# Attention Stump Grinders



## sonny08 (Apr 15, 2014)

Who do you use for your equipment & liability insurance & what is your premium ? 

Also do you always have the homeowner call - 1-800 before you dig or do you make the call?


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## Topbuilder (Apr 16, 2014)

The only utilities at my depth are tv/cable. The owners responsibility. If the wires are in the stump, not my problem. And I have seen it happen... I have hit water lines at 2", not my problem... I discuss sprinkler lines beforehand, if they are hit, you guessed it - not my problem. If I break a sprinkler head that has been discused prior to grinding, shame on me. I fix it.


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 17, 2014)

I think I pay about 1k / year for insurance and bonding for trees, stumps and a few other things my agent through in. 
I can look it up if you really want to know who it is through but it is not really that special of a rate around here. 

I have done a lot of construction so I generally know where the lines are. 
If I am worried about where the lines are I have them marked myself. 
If you have them marked and hit them they will usually be fixed for free. 

Most utilities are required to be buried below 18".
The exception to that is cable and phone drops from a main line into a house.


Cable and phone drops are the most common to hit (pretty rare). 
They are easy to splice if you hit them just make sure your splices are water proof. 
If you don't know how to splice them ask the marking service to show you how when they show up to mark.

If you want a good reputation fix any damages that might occur yourself.
If you don't want the liability make sure your contract says the homeowner is responsible for damaged utilities.
If your insurance company has to pay for a utility line you will be lucky to find insurance for 1k / month.

I once saw a gas line that was less than an inch under the surface so watch out.


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## Topbuilder (Apr 18, 2014)

In texas you are not required to locate when not going over 6" deep. I have hit many phone/cable lines. They rarely bury them more than a few inches in residential areas. I hit two in the last week. One was 1/3 the way in a 40" pine, the other was actually "located" and showed it going under the fence when it really turned and went along the fence, embedded in the stump I was grinding.
If you have a locate, and hit what was located where it was located, that's going to be on you. If they mismark it that's on them.


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## sonny08 (Apr 19, 2014)

Well I would think that if a stump is out back away from the house , probably safe to grind away , assuming no sprinkler system or out buildings . If the stump is in the front or side yards I would have 800 before you dig come out & do a check.

I found liability insurance for $412 a year and includes 20 K on my equipment & 1 - 2 million liability and 5K in medical . I had quotes as high as $2,300 .


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 19, 2014)

I'm switching to your insurance. Who is it through?


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 19, 2014)

Utilities run through the back yard as often as the front. If you don't know how utilities are ran have them marked for a while until you have a general idea of what is going on under there.


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 19, 2014)

At minimum figure out where gas lines are and make sure the electric is ran overhead.


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 19, 2014)

Around here 

red is electric
yellow is gas
orange is phone and cable
blue is water
green is sewer

Figure out where they come from and where they go. 
Get a general idea of what direction they usually go.
Or go blind and pray.


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 19, 2014)

In Oklahoma if you hit a line with a hand tool when trying to locate it they will fix it for free. I use the pointed end of a maddox next to a phone or cable drop and try and pry the line up and move the line if it is too close and then use the grinder to dig a trench and put it back when I am done.


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## BuckmasterStumpGrinding (Apr 19, 2014)

Just don't abuse the hand tool exception because they can make you pay if you do it too much. They can also get a court order to bar you from future digging (grinding) if you damage too many lines.


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## sonny08 (Apr 23, 2014)

BuckmasterStumpGrinding said:


> I'm switching to your insurance. Who is it through?


Pekin Insurance = 2 million General = 20K equipment = 5K medical


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## ASG (Nov 3, 2015)

sonny08 said:


> Pekin Insurance = 2 million General = 20K equipment = 5K medical


Is Pekin the agency you use, or the actual company that writes the insurance? That's a great price.


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## DR. P. Proteus (Nov 18, 2015)

Hell, lets see you hit a gas line and try that, " not my problem" ****!


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## hoagies n grinders (Dec 13, 2015)

sonny08 said:


> Who do you use for your equipment & liability insurance & what is your premium ?
> 
> Also do you always have the homeowner call - 1-800 before you dig or do you make the call?



I use red shield to cover my equipment and liability.
$565/ year 1 mil liability and $20k on equipment.


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