Insurance and rates in GA

[rebocardo]

I need to get insurance for dropping a tree in GA and I sort of know it is going to be expensive. Is there a way and agent to go about it that will be inexpensive?

I work by myself (no helpers) and take all the safe guards I can think of before starting the saw. I am taking down a tree for free, though the church by-laws require all contractors who work on the property to have insurance.

So, I need insurance, but, do not know exactly what to ask for when calling an agent or who. I do not want to ask for the most expensive policy by appearing dumb, if you know what I mean.

What do other sawyers do in GA, just do it under a general policy? I tried searching here and there was not much info. Thanks in advance.

[beenthere]

I would suggest you take the problem to the church, and let them come up with the way, such that you are covered or protected from any damages caused by you. You are not charging (i.e. not a contractor), so shouldn't (IMO) be 'put' under their contractor requirements. No different than any member of the Church helping out.  
Let them contact their insurance provider and figure out how you are covered. Some sort of 'release' form to fill out should be all that is needed.

[SwampDonkey]

Rebo:

If liability insurance works down there, like up my way you have to get an annual coverage. They don't sell it month by month. If the church wants someone with insurance to handle it, then so be it. But, if they want you to do it, charge them the premium if your not doing it as part of a business. If the job is inside town limits and near powerlines and buildings I'de have coverage before I attempted the job. My premium went from $750 annually to $1000 and never had a DanG claim. There musta been alot of liability suits last year I guess. Or they lost big money off the Stock Market again.

[Bro. Noble]

In our area,  if a tree is near a powerline,  the power company wants to be the one to take it down.

[SwampDonkey]

Bro Noble:

Yup they do in most places I suspect, and usually if there are houses, in this case a church, there is power. But, utility companies usually charge for it in towns. Out in the country where I live you get it done free, all they do is wrap some flagging tape around the offending tree and its gone. We had 6 box elder that needed attention because of ice storms and they got whacked for free.

[Rocky_J]

If you are taking the tree down for free and you do not do tree work for income in any fashion, then you are not a contractor. If the church wants a licensed, insured contractor to remove the tree, then that leaves you out. To be insured, you would need to get a commercial policy just like any other business. But you aren't a business so it doen't make sense.

[Buzz-sawyer]

There is something available called specialty insurance... one underwriter is S.I.S.
You can buy a policy for one job only, demolition etc. For a one time flat fee.
Don

[rebocardo]

Well, I have gone through almost all the yellow pages with no luck. Most companies do not even want to do the insurance and the base line seems to be $2,000+ on the ones that do.

Many underwriters have a hard time with the idea that I really do the whole tree by myself and noone works with or for me. Some have insisted that I am flat out lying about having no help, too bad I can't reach through the phone and slap some courtesy into them  :

If anyone from GA happens to have an idea of who to call and what company to use, I would appreciate it. I tried the going with just a one job policy and all the "agents" insist on a full year and refuse to sell for an individual job.

[SwampDonkey]

That's what I suspected Rebocardo. But, $2000 is really high. Its $1000 here for myself. If I were practicing forestry in BC and belonged to ASTT out there I can get it for $620 to cover 3 professionals , then $205 for 2 more, $175 for 5 more and then $140 for each one after that. My deductable is higher ($1000) as I'm on my own, $500 in the group plan. $$CDN. I never heard of anyone covering a single job untill Buzz-Sawyer suggested it. Sometimes if the utility company do the job they leave the wood for you anyway, as long as the church says its ok. Maybe that's an option.

[rebocardo]

It is 133 feet to the nearest utility pole and the only thing it is really threat to is the children on the playground or the cars in the parking lot if it fell over.