Insurance, State Farm?

[Rons Rightway Lawncare]

I will admit and be ready for the shame I am sure will come my way, but I have not had insurance in several years.... Just didn't see the need for it.

Last time I had it was about 6 or 7 years ago and I had what I think was 250-500 thousand in liability and then I had maybe 13-15 grand in tools and equipment coverage. I have always worked by myself for the most part so the rates for me are probably on the low side. Last time I had coverage on all this I think I paid maybe 500-600$ for all of it, through a local insurance broker, not sure who the underwriter was.

I decided I should be insured again since you just never know and asked my statefarm insurance agent for a quote. It came back pretty high... between 1900-2100$ per year depending on my deductable.

Is this a typical rate for now a days? Just seems really high to me and I want to get coverage, but at that price I have a hard time being excited about it.

[MudslinginFX4]

My insurance is through State Farm. When I changed companies last year.. my rates almost were cut in half. I was with Nationwide, now with State Farm. I have been happy so far. I can't remember my rates, but they will be higher then yours. I have 2mil Liability etc..

[RockSet N' Grade]

Insurance companies are a pretty interesting animal. I had my house/ranch, autos, trucks, equipment with State Farm for years and never shopped them. I will say, they sent me a Christmas card every year. One day, I started shopping and found 4 other companies and they were all 1/2 or better of what State Farm was.....for the same coverage. I made sure I was comparing apples to apples so it was a fair comparison. Needless to say, I will not be receiving a Christmas card from State Farm this year.....I switched. It may be a regional thing with companies, I don't know, but for a few phone calls.....do your due diligence and get the best rates/coverage for your money.

[abuckeye]

I am also a solo operation. My insurance is through Erie and I pay $1,051.00 for 1 mil liability and a 1 mil umbrella, this also includes about 8k in equipment.
I had State Farm quote me when I was shopping because they have my personal policies. They were much higher than the other quotes I got. They also would not let me trim trees and there was something else they would not let me do that was common, but I can't remember what it was. Hope that helps.
Tom

[dcondon]

We just changed our personal insurance because we was getting ripped off from State Farm. I will never do business with them again!!!!!!

[d&rlawncare]

We just changed our personal insurance because we was getting ripped off from State Farm. I will never do business with them again!!!!!!

My home owners is through state farm. I watched this special the other night on the Katrina victims that had state farm. There were some flood damage issues on there homes but obvious wind damage as well. State farm has yet to pay a dime to all these people.

[dcondon]

My home owners is through state farm. I watched this special the other night on the Katrina victims that had state farm. There were some flood damage issues on there homes but obvious wind damage as well. State farm has yet to pay a dime to all these people.

That sounds about right. Plus every month you get a different price. screw that!!

[procut]

State Farm is famous for being high.

I find it strange that some of you have your G.L. through State Farm. After a squabble with my current ins. agency this summer I went shopping. When I inquired at State Farm, the agent told me that state farm will no longer touch any lawn/landscape related business. When I asked why, he said they had to pay some big excavating claims in Illinois, and the second I stick a shovel in the ground, I fall into this catagory, therefore, he couldn't even give me a quote.

[Mow Right]

I am also a solo operation. My insurance is through Erie and I pay $1,051.00 for 1 mil liability and a 1 mil umbrella, this also includes about 8k in equipment.


My insurance is through a local broker of Erie, it cost about $400 for $1m liability and $13,000 ACV for equipment...

[VO Landscape Design]

Same here ProCut. They said they don't insure that type of business. Might be something regional.:confused:
VO

[1MajorTom]

Check out Erie insurance if it's available in your state. I researched it all 8 years ago, and Erie was the cheapest. I checked again on it a few years ago, Erie STILL was the cheapest.

[LindblomRJ]

Same as Procut and VO. Said they would not touch it. American Family though was willing.

