Do Rideshare Drivers Need Commercial Auto Insurance?

Rideshare and delivery gigs can help you make some extra money, but you’ll want to make sure you’re fully protected during your gig work. A regular auto insurance policy doesn’t cover any type of commercial activity, which means that you could find yourself facing large bills if you’re in any type of accident. 

Riders vs. Commercial Insurance

If you primarily use your vehicle for personal purposes, you may be able to add a rider to your personal auto insurance policy instead of buying commercial insurance. A rider (aka endorsement) adds coverage for occasional commercial use, providing you with the protection you need to use your vehicle for both commercial and personal purposes. However, riders don’t offer as much liability coverage as a commercial auto insurance policy. What’s more, your insurer may deny compensation for repeated claims related to commercial activity.

If you do rideshare and/or delivery work on a very regular basis, commercial auto insurance is a worthwhile investment. It offers higher liability and property damage limits than personal auto insurance coverage. Furthermore, you won’t be denied compensation simply because the claim is related to commercial work. 

Call Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland, ME, for More Information

Our team at Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance is always happy to help South Portland, ME, drivers get the insurance coverage they need at a price they can afford. We offer various forms of auto insurance from multiple carriers to make it easy for you to find the policy that meets your exact needs. Give us a call, let us know what type of protection you need for your vehicle, and we’ll help you review your options to make informed coverage decisions. 

Does Home Insurance Cover a Burst Pipe?

Home insurance provides coverage for a range of problems. If your home has been recently damaged by a burst pipe, it’s important to know whether your home insurance will cover the cost of repairs. Your insurance agent at Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance servicing Portland, ME can help answer your questions. We can look up your insurance information, go over your coverage with you, and if you need to start a claim for water damage, we can help with that too.

Does Home Insurance Cover a Burst Pipe?

Typically, home insurance does cover a burst pipe. Most of the time, home insurance will only cover a burst pipe that was a sudden, unexpected occurrence. If the pipe was leaking and caused damage over a long time, your insurance is unlikely to cover this problem. Keep in mind that you are expected to maintain your home. If your pipes burst because you turned off your heat and the pipes froze as a result, your home insurance policy may not cover the damage.

Will Home Insurance Cover Damage from a Burst Pipe?

Usually, home insurance policies will cover damage to floors, walls, and ceilings when the damage comes from a burst pipe. To find out exactly what’s covered by your home insurance policy, contact your insurance agent. 

How Can I Find Out More About My Coverage and Limits?

The professionals at Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance servicing Portland, ME are happy to answer your questions about your burst pipe. We can help you determine whether your coverage extends to your situation, and if you need to file a claim, we can help with that too. If you run into trouble with your insurance company, we can advocate for you to help you get what you need. Call today. 

Business Interruption Insurance — Add-On Coverage That Will Preserve Your Operational Responsibilities

Business interruption insurance prevents a business from going bankrupt after incurring a catastrophic situation. This type of insurance allows a business owner to preserve their business plan and handle each responsibility they are faced with.

Lost Revenue

Business interruption insurance replaces the revenue that would be earned under normal circumstances. The insurance benefit that you receive will allow you to keep your business afloat during tough times.

It will ensure that you have the funding needed to handle all the expenses you typically face day-to-day. The manner in which lost revenue is projected may be reliant upon past sales and business records that you have at your disposal. 

Recurring Bills

After a catastrophe, you will still be hit with recurring bills. This fact can be overbearing when faced with a crisis. Fortunately, business interruption insurance handles expenses like these.

An insurance benefit can handle utility costs, vendor costs, equipment costs, and more. If you are typically saddled with a wide range of expenses each month, it can be greatly beneficial to put your mind at ease by knowing that your business interruption insurance coverage will handle whatever expenses come your way.

Temporary Commercial Facility Fees

If flooding, a fire, or destructive vandalism has affected your place of business, you may decide to operate your business from another location. Moving your establishment to another address may be temporary. During this time, your business interruption insurance can assist with paying the bills associated with the move.

Agent Support in The Portland, ME Region

Are you ready to ask an agent questions about your insurance policy? If so, contact one of our representatives from Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance. An agent will go over your insurance coverage with you.

Home Insurance vs. Home Warranty: What’s the Difference?

Home insurance and home warranty policies provide important forms of coverage for your home. Even so, there are important differences between the two. 

Home Insurance

Home insurance covers your home structure, other structures on the property, your appliances, and your personal belongings in the home. If these are damaged or destroyed by a covered peril, you’ll be compensated. If you have to move out of your home temporarily while the home is being repaired after a covered peril, home insurance will cover the cost of food and accommodations.

