# Having trouble finding someone to insure my quad if I'm using it for snow plowing



## svfdfireman (Nov 24, 2010)

I have been having trouble finding the right insurance for my quad if I'm plowing sidewalks for a very large mall complex. My own insurance company won't cover the quad if I'm using it commercially. How do any of you guys insure your quad commercially. I'm talking liability and damage if I hit a pedestrian or a car. I am told that there is a chance that plowing may be done during the business hours as well as after hours. If it was only after hours I don't think I would be too concerned about accidently hitting someone. I have another post in the "New to the business forum" but still up in the air about even doing this job. 

Thanks for helping a guy out, 

Svfdfireman


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## ducaticorse (Oct 16, 2012)

You need to get a general liability policy and list your quad under the "equipment to be insured" section of the policy. And as I said before. $35 bucks an hour is not enough money..... Before busting your balls getting all this paperwork done, make sure bossman is going to give you $45.


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## svfdfireman (Nov 24, 2010)

ducaticorse;1515554 said:


> You need to get a general liability policy and list your quad under the "equipment to be insured" section of the policy. And as I said before. $35 bucks an hour is not enough money..... Before busting your balls getting all this paperwork done, make sure bossman is going to give you $45.


Yeah, not too sure it's gonna be worth it. Our snowfall in my area isn't as much as other areas of the country who are able to actually make a profit. I was just looking to make some extra $$ on my days off from my fire department job.
I've got some hard thinking to do. Part of my problem is just trying to think of the right questions to ask due to never having done this before (commercially) I have a long drive way with a steep grade at my personal residence and plow a few close neigbbors. That's all the experience I have the last three years.

Thanks again,

Svfdfireman


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## ALC-GregH (Nov 26, 2008)

svfdfireman;1515636 said:


> Yeah, not too sure it's gonna be worth it. Our snowfall in my area isn't as much as other areas of the country who are able to actually make a profit. *I was just looking to make some extra $$ on my days off from my fire department job.*
> I've got some hard thinking to do. Part of my problem is just trying to think of the right questions to ask due to never having done this before (commercially) I have a long drive way with a steep grade at my personal residence and plow a few close neighbors. That's all the experience I have the last three years.
> 
> Thanks again,
> ...


This is so typical of FF's. You might want to pass on the job if you don't know what to ask or say to get the job.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

ALC-GregH;1515843 said:


> This is so typical of FF's. You might want to pass on the job if you don't know what to ask or say to get the job.


I wouldn't necessarily say FF but more typical of anyone who has a full time job and does snow on the side.

......


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## G.Landscape (Oct 20, 2011)

How does anyone do snow on the side.....its not like Mowing on the side where you can go out when ever, you need to be on call all the time, and I would think fire fighting comes first so now your leaving the other plowing contractor high and dry....this sounds like a bad idea.


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## svfdfireman (Nov 24, 2010)

Wow! Ok then...Guys, I appreciate the bluntness of the comments but feel that being honest with you about wanting to make extra $$ on my days off from my firefighting job isn't something to criticize me about. I am simply asking questions of you "professional" snow removal/clearing guys so that I may try to get a little extra cash flow coming in for my wife and three kids. My fire department job is my full time career. I told the contractor what I do for a living and that I have only certain days available (24 hrs on duty and 48 hrs off) and that I would understand if he didn't want to hire me. He told me that he is fine with that because he has other "On Call" guys he can go to. As far as the comment from ALC-GregH... about my comment of not knowing the right questions to ask.....Isn't that what "Forums" are for? I can honestly say that in my Profession, that when someone asks questions....that means they are willing to learn. Didn't we all start out that way? ALC-Greg... were you so good right out of the gate that you didn't need to ask any questions? Didn't make any mistakes? I doubt it. None of us are that good at our jobs....or in life for that matter. I simply answered an ad by the contractor looking for guys with plows on their quads for some "Light" snow clearing work. So, to those of you that maybe didn't quite understand where I was coming from due to my vague posts about snow clearing work and insurance for my quad while working commercially, I hope I made things a little clearer as to my reason why I wanted to give this a shot. I thought I could turn to you guys for some help .....Well....I can see by the comments who the "Professionals" are......Oh, and one more thing ALC-Greg....If for some reason you ever needed to dial 911 and I happen to be the guy on the truck that day..... Even if you did piss me off....I would still try to save your ass....Because that's what "Professionals" do...Oh... maybe you wouldn't understand that.

Thanks to you guys that actually had good advice ....I'll probably be banned now.....

So "Plow On" make some extra cash for you and your families...and wave at the next Fire Truck you see...

Svfdfireman


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Your quad would be covered if it was part of your snowplowing equipment.But not just as a stand alone piece of equipment.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

The point being from those comments is that you have to be on-call, 24-7, all winter long in order to really make anything out of snow removal in order to pay your expenses along with insurance.

Not only that but you can't go anywhere in the winter unless you have a crew that can do the work for you.

I've know many guys who had full time professions and tried snow removal but couldn't do it. One of the biggest reasons was that they would get off from their jobs and go out to plow and their clients had already found someone else to do it. Basically they couldn't get to them in time.

I personally not knocking you for your willingness to try this out, it's just a tough business. If you've ever plowed professionally and gone through a winter like we had in 2009-20010, then you would realize it would take all your dedication to make it work. That winter we had 40+ inches of snow with one 12" blizzard. We only average about 23" of snow a year. I plowed for 2 days, went to bed for 12 hours, got back up and plowed for 2 days, and so one. Not to mention that with any actual time between events we were out working on equipment to keep it going. It went on all winter long and I was shot by the end of the season. I kept getting calls from other contractors who didn't have the time to dedicate fully to snow that was begging us to plow for them.

We just call it like we see it, it is what it is.



......


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## Wilnip (Oct 4, 2011)

Svfdff, don't let the idiots on the site get to you. Just ignore them like the rest of us do. It seems like you have some answers to your questions and know where to go from here. And the guy your subbing for is okay with your schedule. I don't see a problem, go for it and make some money.


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## dfdsuperduty (Dec 12, 2006)

SV.... as you figured out some of these guys on here were born to snow plowing god's and goddesses and plowing snow was part of their DNA. they never had to experience a learning curve, falling flat on their face or any other elements of business. Never did they ask questions or will they because this is all part of their DNA and the answers just come to them before the questions are asked. I did work full time for the sheriff's department plowed on my days off and days that it did snow and i was working I would call off or I had someone else drive my truck for me in return for helping him in the summer drive a semi for him. as it has already been stated you would have to have a Gen Lia policy and add your quad to it. It may not be cost effective for you. I did work as a sub for a company called Snow Pros out of Highland Indiana that would take 5% out of each check to cover you under his GL policy you may want to talk to your contact and see if he would be willing to workout something. I hope I have been some help and if you have any other questions I will do my best to answer them for you if you would like to just shoot me a PM god for bid someone asks anyone for help anymore.


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## CReynoldsMIZ (Nov 8, 2011)

ALC-GregH;1515843 said:


> This is so typical of FF's. You might want to pass on the job if you don't know what to ask or say to get the job.


Cmon Gregg, you are one of the main posters of this website, and that was damn rude. God forbid someone trying to make some extra money on the side. I mean I know Obama is passing out free money and what not but have some respect for someone who puts their life on the line when he goes to job and is trying to make some money on the side to pay bills/ support his family.....

To the original poster, you can make it work. Just be up front with customers that you are a full time fireman and im sure most will understand if they aren't businesses, and if they cant work with you just gotta pass on it or figure something out.


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