[goodgreen]

I've always had State Farm since my father used to be a district manager for them. But my own agent told me insurance for lawn care would be very high. So I checked out Farm Bureau and they were very reasonable - but that might just be a Michigan company. At any rate, I'd check around.

[Rons Rightway Lawncare]

I only shopped my auto and homeowners insurance twice. Once I got a quote from Nationwide, or maybe it was Allstate.... price was nearly the same as what I had been paying at Statefarm. Then I asked a customer of mine who runs a insurance business - a no name place not associated directly with any of the bigname companies - He too said he couldn't save me much if anything.

One think I can say about Statefarm is they have always paid claims right away, the agent has always been helpful, they have been fair to me and not raised rates automatically when I made a claim or got a ticket. If I could save alot of money and go to a company with less service I would consider, but only for a significant savings.

Right now I pay about 200$ per month for full coverage on the 06 Isuzu NPR, my wifes 05 Camry, and my 2000 Toyota Echo, and a 1 mil umbrella policy. My homeowners was 750$ or so for 2007, I already paid it. House is worth maybe around 150K plus there was generous allowance for belongings in the house....

[ED'S LAWNCARE]

I have the houses, cars, property, and camper thru state farm. When I went to get my biz insurance my broker told me they won't underwrite my ins, and he gave me a # to a personal broker. Safe co underwrote my policy for 1 mil with 2 mill unbrella for $500 per year. That is the "safe rate" my first year was $1300 when I showed a history of safe working the rate dropped.

By the way State Farm is a bit higher on some things but I had claims on my house in N.Y. and they paid, I also had a claim on my wife's Yukon and they paid the rate never went up except she lost her safe driving disc. $100 per year.

[tthomass]

State Farm covers my truck and trailers. As for liability I paid $408 for $1mil coverage for 1yr. I want to say Nationwide is the company but I can't remember, I just know the agent to call haha. Workers comp for 1 person (not me) was just over $800 for 1yr.

[FATWEASEL]

Ron, sent you a PM.

[VBsnow]

I know I am suspect because I work in insurance; but captives cannot shop your insurance. Every company named here was a captive except Safeco. Company rates vary by state so you all cannot factually trade your price ranges. You see, companies have to file rates w/ your state insurance dept.
They are rarely the same from state to state. As anyone from New Jersey and New York can tell you, many companies just choose not to work in particular states.

On a side note, many of you just compared prices and not coverages and rating basis. The rating basis for most of you is your payroll. In fact, sole props and Corps may pay a different amount because the companies charge more for corporate officers in many cases. In addition, a guy who has 40k of payroll and a guy who has 0 have a different rating basis. Most companies take payroll amount by 1000 and divide. So 40K would be 40. Multiply by what their rate is and you have your cost(unless under the minimum).

As for the suggestion that ANY insurance company doesn't pay rates over a wind versus flood claim, that is a hard claim to make. Most insurance adjusters in Louisiana are INDEPENDENT ADJUSTERS. Many of them work for all of the companies. Your contract (policy) dictates what is or is not paid. Have any of you read it or do you just take the agents word for it? You don't really think all ofthese policies are the same do you? Are you the same as your competitor? Has your policy been shorted somewhere to reduce cost? Would anyone reduce services to beat you by price?

For a bunch of guys who pride themselves on the quality of their work, it seems strange price is the primary sticking point. But like somepeople will tell ya', they only buy it cause they have to. My suck if you need it isn't what you thought it was, eh? Just some thoughts.

[Fantasy Lawns]

Payroll is exactly how it's done ... think of it ... 2 LCO's side by side ....both with $1M .....one guy is a solo n the other has 6 employees

Does it not make sense that the one with more workers should pay more ??

I have a local broker ...whom I've had 10 years ..... I've shopped it around n I could maybe save a few bucks .... but I like the fact that the 2 real times I've had too call a claim they never raised my rates or dropped me n handled the claim very timely ....too the point I never lost those clients