Tuesday Morning Insurance Tidbit - REAL Real RC

[InsuranceMan]

Happy Tuesday Morning Everyone,

 

     Ah yes, Tuesday!  One of our most favorite days.  Not because it is only two measly days into slugging through the week, but because it means it is time for the TMIT!!!!!!!!!!!  <Sounds of throngs of adoring fans cheering and chanting TMIT … TMIT … TMIT …>

     Thank you … Thank you …  You are too kind!!!!!!

     On to it then!  Today I am touching on something that we have not spoken about before, but like a loud bang in the night, it awoken me in the midst of the night with me thinking to myself, “Self …” I thought to myself, “Why have we not talked about this before?”  So, it is high time to rectify this and we are going to talk about it now.

     In the past we have discussed the finer points of “Replacement Cost” and what that means, as well as “Co-Insurance” and how that works.  This topic folds in with each of those items, but is a bit more nuanced discussion on “replacement cost” in regard to buildings.

     Now, although this will apply to buildings that you have remodeled or rehabbed, it also very much applies to newly constructed properties and for the purpose of this conversation we will use the example of a newly constructed distillery.

     Let’s say that you recently just built your dream distillery and OH, IT IS SCHWANK!!!!!  Everything you ever wanted.  All the bells and whistles, knobs and dials, walls of glass to showcase your killer 32’ column shiny copper still from the 320 seat tasting room  …  the whole 9 yards baby!!!!!  WOOHOO!!!! Congratulations.  Now it is time to get this puppy insured.

     You call some Joe Schmuckatelli insurance guy down the way and tell him, “Hey buddy, you should see this place, it is amazing.”  And you tell him all about your killer distillery.  Then it happens.  The worst possible question he could ask.  “What did it cost you to build it?”  Your eyes glaze over and numbers start flying through your head and you see cartoon money with wings flying away and giant bags tied at the top with a string with “$” signs printed on them rolling out your doors on a conveyer belt and you start thinking that you better start making a lot of hooch, and QUICK.  After you moment of tallying your investment you tell Mr. Schmuckatelli that you are into this baby about $2.2 Million ( I know, that is a lot for a start up, but it is my story and I will tell it how I want.  I will tell you, I have had people that “started up” with a $14.6 million cost before.  Yikes. )  Then the next worst thing is said by this insurance schlepper.  “OK, that is the value we will use to insure your building then.” 

     You think, “Sure, why not, that is what it cost me to build this beautiful homage to hooch.  Let’s do it!”  And he does it, and you overpay through the nose and lose out on tons of money that you could have used to by barrels, or whatever you need next.  Why are you paying through the nose you may wonder?  Well, I will tell you.  Remember a few short moments ago when you were off in la-la-land and thinking about all the money flying away?  When you were watching all of that money flying away, which it was, you were also adding up and tallying costs that you most likely do not need to insure.

     Let me give you an example.  How much dirt-work and prep work did your site take?  I would imagine that out of $2.2 million, at the very least, $150,000 was in site prep and dirt work.  How about the flat work, concrete, etc.?  Another $250,00 or so?  Oh, and the hook ups, good-night the hook ups!!!! Brining water and sewer in and all your underground piping, tap fees, architect costs with stamping fees, on and on and on it goes.  EXACTLY!!!!!!!!  Almost all of those costs are things that you factored into you “REPLACMENT COST” because that was real money that left your hands and was spent, so that is what you tallied and told the cruddy agent who is wanting to insure your building for ALL OF THAT COST when in reality quite a percentage of your “build costs” would not need to be redone in the case of a loss.  Concrete does not burn, site work and leveling don’t need to be redone in the case of a fire, and generally underground pipes don’t burn and you will always have your plans and the tap fees are a one time deal. 

     See where I am going here?!?!?!?  You may have had costs in excess of maybe 25% or more of the actual value of your building that would not need to be redone at a later date in the case of a loss.  However, because you didn’t think about it in this way, and this snake-oil salesman didn’t bother to ask or care (really, most of them don’t even know and the more they insure it for the more it costs and the more they make), and now you are paying premium on a $2.2 million dollar value when you probably could have insured it for a “replacement cost” of $1.5 – $1.65 million, which would save you A BUNCH of money annually.  Not to mention, you would be spending money on something that you will never realize in the case of a claim, because the carrier will pay to “replace” the building with like kind and quality and if that can be done for $1.2 million, then that is what it will cost the insurance carrier, and as long as it is exactly like it was, who cares?!?!?!  YOU DO!!!!!  You were paying premium on way more than that, because you cruddy “evil-doer” agent was over charging you and didn’t care!

     Do not be that person that doesn’t know, who calls an insurance person who doesn’t know, and who is going to value something someway because you said that is what it cost you, that you are going to overpay on for years and years and years.  Nope!  You are better and smarter than that.  You are the type of intelligent insurance purchaser who has read all the TMIT’s and you are armed with knowledge, or at least the fact that you should contact me, InsuranceMan 2.0!!! and allow me to work through these things with you and direct you and assist you in getting the correct coverage at the right amount for the right premium.  Voilà !!!!!  This is why I am an insurance superhero by day, and ……  Well …. I am an insurance superhero 24/7/365, so ….

     With that my dearest readers, I am off to battle yet more insurance issues for some clients that came from a bad situation but are on their way to being much better and saving lots ‘o dollars now that they contacted me.  Until next time dear readers,

 

Stay Vigilant,

 

Aaron Linden

a.k.a. InsuranceMan 2.0!!!

307-752-5961

aaron@roaringforkins.com     or     insuranceman2.0@yaho.com