Accredited Snow Contractors Association

It’s a job that’s usually done in the worst of conditions — total darkness, or blinding snow, or a coating of ice, or all at the same time. And the stakes are high. Unlike some lawn and landscape services where aesthetics is a top priority, snow and ice management is all about safety. For contractors, all of this creates a lot of consternation — not only over the work itself, but also the liability that’s involved. Fortunately, there are things you can do — from carrying the right insurance to wording contracts correctly to keeping detailed records — that help minimize your exposure. Covering Up Mike Eisenhart, owner of Mike’s Professional Lawn Care in York, PA, says that a standard general liability policy is enough to cover his firm’s summer landscaping work. But when winter arrives, he adds an additional umbrella policy that covers the additional potential liabilities that come with providing snow and ice management services. “Our premium from November to April goes up a significant amount,” he says. But the potential risks that come from a possible lawsuit resulting from a slip-and-fall (or other incident) make it absolutely essential for contractors to carry substantial insurance coverage. And, Eisenhart points out, most commercial snow removal clients require that sort of coverage anyhow. In most cases, contractors in northern climates who work year-round should be able to endorse their existing landscaping policy to pick up coverage for snow and ice removal, explains Scott Young, director of small business underwriting at ...