Home insurance also covers liability and property damage that occurs on your premises. If someone has an accident in your home, insurance can cover medical bills and other expenses. The same point applies if someone’s personal property is damaged while they’re visiting your home. 

Furthermore, home insurance can be customized to meet your specific needs. You can add a rider to your policy to cover short-term rentals. You can buy umbrella coverage to increase your home insurance liability policy limits.

Home Warranty Policies

A home warranty only covers appliances in the home. However, unlike home insurance, a home warranty policy covers damage caused by regular wear and tear. If something breaks down, you pay only a pre-determined fee, and the item is either repaired or replaced. A home warranty policy is especially valuable if your home has older appliances that are no longer covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.

Call Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland, ME, for More Information

Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance is a local insurance agency serving homeowners in and around Portland, ME. We take pride in helping our customers find the best home insurance deals at the best possible price. Call us today to find out more about our policies and policy bundles.

Will Auto Insurance Pay for New Tires?

Taking care of your car can be expensive. From routine maintenance to the investment in new tires, you may spend a significant amount of money every year on your vehicle. It is logical to wonder if insurance can help with those costs. There are limited situations where your policy can cover new tires.

At Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance, we can help you determine what coverage is a part of your plan. If you need auto insurance in Portland, ME, give us a call to inquire about your options.

When Does Auto Insurance Cover Tires

It is not common for your auto insurance policy to cover the cost of replacing your tires for normal wear and tear. Rather, auto insurance is there to help you in unexpected and accidental situations to minimize the costs. For example, if you are in a car accident, and the tires suffer damage to them because of the collision, and that collision is covered, the insurance company will pay for new tires.

Some types of policies, like collision insurance, may offer limited protections if you strike surfaces that cause damage to the tires, such as significant potholes that bend your rim. You may also turn to your policy for help with vandalism and theft of your tires, assuming you purchased comprehensive insurance coverage.

There are situations where you can purchase tire insurance or roadside assistance. Less common and only available as an add-on to your policy, these can help you to get new tires in place when a covered event occurs.

Get Coverage You Can Count On

Set up some time to speak to our team at Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance now. Learn about the types of coverage we can offer to you. When you need quality auto insurance in Portland, ME, we can help.

What are the benefits of having commercial insurance in Maine?

Those that are in the Portland, ME area will find that there are plenty of local amenities and a strong local economy. Due to this, Portland can also be a good place to start a small business. If you are going to start a company here, you should get a quality commercial insurance policy. There are several benefits that come when you get this type of insurance coverage here. 

Coverage Gives Important Protection

A key advantage of having commercial insurance in this area is that it will give you very important coverages. With a commercial insurance policy, you can receive property coverage, liability protection, and other forms of protection that are curtailed to your business needs. In a situation where you experience a loss, the commercial insurance policy will prove to be very valuable and could keep your business solvent.

Coverage is Required by Many Stakeholders

Another reason that you may want to get a commercial insurance policy is that it is often required by many different stakeholders. If you would like to lease a commercial space, purchase a building with a mortgage, take out a business loan, or even raise capital, any stakeholder is going to want you to have commercial insurance. This is almost always a requirement under our legal documents as it can help to protect your organization and protects another party’s investment.

As you are shopping for commercial insurance in the Portland, ME area, it is important that you speak with someone that you can trust and help guide your decision. Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance is a great company to contact when you are looking for a new policy. Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance will be able to help you personalize a policy to ensure you are properly protected. 

Natural Disaster Prep for Your Businesses

Natural disasters are on the rise, putting business owners at risk of suffering damage or loss of business property. A big disaster can literally put you out of business.

If you own a business in Maine, your customers and employees depend on you to prepare for the worst. Commercial insurance from Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance is one way to protect your business from disaster damage. Here are a few other ways to prep your small business for natural disasters.

Employee Disaster Readiness

  • Develop a plan for your employees, so they will know what to do in the event of a disaster.
  • Make sure that employees know who to contact and how to reach key personnel when needed.
  • Create an evacuation plan that employees can easily follow if they have to escape in a hurry.
  • Update new employees on disaster readiness so everyone is well-informed on what’s expected of them if disaster strikes.

Communicating with Clients after a Disaster

If your customers can’t reach you after a disaster, they may find someone else who can help. Don’t jeopardize your business. Have a plan to continue your operations, and let your customers know where to find you.

  • Have a plan in place to communicate with key clients after a disaster.
  • If your building is severely damaged, you may need to open a temporary location to continue operations. Thinking about possible options before disaster strikes can save valuable time following a disaster.

