Insurance in Bristol, CT
An independent insurance agency for Bristol, CT, twenty minutes out Route 6
Bristol is a working city, and a lot of the work we do for it is business insurance. The Beam Agency is in Farmington, about twenty minutes from downtown Bristol on Route 6 through Plainville or on Route 72. We insure contractors based in Bristol, Forestville, Plymouth and Terryville, along with landlord, multi-family, home and auto policies for Bristol households.
We are independent. We write with Travelers and other A.M. Best-rated carriers, plus excess and specialty markets when a risk needs one, and we compare them for you.
Contractors and trades in Bristol
If you run a trade business out of Bristol, you know the drill. The general contractor wants a certificate naming them as additional insured before you set foot on site. The homeowner in Farmington or Avon wants to see your insurance before signing. And the moment you put a helper on payroll, Connecticut requires workers’ compensation.
What a Bristol contractor typically needs:
- General liability, usually $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, which is what GCs and towns ask for.
- Workers’ compensation, required for every Connecticut employer with employees and demanded by most GCs even from sole proprietors.
- Tools and equipment, commercial auto for the trucks and vans, and often an umbrella for larger jobs. The full rundown is on the contractor insurance page.
- Certificates of insurance turned around the same day, because the job starts tomorrow.
We write electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofers, painters, landscapers, excavators, masons, remodelers and general contractors. If you also plow snow, tell us. It affects the rating and some carriers exclude it.
Multi-family houses and landlords
Bristol has one of the larger stocks of two-, three- and four-family houses in the area, especially around downtown, Federal Hill and Forestville. Plenty of Bristol residents own one as a first investment, and plenty of investors from elsewhere in Hartford County own several.
A landlord policy covers the building on a rental basis, your liability as an owner, and lost rent when a unit is unusable after a covered loss. Owner-occupied two-families need their own form. Vacant units, older wiring and buildings over four units all change the answer. A landlord with a three-family off West Street and a two-family in Forestville can usually put both on one schedule and save.
The Pequabuck River and flooding
The Pequabuck runs through Bristol and Forestville on its way to Plainville and the Farmington River, and the low areas along it have flooded before. Standard homeowners and landlord policies exclude flood entirely. If your house or rental sits in a mapped flood zone, your lender will require flood coverage; if it sits near the river but outside the zone, you can still buy it, usually inexpensively. We quote both NFIP and private flood. More in our post on flood insurance in the Farmington Valley. Water backup from a sump or drain is a separate, cheaper endorsement and we recommend it on nearly every Bristol house with a basement.
Home and auto for Bristol families
Bristol’s single-family housing runs from older homes near downtown and Federal Hill to postwar capes and ranches to newer subdivisions on the edges of town. The dwelling limit should reflect today’s rebuild cost, and water backup and ordinance or law coverage are worth adding. See the homeowners insurance page.
For auto, Bristol drivers on Route 6, Route 72 and Route 229 should carry liability well above the state minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Commercial use of a pickup, a teen driver or a motorcycle in the garage all change the quote. See auto insurance.
Other Bristol businesses
Beyond the trades, Bristol has restaurants and bars, auto repair shops, manufacturers, retail along Route 6 and Route 229, and the vendors that orbit ESPN and Lake Compounce. A business owners policy fits most of the small ones. Restaurants that serve alcohol need liquor liability on top. Start on the business insurance page.
Plymouth and Terryville
Just west on Route 6, Plymouth and Terryville are part of the same market for us. Contractors and landlords there deal with the same GCs, permit offices and carriers, and we treat them as Bristol’s neighbors.
Who this page is for
The electrician in Forestville who needs a certificate by tomorrow morning. The remodeling crew that just hired its first employee and needs workers’ comp. The landlord with three buildings near downtown who has never had them shopped together. The family near the Pequabuck whose bank just asked for flood coverage. The call takes about fifteen minutes.
Get a Bristol insurance quote
Home, auto or the business: tell us what you need. You will hear from Brandon directly, usually within one business day, and nothing you send here obligates you to buy anything.
Bristol insurance questions
How fast can you get a certificate of insurance for a job in Bristol?
Same day, usually within a few hours on a business day. Send us the GC’s requirements and we will check them against your policy first.
Do I need workers’ comp for my Bristol contracting business if I only have one employee?
Yes. Connecticut requires workers’ compensation for every employer with employees. Sole proprietors with no employees may go without, but most GCs will ask for a policy or a waiver.
Does my landlord policy in Bristol cover flooding from the Pequabuck?
No. Flood is excluded from landlord and homeowners policies. You need a separate NFIP or private flood policy, and we can quote both.
Do you come to Bristol?
Yes. Farmington is about twenty minutes away and Brandon meets clients at job sites, shops and kitchen tables around Bristol regularly.
Independent agent, direct line
Talk to Brandon directly
One agent, multiple carriers, and a policy read line by line before you sign it.