Winter weather never seems to care about what’s happening in your business before it brings everything to a grinding (or sliding, as it were) halt. Even though many businesses allow employees to work from home during snow days, that doesn’t work for every business. Not every job can be done from home, and some can only sustain work from home for a brief period. When we get heavy snowfall, most of us really need to be able to get back to work as quickly as possible.
Most small businesses hire a local snowplow service to get their parking lots cleared quickly so employees can park once they make their way to work. But not all snow clearing services are the same. If you are looking for a reliable snowplow guy to take care of your commercial property, make sure you ask these 3 key questions to avoid an insurance nightmare.
Do You Hire Employees or Subcontractors for Snow Removal?
Landscaping businesses, construction companies, and paving contractors offer snow removal services during the winter months when their normal operations are out of season. They may lay off their employee workforce and hire sub-contractors to use their own equipment for snow removal.
As the property owner, you need to know that the person plowing your parking lot has proper insurance. All kinds of damage can be caused by plowing snow in a parking lot, and that damage is typically pretty costly to repair. Snowplow operator insurance has gotten much more expensive in recent years, which means that many people doing it as a side business are not insured. If the firm you hired to do your plowing is using W-2 employees, they will be covered by their employer’s insurance. But if they are hiring sub-contractors, it’s important to verify the insurance of the person who will be plowing your lot before they ever drive onto it.
Do You Have an Insurance Policy and Contract that I Can Review?
Whether you hire someone exclusively for snow removal, or you use the same company that does your landscaping or paved the original lot, make sure they are qualified and insured for snow removal. Asking for a contract and certificate of insurance upfront is the first step in verifying accountability. If the service is not insured for snow removal, or they don’t explain their responsibilities in writing, any liability for parking lot or property damage could fall back on your business.
If your provider gives you documents, review them carefully, and consider having your own business insurance agent take a look through everything. It’s possible that there is shared responsibility depending on the type of incident that occurs, so you’ll need to be prepared to handle various outcomes.
What is Your Snow Removal Timeline Guarantee?
No one wants an interruption to business, so most companies have a sense of urgency about getting their lots cleared during a snow event. A professional snow removal service understands the priorities of each of their clients and works to make sure all parking lots are cleared according to a reasonable schedule. When interviewing snowplow companies, ask them directly how they schedule their snowplow drivers to make sure every business they serve is cleared in a timely manner.
If getting your employees on-site is not crucial, you may be able to negotiate for a discount for being low priority. However, if you need to get people back to work to avoid a business loss, set clear expectations with the snow removal service and get their agreement in writing. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to file a business interruption claim for a snowstorm.
Snow Removal Business Insurance
When snow interrupts your business operations, getting back to work is the first thing on your mind. But if you trust an unqualified or under-insured individual to clear the snow from your parking lot, you’re taking a big risk. Prepare for winter ahead of time by making sure the service who takes care of your snow removal is trustworthy, insured, and on time. If you’re working with a service that is trying to get things off the ground, have them give us a call. We help many new business owners get started with the right kind of insurance for their specific business needs.
If you are already working with a snow removal provider, and you want to make sure that both you and they have the right coverage, contact us to review your business policies. At Smyrl Insurance, we educate, nurture, and empower business owners through insurance to help them handle any property mishap. We’ll make sure you understand your liabilities in your policy and what you need to expect from any service providers. We serve clients for business liability, commercial property, and commercial umbrella insurance in Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Harleysville and throughout Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
