected] if you want - Joe


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## Chaser13114 (Jan 8, 2004)

I too use Farm Family. I am in upstate NY. The only catch is I had to join Farm Bureau. Dues are less than $100 a year but I save that many times over with the insurance. One of my guys backed into a car plowing a few weeks ago. No hassle at all. they totaled out the other car and sent a check. I pay $2000 a year for my CGL with them but that covers employees also. My agent is in Central Square NY


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## ramblinman522 (Dec 9, 2008)

Snowplow newbie;137520 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I have been reading as many threads as I can to find out about insurance requirements. I am plowing commercial lots and need to have the correct insurance. My problem is I live in a small town in Upstate NY. I can't find General Liability insurance anywhere.
> The place where I get my insurance quoted me 15,000 a year for 500,000 of coverage. I then had one place quote me 2100 dollars a year just for commercial auto insurance and they told me that they can't get GLI anymore for snowplowing.
> I guess what I am looking for are some suggestions. PM me or post it here because I am at my wits end. There are no large cities around me for over 2hrs so I don't know what to do.


My insurance agent saved me a ton of money. I just have one Ford F250 with a plow. By ton of money I mean they saved me $800 on the commercial auto and $600 on the general liability. WJ Farmer Insurance 1-800-409-9390 X4 
My auto premium, for a 2006 Ford F250, $1,000,000 coverage was $800 and the GL coverage, $1,000,000, that includes plowing is $1,400.


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## JeffNY (Dec 19, 2005)

hint, when you get GLI, say you mow lawns in the summer too.


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## shovelracer (Sep 3, 2004)

Yea, good suggestion. And then when he gets his insurance audit he can just say it was a bad year and he didnt have any customers cause you dont have to claim cash, right? I cant believe that people are going around getting contracts without insurance.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

JeffNY;670017 said:


> hint, when you get GLI, say you mow lawns in the summer too.


I've been doing that for nine years. Never been audited. There is no requirement that I make any money at it or even advertise or even have ANY customers.


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## shovelracer (Sep 3, 2004)

Then how do they determine what rate you pay on your GLI. Are you telling me that you get a better deal on plow insurance by calling yourself a lawn jockey and dont pay lawn service coverage as well, and on top of that you dont get an insurance audit every year? Doesnt sound right to me.


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## Vinnie (Dec 4, 2006)

Progressive insurance is advertising PLOWING insurance on there web sight if that helps.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

shovelracer;671296 said:


> Then how do they determine what rate you pay on your GLI. Are you telling me that you get a better deal on plow insurance by calling yourself a lawn jockey and dont pay lawn service coverage as well, and on top of that you dont get an insurance audit every year? Doesnt sound right to me.


1/2 yr at snowplowing the snowplowing rate and 1/2 yr at the lawn care rate. Lawn care rate is much lower. There is no requirement to state % of income from each and there is no audit. You can be in any business you want; nothing says you have to have any level of success or anything else.


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## CARDOCTOR (Nov 29, 2002)

thats what i did .started a lawncar co.made getting insurance easier and cheaper. i dont even cut my own grass.

JR


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## shovelracer (Sep 3, 2004)

So then your insurance company charges the same for someone that mows 10 lawns (or 0) as they do someone that mows 500?


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## bluerage94 (Dec 24, 2004)

I use Progressive, its a little expensive but they cover commercial plowing...


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

shovelracer;671675 said:


> So then your insurance company charges the same for someone that mows 10 lawns (or 0) as they do someone that mows 500?


Right. The same for plowing - whether you have 100 accounts or one. The categories affecting the rates are residential, commercial and municipal. Even then, I have a letter from the UNDERWRITER stating that my Residential policy will cover commercial as long as the NUMBER of commercial accounts is few than the NUMBER of residential accounts. So, I could have a WalMart account as long as I also have two driveways.


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## BGehl (Dec 15, 2007)

Sent you a PM


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## topdj (Oct 6, 2007)

wow its tuff to afford GL in NY

you ever see the insurance bills that roofing company's pay much higher


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