Protecting Essential Data after a Disaster

Make sure your primary data is backed up digitally to prevent loss in a disaster. This includes financial records, employee and customer information, and any other critical data you need to keep your business running. Cloud backup is the safest, most secure means of protecting essential data from natural disasters.

Commercial Insurance Coverage

Purchase adequate commercial insurance for your building, business equipment, and inventory. Just as important, be sure you have business interruption coverage. Many businesses have enough insurance to replace what they lose, but not enough to recover lost earnings. This can cause your business to fail.

Maine Business Insurance

For information on commercial insurance coverage and costs, contact Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland, ME. We offer a choice of Maine’s top business insurance companies. We can help you find the right fit for your business. We’re independent and committed to you.

How to Insure A Maine Home Owned by a Trust

Many home owners in Maine transfer some of their property to a living or  family trust.  Trusts can be a useful estate planning tool. Once they were used only by the wealthy. Today, people of all financial means place property in trusts.

Trusts are legal documents. Your attorney can explain if a trust is a good solution for you. They can also help you establish a trust.

Insuring Property in a Trust

How can you insure real estate owned by a trust? It depends on the use of the property. Is it your primary home? A vacation home? Does someone who’s not a trustee live in the home? Is the property owned by a family trust, and used by several relatives?

Each insurer has different requirements for trust-owned property. An experienced insurance agent can help you find the right insurance solution. Independent insurance agents offer a choice of several insurance companies.

Some insurance companies use special policy endorsements for trusts. Others simply add trusts as an “additional insured” on the policy.

Are you living in a trust-owned property in Southern Maine? Are you a trustee? If so, contact Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland at 207-799-5541. We offer a choice of Maine’s preferred property insurance companies. We’re independent and committed to you.

Does Commercial Insurance Cover Portable Business Equipment?

Commercial insurance protects a company or business owner from losses to buildings or equipment necessary for the operations. However, many Maine businesses rely on portable equipment to operate. So, does commercial coverage offer protection for essential portable equipment when it’s off the premises?

Coverage for Portable Equipment

Commercial insurance covers equipment, inventory and supplies located on the premises of the covered location. However, this may not extend to things that leave the premises. If you bring property to job sites or customer locations, portable equipment insurance may be necessary to prevent gaps and losses.

Portable equipment coverage is sometimes called an Inland Marine Floater. This coverage will protect electronic equipment and other contractor related items required to perform daily work-related tasks. Before selecting additional insurance, speak with an agent about current and future needs, and find out what options are currently available to get a complete layer of protection.

Protect Your Equipment on Job Sites

Considering a purchase of portable equipment for your business? Talk to an agent from an insurance company who can outline what steps are necessary to get comprehensive coverage. Although some protection may be offered by standard commercial insurance, navigating portable insurance coverage may be necessary.

If your business is located in Southern Maine,  contact Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland at 207-799-5541. We offer straightforward solutions from some of Maine’s top business insurance companies. That allows you to choose insurance that matches your business needs and provide you with peace of mind.

Getting the right combination of insurance to cover a business can be tricky. Don’t risk gaps and issues that could spell disaster. Consult with an agent from Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance to get the coverage necessary to protect a business in Portland, ME and throughout the state.

What Structures Besides the Home Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

Your home insurance covers far more than the home itself and its contents. If you read your homeowners policy from Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance of Portland, ME carefully, you’ll spot a section called “other structures.”

What are other structures?

Other structures refer to any buildings on your property that are not directly attached to the home. Those include fences, sheds, detached garages, workshops, etc. It also includes your backyard gazebo, and the pool house, if you are fortunate to have a pool.

Similar to the policy section that covers your home’s contents, the other structures section describes your coverage and its limits. Your other structures will be covered for a percentage of the replacement value of your home. It is typically ten percent of the value. That is not per structure, but for all other structures as a whole.

That means if your insured home value is $300,000 and your other structures coverage provides ten percent coverage, you have $30,000 of coverage for your workshop, fences, detached garage, and other buildings.

Other structures coverage is automatically included, whether or not you have any outbuildings. That’s so that you don’t have to call your insurance agent if you add a shed or build a small detached garage. “Other Structures” can’t be removed from a homeowners policy, and there’s no additional charge for the coverage.

Also, you are covered for the same perils as named in your home’s coverage. If your house has coverage for wind or hurricane damage, so do your other structures.

Call us at Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland, ME at 207-799-5541 to learn more about other structures insurance. You can add to your coverage so your workshop or fences are fully insured.