Insurance for Garage Door Installers

What underwriters look at

Garage door installation and repair centers on a piece of equipment that stores significant mechanical tension. Torsion springs under high tension can release suddenly during installation, adjustment, or repair, and a spring failure has caused serious injuries to technicians who aren't following proper winding and safety procedures. This is one of the more distinct injury exposures in residential trade work, and it drives much of the workers' comp risk in this industry.

The doors themselves are heavy, and a panel that isn't properly secured during installation can fall, damaging a vehicle parked in the garage or injuring someone nearby. Opener installation adds an electrical component, and a door that isn't properly calibrated with its safety sensors can close on a vehicle, pet, or person, creating a liability claim that goes beyond simple property damage. Garage doors are also one of the largest moving objects in most homes, so malfunctions tend to draw attention and generate claims quickly.

Because garage door companies frequently handle service calls in customers' driveways and garages, they also carry the everyday auto liability exposure of technicians constantly on the road between jobs, along with the theft risk of carrying doors, springs, and openers as rolling inventory in a service van. A policy built around this trade should reflect both the mechanical injury risk and the property exposure of a mobile service fleet.