Frisco Business Insurance: One local agent for the whole business, shopped for you.

Texas is the only state where workers' comp is optional for most private employers. Employers who go without it are called nonsubscribers.

Optional has limits. Contractors on government building and construction contracts must provide coverage (Texas Labor Code §406.096), and many general contractors and property managers require it by contract before you start a job. Going without is legal, but it gives up important legal protections if an employee is hurt. Ask us what's available for your business. This is general information, not legal advice.

An injured employee can sue you directly in civil court, and Texas Labor Code §406.033 takes away three defenses an employer would normally raise: contributory negligence, assumption of risk, and fellow-employee negligence.

The employee generally needs to show your negligence contributed to the injury, and damages aren't capped the way comp benefits are. One serious injury can cost more than years of saved premiums, so make the decision deliberately.

Opting out is a formal status. Nonsubscribers file an annual notice with the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC Form-005), give written notice to employees, and post workplace notices stating they don't carry workers' comp.

Talk to an employment attorney about the legal side. We handle the insurance side, including options for either choice.

A Business Owners Policy bundles general liability, commercial property and business income into one package built for small businesses, often for less than buying the pieces separately.

For many Frisco offices and shops, a BOP is the core of the program. It isn't enough by itself if you give professional advice, hold customer data, have employees, drive for work, or need flood coverage. In North Texas, check the wind/hail deductible on every BOP you own.

Generally not. Personal auto policies typically exclude most business use, like deliveries, hauling tools between job sites or driving clients.

If the vehicle belongs to the business, it needs commercial auto. If employees drive their own cars on your errands, ask about hired and non-owned auto coverage, because their accident on your errand can become your claim.

Mostly no. Homeowners policies usually carry a small limit for business property and generally exclude business liability.

The fix is often simple: an endorsement or a small business policy. We'll tell you honestly which one fits.

General liability covers bodily injury and property damage. It doesn't cover a mistake in the professional services you provide.

If clients pay you for expertise or advice, like consulting, design, inspections or bookkeeping, and an error could cost them money, professional liability (errors and omissions) is the coverage that responds. Your contracts may require it. Ask us what's available for your field.

If you hold customer records, take cards, or run your business through email and cloud software, you have cyber exposure.

Cyber liability can help pay for forensic work, customer notification, legal help and the income you lose while systems are down. What it covers varies by policy, so we'll go through it with you.

Once you have employees, it's worth a conversation. EPLI responds to claims like wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment, which can come up in any business with staff.

General liability policies generally don't cover these claims. On employment-law questions, talk to an employment attorney. We handle the insurance.

A commercial umbrella sits on top of your general liability, commercial auto and employer's liability limits and adds another layer of protection when a serious claim runs past them.

It's common for businesses with vehicles on the road, heavy foot traffic, or contracts that call for higher limits than the underlying policies carry.

Property coverage repairs the building. Business income helps pay your rent, payroll and lost profit while that happens, after a covered loss.

In North Texas, set the restoration period to a realistic timeline, because after a big hailstorm contractors are booked up across the region. Flood is excluded from most business property coverage, and flash flooding happens across North Texas, so ask us about flood coverage too.

Hail and wind are usually covered perils on business property coverage, but the details decide what you actually collect.

Wind/hail deductibles are often a percentage of the insured value rather than a flat amount, and an older roof may be settled at actual cash value instead of replacement cost. Check your deductible, your roof's age and your business income period before spring storm season, and call us after a storm so we can help you start the claim.

A certificate of insurance is proof of your coverage. Naming someone as an additional insured extends your liability policy to protect them for work you do for them.

Leases, general contractors, property managers and larger clients ask for them all the time. Send us the request and the contract language, and we'll work to turn it around quickly.

It ranges too widely for one honest number. A home-based consultant and a business with a storefront, a crew and three work trucks are very different risks.

What you do, your payroll, your building and its roof, your vehicles and your claims history all move the price. Because we're an independent agency, we shop your coverage across several carriers and compare. Call us and we'll quote your actual operation.

We represent multiple insurance companies, so we can compare options instead of offering one company's policy.

We work for you, not an insurance company. Robert Hutchings is a Texas-licensed agent based in Frisco, and we stay with you from the first quote through renewals as your business and the insurance market change.