The Essential Guide to Liability Insurance for Mural Artists
Anyone who has followed Pandr for longer than a day probably knows that beyond painting awesome murals for our clients, our driving mission is (and will always be) to break the starving artist stereotype and advance + empower other artists to support themselves through their art. We firmly believe that there is enough business for everyone, that the world needs artists… and that they should be compensated appropriately.
What does this mean for our industry? That not only do artists need to be able to create, they need to be able to successfully run a business. Over the years, we have learned a lot about creating and maintaining Pandr in a way that allows us to continue to grow our brand, our wallets, and our space in the industry as both muralists and as champions for other artists. Nothing brings us more joy than when people tell us they’ve booked a job using our Outreach Guide or our Mural Contract Template, or when they reach out for business advice. The mistakes we’ve made are always worth it when it saves another artist the same roadblock.
Recently, my DM’s have been flooded with questions from muralists about liability insurance. While it is certainly not as sexy as doing what we are best at - painting - it is equally as important to ensure that you, your business, is protected while on the job site. The general consensus is that liability insurance is confusing and intimidating. “Do I really need it?” The answer is, in all caps and bolded: YES! And we are here to help you navigate it. TLDR; Liability insurance is a top priority for any muralist, but DON’T WORRY! It’s not as daunting as it sounds.
[DISCLAIMER: I am not a certified insurance expert. This blog post is meant to help guide you based solely on my own personal experience and knowledge as a mural artist/ small business who has liability insurance. All views are my own, and I highly recommend speaking with a professional for the technical ins-and-outs and to gain 100% clarity on the topic.]
Read on for a full breakdown on:
What liability insurance is
Why your business needs liability insurance
How to obtain it
How to negotiate your liability insurance with your clients
And of course - some personal anecdotes and horror stories to ensure you get on it, asap ;)
What is Liability Insurance?
So, what is liability insurance? Simply put, “liability insurance protects you financially if you are found responsible for injuring or damaging someone else's property or person” (thanks Google!). No, it is not the same thing as health insurance. Health insurance pays your medical bills if you get hurt painting, but liability insurance covers financial losses due to injuries or property damages caused by the policyholder (aka you while you are installing a mural).
Here’s an example: imagine you are on a scaffolding and accidentally knock a gallon of paint off your platform and onto a car 20 feet below. The windshield shatters, and that White Corolla Cross is now a neon green brat machine. Do you want to pay for that damage? Nope. But without liability insurance, you’re going to have to. Suddenly all the money you have been paid for this mural is going right back to your client - and maybe the money you are making on the next mural, as well. With your liability insurance, however, you can file a claim with your provider and have them pay your client for the damages they are seeking. Yes, you will still have to deal with the emotional fallout of telling your client that you ruined their employee’s car, but at least your wallet stays happy.
Why Mural Artists Need Liability Insurance
Based on the above example, I think it’s pretty obvious why a muralist would want to have liability insurance. No matter how careful you are, accidents *will* happen. I’ve never personally had to tap into my liability insurance, but I did run my scissor lift into a wall once…. Thankfully, the client was able to fix the wall, but I was SO happy I knew that I was covered if they weren’t able to in that instance.
Besides protecting your business and your livelihood from financial ruin (I’m being dramatic, but also, not at all), having liability insurance also protects the client. Pitching your business as a fully insured entity shows the client that you are a professional, established muralist who understands the risks they are facing hiring you, and wants to protect them from any potential damages. You are essentially telling your client that you have the financial means to cover anything that goes wrong while on the job site, so the only thing they have to worry about is what color palette they want to use. Having liability insurance is truly a win-win for the artist and the client, and provides a true sense of safety for all parties involved.
How to Obtain Liability Insurance
Okay, so now you understand what liability is and how it helps your business to have it. If I’ve done my job well, you’re probably thinking “now tell me how I can get insured please!!” It’s a lot easier than you might think! Here’s all you need to get started:
Spend some time collecting all of your business information and upcoming contracts in one place. Get clear on the scope of your jobs and what they will entail. Having this information nearby while you are signing up for liability insurance will make things go smoothly.
