Home/Operations/🎨 Painting/Insurance rates on our painting vans just jumped 40% in PNW, what the hell
Insurance rates on our painting vans just jumped 40% in PNW, what the hell
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BrushStrokeBoss
·9mo·21 replies·16 participants
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BrushStrokeBoss👑 LegendOP9mo
151
Out here in the Pacific Northwest, rain or shine we're always hauling Graco sprayers and Benjamin Moore paint cans around in our fleet of Ford Transit vans, but my commercial auto insurance just spiked from $4500 a year to over $6300 because of some BS claims history from a minor fender bender last winter. We've got three vans total and this crap is killing our margins on those big exterior jobs where we're up on ladders all day dodging the drizzle. I called my agent and they said it's industry-wide with painting contractors getting hammered on premiums right now, especially with tool thefts going up in Seattle area lots. Someone in the Painting Contractors Facebook group mentioned switching to Progressive but I'm skeptical, anyone had luck negotiating this down? TBH, feels like we're getting screwed just for doing exterior trim work in zone 6 weather.
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SpringSpecialist10⭐ Expert9mo
31
Shop around with at least three quotes, I saved 20% last year by bundling with my GL policy on the work van.
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TarPaperTom3⭐ Expert8mo
22
Bundling worked for me too, dropped my Ford Transit rate by $800.
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DrainDragon5⭐ Expert8mo
4
damn, 40%? that's some highway robbery.
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CanvasChaos⭐ Expert7mo
32
PNW painters unite, my buddy's van got keyed last week and insurance laughed at his claim.
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AmpedApprentice5🏆 Master7mo
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keyed? tell him to get those dash cams, caught a thief on mine last month.
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KeyMaster3000⭐ Expert6mo
19
Dash cams are gold, but insurers still hike rates after any claim, even if it's not your fault.
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AmpedUp2👑 Legend6mo
60
Haha yeah, mine recorded me spilling paint thinner all over the seat, now that's a claim I'd deny.
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RidgeRunner2⭐ Expert5mo
26
Screw insurance companies, they're worse than picky homeowners rejecting a color match.
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TarPaperTitan2⭐ Expert5mo
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This is why I lease instead of own, lets the lessor eat the insurance hikes on our rig fleet.
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CleanFreakPro⭐ Expert4mo
23
Leasing sounds smart but the mileage caps kill you on those long hauls to job sites.
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AmpedApprentice5🏆 Master4mo
56
Same here in the northwest, my rates doubled after a hail dent on the roof rack full of ladders.
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KeyMaster3000⭐ Expert3mo
18
Progressive did me dirty too, quoted low then jacked it up after the first year with my painting gear inside.
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AmpedUp2👑 Legend3mo
57
FML, just got a ticket in the van and now premiums are gonna skyrocket even more.
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RidgeRunner2⭐ Expert3mo
21
Heard about a group policy through the Painting Contractors association, worth checking if it covers PNW specifics.
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TarPaperTom3⭐ Expert2mo
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What's everyone paying monthly for a basic cargo van setup? Mine's at $450 now after the increase.
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CleanFreakPro⭐ Expert2mo
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SharkBite for plumbing vans? Nah, stick to actual painters here, but yeah, GEICO might undercut on fleet rates.
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SpraySinner⭐ Expert1mo
38
Don't get me started, my last insurer dropped me after a spray booth fire claim, even though it was contained.
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VoltWizard⭐ Expert1mo
19
We all need to band together and push back, these rates are pricing small painting ops out of business.
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ColorChanger2🏆 Master28d
45
This sucks, been with the same company 10 years and they still treat you like a newbie after one claim.
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SolderSavant🏆 Master15d
4
You using any telematics? Some insurers give discounts for safe driving data on work vans.
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PolishPro🏆 Master1d
29
Telematics helped me shave 15% off, but privacy nightmare with the boss tracking every stop.
