What these examples establish
These are readings of three saved proposal documents for different businesses. They are historical examples, not current offers, matched quotes for the same risk, paid-claim examples or recommendations that one insurer is cheaper. Names, addresses, quote identifiers and purchase links are omitted.
The figures show what the documents displayed. They do not establish that every rating input was independently confirmed or that the policy was purchased. Missing revenue or other inputs are left unknown rather than reconstructed from price.
1. Housekeeping: a $2 million GL limit and a $5,000 property sublimit
A Thimble/National Specialty housekeeper proposal prepared September 10, 2026 displayed a $2,000,000 GL coverage limit and a separate $5,000 Customer Property Protection sublimit. The summary excluded poor workmanship from that extension. Those are different limits answering different coverage questions.
The annual upfront total was $1,036.69. The installment display showed $258.62 due at purchase and $78.06 monthly. The proposal did not establish an installment count suitable for reconstructing the annual total, so multiplying the monthly figure by 12 would not be a supported comparison.
The retained intake receipt described a Nevada residential cleaner with $50,000 stated gross sales and no employees or subcontractors. Some eligibility answers remained quote-stage assumptions. This example explains the document; it is not a verified benchmark for another cleaner.
- Compare the customer-property sublimit and exclusions separately from the GL limit.
- Obtain the full installment schedule before comparing payment options.
- Confirm actual operations and assumptions before accepting coverage.
2. Tree work: $1,500 premium is not the complete payment estimate
A saved Blitz tree-business packet for a Virginia risk, with a proposed September 2026 policy period, showed $1,500 premium, $35.99 taxes and $75 other fees. The displayed pay-in-full estimate was $1,610.99 plus transaction fees. The packet used $25,000 payroll; a verified revenue figure is not established here.
The same packet’s forms schedule listed a work-height-above-60-feet exclusion and a separate tree-felling height limitation. A forms title is a reason to obtain and read the actual endorsement; it does not prove the felling rule’s detailed scope or override another restriction.
The lesson is to compare total charges and the work the proposed policy accepts. A premium-only comparison could miss both the additional charges and a condition affecting the jobs a tree business takes.
- Ask for the complete payment estimate, including taxes, fees and financing charges.
- Review working height and tree-felling wording separately.
- Confirm maximum actual heights and equipment before binding.
3. Tree work with subcontractors: two rating bases in one quote
An August 14, 2026 Crum & Forster Specialty proposal via Pathpoint for a different Virginia tree business displayed $20,000 payroll for the tree classification and $30,000 cost for subcontracted work. The schedule showed a $1,500 minimum class premium plus $286 for the subcontracted-work classification, producing $1,786 GL premium.
The quoted liability terms included $1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate and a $1,000 per-claim deductible including loss-adjustment expense and defense costs. The proposal was subject to audit. Gross revenue was not established by this schedule.
This is not a rate comparison against the previous tree business: the inputs and terms differ. It shows why subcontractor spending must stay visible even when a headline price is described as a tree-service minimum.
- Match payroll and subcontractor costs across every proposal.
- Identify minimum premiums and audit provisions.
- Compare deductibles and treatment of defense costs alongside limits.
Use the same facts for your own comparison
Prepare one description of the business and give it to every reviewer. Match effective dates, operations, locations, receipts, payroll and subcontractor costs. Then record accepted work, exclusions, limits, deductibles and total payment terms.
An apparent saving based on different work or different inputs is not yet a better insurance offer. Ask for a corrected, comparable proposal before deciding.
- Separate document facts, client-confirmed facts and unresolved assumptions.
- Ask for current quotes; do not reuse these historical examples as offers.
Your startup action list
Mark completed tasks, then download a copy with room for owners, dates, and notes. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh. No email required.
0 of 11 completed
Use this guide for planning. Confirm requirements and current fees with the agencies serving your address. Coverage depends on the policy and insurer; this guide does not confirm that a particular operation is eligible.