If you are just getting started with your business (or don’t do extremely consistent work) I definitely recommend starting out with insurance as needed through Thimble or NEXT. There’s no need to invest in a full policy if you are doing only a handful of murals a year, and it's affordable to buy it as needed. These sites make it super easy to quickly and easily set yourself up to be protected on your next project(s).
If you are more established, have constant work, or have a huge project coming up (think stadiums, large companies, etc.) you may want to consider an annual plan vs. one that only covers you for the length of your contract, or a couple of months. In this case, do a quick Google search for “liability insurance companies” and contact a couple of them. Most insurance companies offer the same sort of products, but the prices can differ. Spend the time contacting two or three brokers and explaining exactly what you are doing. As muralists, we often get grouped in with construction workers, general contractors, and house painters, but what we need coverage for is not the same at all.
Most brokers will happily guide you to the right insurance product for your circumstance, so chat with them and see what they offer you in terms of policy pricing. It is always worth it to shop around for the best rates and coverage. Sometimes, providers will price match if you find a plan you like but that someone else is offering a lower price on. My advice is to block off an afternoon and dedicate time to this - it will be worth every penny for the peace of mind of knowing that your business is protected, at a fair market price- and then you are done and can go back to focusing on what you do best - painting murals!
Here's an example of what a Certificate of Insurance looks like... actually pretty simple, right?
Negotiating Insurance Requirements with Clients
While certainly worth every penny, it’s true that buying liability insurance is another expense and more money out of your pocket in the short term. The good news is that you can write this expense off and reduce your taxable income come Tax Day. That said, it’s always worth a conversation to see if you can negotiate your insurance requirements down when a big project comes up.
While not every client will ask for proof of insurance, it will definitely be asked of you as the scale of your projects/ clients grow. Sports stadiums and concert venues, for instance, require huge amounts of insurance (e.g. 4 million in coverage) which is excessive and often unattainable for a small business to pay for. When I work with these sort of clients I make the case that since Pandr is a small business and will only be on the job site for X amount of days, the job is really only feasible if they are able to lower my insurance requirements to reflect the nature of my company. This has worked in my favor many times, allowing me to stick with my existing insurance policy vs. upgrading for more money.
Here’s an example of a successful negotiation for a recent stadium job:
PANDR:
“Hi XXX,
We just spoke with our insurance team and unfortunately it’s going to cost us significantly more to insure our company up to $5 million.
We’ve always been insured up to $2 million and have done work in other [stadiums] with this amount of coverage. Is there any way we can proceed under our current cert? We would really appreciate your flexibility on this.
Thanks!”
CLIENT:
“Hi ladies! So for this year, we are fine to keep the amounts the same. [Client] should be listed as additionally insured and the other changes I stated earlier need to be added.
This might be a bigger issue in the future, but we’re all very excited for this project! If we could get the updated insurance ASAP, that would be great.”
How easy was that?! Discussing money can be uncomfortable for a lot of beginner muralists, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes. Remember, you are a business working for another business - negotiating so everyone is happy is the name of the game and many business even expect this. Rest assured in your skills and your work and it pays off (literally)!
Go forth with confidence!
There you have it! The quick and dirty guide to liability insurance for mural artists (and any other small business, frankly)! We hope this breakdown of liability insurance, why your business needs it, how to obtain it, and how to negotiate once you have it has shed some light on what can seem like a very daunting topic. Because let’s be honest - no matter how careful or experienced you may be, accidents will happen. We can promise you that arming yourself and your business with liability insurance will increase your professional credibility, bring you and your clients a sense of ease, and potentially save you from a major financial setback.
Installing a mural knowing that your business, your reputation, and your wallet are protected? Priceless.