Insurance premiums killing my general handyman side gig

Been doing general repairs and small remodels for years, but these insurance hikes are BS. Switched to Progressive for my work van last month thinking it'd be cheaper, but nope, now my premiums jumped because of one fender bender from a distracted homeowner pulling out of their driveway on a job. I'm talking about covering everything from basic drywall patches to installing new light fixtures and even some minor plumbing fixes like swapping faucets. It's frustrating because I run a tight operation with just me and one helper, but the carriers don't care about that. Saw a thread on r/smallbusiness where guys were venting about the same thing, and someone in Handyman Nation Facebook group mentioned bundling policies to save, but I'm not sure. Also, dealing with the paperwork for claims is a nightmare, especially when it's not even my fault. Anyone got tips on shopping for better rates without skimping on coverage?

Finally got my workers comp down 15% by adding safety training certs to my file. Proud of negotiating that with the agent.

SharkBite on insurance? Nah, ditch the big carriers and go independent agent who fights for you. They'll find loopholes the rest miss.

Had a client rear-end my truck then blame me for parking wrong. Laughed my ass off when their insurance folded like a cheap lawn chair.

Shop around on Insureon or similar sites, they compare quotes from multiple providers tailored to handymen. Takes 10 minutes.

Get everything documented, even small jobs. Helps with claims.

Customer's dog chewed through my extension cord mid-job. Bill 'em for it next time.

FML, my rates doubled after a false slip-and-fall claim. Handyman life's rough.

Same here man, premiums eating into my profit on every fence repair I do.

Feel you, brother. My HVAC side jobs got hit hard too after one AC install claim.

I hear ya, it's like they're punishing us for doing honest work on remodels.

Us too, general contractors getting screwed over by these increases across the board.

Don't bundle if it locks you in, saw a guy lose big when his van needed major repairs not covered properly.

Look into trade associations for group rates, often cheaper for handymen like us.

Totally get it, been there with my electrical patch jobs. Hang in there.

We're all feeling the pinch, especially solo ops like yours.