Does My Business Need Washington Commercial Property Insurance?
Any business owner that has physical assets that are vital for earning revenue should have Washington commercial property insurance. It is extremely important because it ensures that your business will not suffer large out-of-pocket costs as a result of any damages that may occur from no fault of their own.
What Does Washington Commercial Property Insurance Cover?
Washington commercial property insurance is an insurance policy that covers the business property that you lease or own from any damage caused by most natural disasters, fire, theft or vandalism. It also covers your personal property, such as any tools, equipment, inventory, furniture and any other items that you may have within the property. Moreover, this type of insurance policy covers assets, such as accounts receivable and lost income.
There are several things that WA commercial property insurance can cover. Some of the items that are protected under this type of policy include:
- The structure or building
- Your business inventory
- Other peoples’ property
- Any furniture and other equipment within the building
- Fencing
- Landscaping
- Exterior signs
Business owners can adjust their coverage so that suits their individual needs. For example, they can choose a basic policy, or they can add extra protections to ensure that almost all of the property of their business is protected.
What Washington Commercial Property Insurance Doesn’t Cover
CWashington commercial property insurance typically does not cover:
- WA commercial vehicles.
- Property damage resulting from employee errors.
- Property that was not purchased for business use
- Personal belongings that may be used by the business.
- Amounts beyond the policy limits and property value.
- Intentionally damage caused by the business owner or employees
Types Of WA Business Property Insurance Coverage
When it comes to Washington commercial property insurance, people who own a business have several options to choose from and can adjust their polices to their needs. However, there are three basic categories of coverage:
- Basic Coverage. A basic commercial insurance policy insures a business against fires, storms, smoke, explosions, and vandalism.
- Broad Coverage. This type of insurance covers everything that basic coverage does, but it also includes damage to glass, water damage, and any damage that is caused by fallen objects.
- All-risk Coverage. This covers everything that basic and broad coverage offer, and it also includes theft, as well as any other direct physical losses.
There are also specific types of Washington commercial property insurance coverage. Some examples include:
- Ordinance coverage. This will provide you with money for any additional costs that are associated with repairing or rebuilding your structure after it has been damaged in order to ensure that it meets building codes.
- Valuable papers. This offers limited coverage for any valuable papers that your business may record, such as receipts and other documents.
- Extra expenses. With this coverage, you will receive additional money to return your business back to the condition it was in before it was damaged.
- Personal property coverage for employees. If your employees have any personal property on the premises of your business, this coverage will provide money to replace or repair those items if they become damaged.
- Crime coverage. With this coverage, you will be protected from various types of crimes, such as robbery, forgery and theft.
How Much Does Washington Commercial Property Insurance Cost?
How much does Washington commercial property insurance cost? The premiums vary depending on the amount of risk exposure, and it depends on the endorsements and deductible selected. The cost of commercial property insurance varies. Following are some of the main factors that go into the price of a policy:
- Construction: How the building was built and its condition. Masonry or brick buildings don’t burn as fast as wooden frame.
- Occupancy: Who occupies the building influences the rates. Companies with higher fire risk (like pizza ovens, kilns etc.) can pay more.
- Risk: The insurer will determine an overall risk for the business and building before issuing a rate.
- Location: Insurers look at the location of the business. If it is located in a high-crime neighborhood, then the rates are higher.
- Protection: Things like alarms and sprinkler systems can reduce rates. Proximity to a fire station or fire hydrant also can help reduce costs.
Further Reading On Business Property Insurance
WA Commercial Property Insurance Quotes
Request a Washington Commercial Property Insurance quote in Auburn, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Burien, Camas, Des Moines, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kennewick, Kent, Kirkland, Lacey, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Longview, Lynnwood, Maple Valley, Marysville, Mercer Island, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Pasco, Port Angeles, Pullman, Puyallup, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Sammamish, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane Valley, Spokane, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Yakima and all other cities in WA.
Washington Insurance Rules & Regulations
In Washington State, there are certain types of insurance that you should be aware of. We will be covering the limits and regulations of insurance within the state. You should be aware of these because if you operate a business, there may be certain types of insurance that you are required to carry. In addition, even if you do not have a business, there may be certain types of insurance regulations that you should familiarize yourself with. We will be taking a close look at insurance regulations for both personal and commercial here.
WA Commercial Insurance
For business liability insurance, what you should be aware of is that Washington does not require businesses to carry business liability insurance in order to operate. Washington is a pure comparative fault state which means that an insurance adjuster must first assess fault and name the adjuster or a court will reduce the award proportionate to the fault of the plaintiff. Businesses may carry business liability insurance in order to protect themselves against these types of claims.
However, Washington does require anyone who employs at least one person full-time or part-time to carry Worker's Compensation insurance to protect them if they are injured on the job. Washington does not require any type of disability insurance for businesses nor do they require commercial vehicles to carry commercial auto insurance.
Washington Personal Insurance
There are two types of personal insurance that you should be aware of. The first is auto insurance requirements. In Washington State, you are required to carry 25 000 USD per person and 50 000 USD per accident in bodily injury coverage. You are also required to carry 10 000 USD in property damage as well as uninsured/underinsured bodily coverage of 25 000 per person and 50 000 USD per accident.
There are two life insurance regulations to be aware of in Washington State. First, be aware that there is no free look period like there is in most states. If you sign up for life insurance, you are not able to cancel within 10 days in order to get a refund on your policy premium. However, there is a law that requires timely payment on insurance claims in the state of Washington. In fact, the state requires that the beneficiaries account start accruing interest on the day of death. That means that insurance companies will have to pay more for each day that they fail to pay the benefit. There is also a misrepresentation law when it comes to life insurance in Washington.