Building Material Dealers Insurance

America’s building material and hardware distribution industry generates over $250 billion in sales revenue annually, supplying vital products to the construction and housing trades.

As a material supplier, you provide essential products to contractors and tradespeople transforming residential and commercial projects. 

However, operating a lumber yard or material supply business comes with substantial risks, ranging from liability claims to fire damage, employee injuries, equipment breakdowns, and delivery mishaps that could harm your company’s finances.

Having the proper insurance creates a safety net, allowing you to manage potential threats and continue growing your operation confidently. 

Read on to learn more about how these coverages can defend your assets and income from potential damages so you can focus on inventory management and taking care of customers. With the right coverage, you can deal with problems head-on and keep your business afloat in flood waters.

It is the first line of protection against customer and third-party injury lawsuits.

For example, slip-and-fall accidents in stores, faulty building products leading to damage, or logs falling off a delivery truck, resulting in injury. Such incidents may result in premises and product liability claims.

General liability insurance covers the possible legal expenses and payouts if your business is deemed responsible for property damage, bodily injuries, or other harms. Typical policy inclusions are:

• Premises liability – Covers injury claims occurring within your hardware store or on business property.
• Product liability – Protects against financial harm caused by a defective product you supply/manufacture. 
• Personal and advertising injury – Covers claims arising from copyright issues, false advertising, or libel.

Even with strict safety protocols, accidents can still happen. Liability coverage gives you financial peace of mind if faced with a sizable lawsuit. Most experts recommend limits between $1 million and $2 million.

A construction material supplier’s property faces constant exposure to damages, from raw lumber to power tools to leased forklifts.

Fire, theft, windstorms, employee accidents, and other unpredictable events could destroy merchandise, tools, and buildings, or interrupt company operations.

Property insurance pays to repair, replace, or rebuild insured assets damaged due to covered causes like fire, smoke, wind and winter storms. Typical coverages include:

• Buildings – Reconstruction/repair costs if business structures are damaged.
• Business Personal Property – Replaces damaged business contents like shelves, tools, computers, and supplies after a covered loss.
• Business Income – Reimburses income lost while shut down after a disaster. It helps pay continuing expenses until you reopen.

Having adequate property insurance limits ensures you can recover from a devastating event.

A broker understands the potential threats to your business and can advise proper limits. Don’t leave your investment vulnerable.

Building material companies rely on vehicles to pick up purchases from vendors, deliver materials to professional contractor accounts and customers, and accomplish other transportation needs.  

Vehicle insurance provides essential protection by covering third-party damage/injury liability and damage to your private vehicles used for business purposes. Standard coverages include:

Liability – Covers injury/damage costs to others when your employee drivers cause an accident. 

Collision – Repairs damage to your owned commercial fleet of vehicles after an accident.  

Comprehensive – Covers losses from theft, floods, fire, storms, and vandalism.

Medical Payments/PIP – Provides immediate medical care for drivers injured in an accident.

An insurer structures optimal auto policies based on the mix of vehicles owned and operated by your business.

The Allen Thomas Group is happy to provide you with the required coverage.

Wood products manufacturing companies rely on computerized inventory systems, heavy-loading machinery like forklifts and cranes, powerful saws, and HVAC systems to maintain climate control in the facility 

Unexpected mechanical or electrical failures could severely damage these vital assets – leading to costly repairs and interruptions. This insurance covers damage to systems and tools caused by:

• Short circuit 
• Mechanical failure
• Power surge
• Boiler explosion
• Operator error 

It pays for both repair/replacement of tools and lost income while your business is closed. This specialized coverage program will benefit your company relying on heavy machinery. 

Let insurance professionals help you determine if you need property and casualty insurance too!

Employees might be injured working in warehouses, loading building materials, operating tools, and working with power tools.

Situations resulting in injuries like lacerations, fractures, sprains, falls from height, repetitive motion, and being struck by objects could lead to a workers’ compensation claim. 

Most states require companies to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

It pays for lost wages, medical expenses, and rehabilitation costs related to job injuries without considering fault.

When an accident occurs, workers’ comp allows you to focus resources on assisting your injured employee get back on their feet.

A professional insurance broker, such as The ATG, structures a compliant workers’ comp policy meeting state statutes and your payroll classifications.

Partnering with an expert provides guidance and ensures that adequate coverage is in place.

Can your business deal with massive fines for being non-compliant? If not, get the coverage you need!

Certain high-liability incidents, like wood falling from a delivery truck and causing death or severe injuries, can result in claims above your standard coverage.

This exposes assets to potential seizure without extra protection.

Umbrella insurance provides an additional layer above your general liability and auto policies.

It adds $1 million to $5 million in extra coverage to pay liability costs not entirely handled by primary policies.

For material dealers making large deliveries and dealing with heavy stock daily, umbrella coverage is essential for protecting your assets in a worst-case incident.

It provides peace of mind knowing you won’t pay costly claims out-of-pocket.