[hackerspaces] insurance

[Jeff Cotten]

Loki,
 
  You'll find that insurance programs vary differently from state to state.  Makers Local (Alabama) uses the same insurance provider a hackerspace in a different state, but they received a cheaper rate than we did.

Makers Local 256 uses State Farm, it runs the organization about $27 / month, or $324 / year.

We had a very challenging time obtaining insurance because we didn't know how to describe ourselves.
Many of the insurance companies use automated systems with a drop down field for describing a customer.
They really choked on the fact that we didn't produce a product.

Eventually we figured out to describe ourselves as a Hobby Shop.  

I'm curious what role alcohol plays for other hackerspaces in North America.  Was this a consideration for you when seeking liability insurance?
Do you allow it at all, or under special circumstances?

One hurdle you may end up going through is prepping your space to be insured.  Our provider required that we complete some safety improvements to the space before they were willing to cover us.  Some of the improvements were expensive.  

~Omegix
Makers Local 256



Message: 5
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 14:28:20 -0800
From: Lokkju Brennr <lokkju at gmail.com>
To: discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
Subject: [hackerspaces] Liability insurance in the USA?
Message-ID:
    <2d6e831f1001061428g677a6d67xbd15a630ffb86a0 at mail.gmail.com>
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I'd love some input on what providers those of you in the USA go
through for getting CGL liability coverage for your space - as well as
how you describe yourself to your insurance agent or underwriter, and
how much you pay.  We currently looking to get coverage for our new
space.

Also, it would be really nice to add a size field to the list of
hackerspaces, for how many ft2/m2 the space is.

Loki // pdxhackerspace.com
lokkju at gmail.com


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