Why and what insurance should a logger on my property have?

[myusername]

Hello and good afternoon,

I am considering hiring a logger to cut maybe 300-400 Pine trees on my property in Texas, near Houston.

It is a small acreage property, about 12 acres with about 300-400 mature Pine trees to cut. I thought there were more the first time I posted, but

I would have liked to wait longer, and maybe bid out the job and hire a forester, but it seems that the tract is not that big and the saw mills are not that close by.

To add to that, my spouse and her parents are keen to cut the trees, don't ask me why, and do not pay attention to credentials, qualifications, equipment, insurance etc.

So, we have a logger who is ready to begin, and he has shown me evidence of a small amount of Commercial general liability, but no evidence of:

1) Auto liability
2) Workers Comp - This is NOT a mandatory requirement in Texas, i.e. the contractor does not have to have it by default.

Is this sufficient? Is there a need for higher Commercial general liability, and what is the need for auto liability or workers comp?

I do not want to complicate things if not needed, especially as the relatives are ready to begin and don't care about insurance etc.

What do you all feel, kind friends?

Thank you
myusername

 

[bitzer]

I feel like this is a joke. If they don't have work comp and get killed/injured on your property, you are liable. At least that's what it is here.

 

[madhatte]

Agreed. Licensed/Bonded/Insured is what you want out of your contractor. Anything less, you're holding the liability.

 

[fireemt799]

If you are self employed you are not required to have workers comp unless you have employees. Most companies won't cover you if you are the only person working.

 

[Jhenderson]

If you are self employed you are not required to have workers comp unless you have employees. Most companies won't cover you if you are the only person working.

X2. It is illegal for a sole proprietor to have WC on himself in my state. There must be an employee / employer relationship. If he has any employees I would request a copy of WC certificate and his Contractors liability. Most liability policies today start at limits of $1 million per ocurance.

 

[northmanlogging]

So 2 million is my liability ins.
Covers ne smashin yer stuff or neighbors power lines etc

Auto ins would only cover car accidents that happen on the road.

Werkers comp is between employer and employee, out here i dont need werkers comp or l+i because i am owner operator texas may have different laws

 

[myusername]

Thank you for the replies. No, this is not a joke. I am in a tough situation because the in laws, who do not live here, they are visiting, and upkeep the property when they visit want the trees cut, yet I am hesitant to just choose any contractor who is ready to do to the work.

The contractor in mind has liability as follows $300,000 for each occurrence of GL $100,000 damage to rented property, $300,000 personal and adv injury and $600,000 general aggregate

 

[northmanlogging]

I guess you have to ask, how much is X worth if it gets smashed?

600k seems kinda low though.

 

[northmanlogging]

Also, any logger that can jump on a project short notice is suspect in my opinion... Especially right now.

 

[Jhenderson]

Just tell him to up his limits . From 600,000 to $1 mil per $2mil aggregate is very inexpensive.

 

[Gologit]

Thank you for the replies. No, this is not a joke. I am in a tough situation because the in laws, who do not live here, they are visiting, and upkeep the property when they visit want the trees cut, yet I am hesitant to just choose any contractor who is ready to do to the work.

The contractor in mind has liability as follows $300,000 for each occurrence of GL $100,000 damage to rented property, $300,000 personal and adv injury and $600,000 general aggregate

Your contractor/logger is minimally insured. These days most loggers carry 1 million at the very least. Is your logger state certified or do they have such a thing in your state?
Ask the logger for references from previous customers. Check them carefully. In some areas anybody with a saw and a pickup can call themselves a logger. There are a lot of firewood hacks out there who call themselves loggers. They're not.
Their self description isn't always accurate. A poorly skilled or marginally responsible logger can bring a world of grief to a landowner.
Give some thought to carrying or increasing your insurance as well. If the logger gets hurt on your property he'll very probably sue you. If he doesn't, you can bet his insurance company will. Make sure you're protected.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

What equipment is he usinf? That will usually weed out. A guy that is just "fly by night" likely won't have much for iron.