Business Insurance in Montana FAQ - Quick Answers
Costs for business insurance in Montana are different for every company due to unique risk factors. You can't know your exact premiums without obtaining individual quotes, but you can take a look at what carriers look for when rating your business insurance below:
- Type of industry
- Number of employees
- Gross annual sales
- Location of business
- Number of company vehicles
- Safety practices in place
- Past claims reported
- Number of years in operation
There are several policies that could be necessary for your small business. In Montana, you are required to carry workers' compensation insurance when you have one or more employees. You'll also be mandated to obtain the state minimum limits of liability for any company-owned autos. Your other policies, such as general liability, property coverage, and professional liability, are not usually required but are needed to have complete protection.
Your business insurance in Montana can cover a multitude of risks, and each policy is customized to meet your operation's specific needs. Here are some policies that could apply to your business:
- General liability insurance: Pays for a bodily injury or property damage liability lawsuit brought against your operation
- Workers' compensation insurance: Pays for the injuries of an employee hurt on the job. Mandatory when you have one employee or more.
- Property insurance: Covers damage to your business property due to a covered claim
- Business income insurance: Pays for regular business expenses when a covered loss closes your operation for a period of time
- Business auto insurance: Pays for a loss resulting from an auto accident with a company-owned vehicle. Must abide by state car insurance laws.
- Professional liability insurance: Pays for a lawsuit against your business due to negligent or harmful advice
- Commercial umbrella insurance: Provides an additional limit of liability coverage over your underlying business policies
In Montana, the first policy your business usually gets started with is general liability insurance. This is known as a primary policy for your operation. Here's what it covers:
- General liability insurance: Pays for a bodily injury or property damage liability lawsuit brought against your operation
When it comes to finding small business health insurance, it can be a large expense. In Montana, if you have less than 50 employees, you're not obligated to offer health coverage to your staff. However, if your business wants to have these added benefits available to team members, then an independent insurance agent can help find a policy that fits your needs and budget.
When you're trying to find the best insurance company for your business coverage, it might be difficult to know where to start. In Montana, Nationwide, Travelers, Progressive, and Hiscox come highly rated by peers. This is due to their superior claims handling and broad coverage offerings.
Do You Know What Your Business Insurance Covers in Montana?
Find the Best Business Insurance in Your City
National Business Insurance Stats
Number of businesses in the US: 30,819,176
Burglary rate per 1,000 residents in the US: 3.76
Auto theft rate per 1,000 vehicles in the US: 2.29
| City | No. businesses | Burglaries / 1,000 people | Auto thefts / 1,000 cars |
| Belgrade | 1,104 | 0.87 | 1.52 |
| Billings | 11,376 | 5.52 | 5.67 |
| Bozeman | 7,473 | 1.14 | 0.89 |
| Great Falls | 5,541 | 5.42 | 4.45 |
| Havre | 753 | 3.9 | 4.83 |
| Helena | 4,255 | 3.81 | 2.26 |
| Kalispell | 3,618 | 2.78 | 2.25 |
| Laurel | 523 | 1.03 | 1.03 |
| Livingston | 1,488 | 1.97 | 1.58 |
| Miles City | 873 | 1.31 | 0.36 |
| Missoula | 9,116 | 4.53 | 2.32 |
| Whitefish | 1,923 | 2.05 | 0.51 |
- Billings, MT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Severe weather events are not the only hazards that put your business property at risk. Property crimes like shoplifting, embezzlement, and cyber hacking can lead to expensive losses if you do not have sufficient business insurance. In Billings, where there are many thefts reported in a typical year, coverage against crime is particularly important.
- Commercial auto: Whether you are insuring a delivery van or a fleet of construction trucks, commercial vehicle insurance can cover your company’s increased liability risks as well as expenses related to property damage.
- Workers' Compensation Insurance: With few exceptions, workers’ compensation insurance is required of all employers in the state. This insurance can cover medical treatment, disability pay, and other costs associated with workplace injuries. Every workplace has specific risks and hazards faced by its workers, which is why workers' compensation rates can vary significantly from one business to the next.
- Missoula, MT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Severe storms in the Missoula area can lead to significant damage to business property. Having sufficient commercial property insurance is therefore imperative. You can also supplement your coverage with business interruption insurance so you can have a continuation of income if a particularly bad storm forces your business to close for an extended period while repairs are made.
- Commercial auto: If your business owns a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles, you will need to cover your cars, vans, truck, or buses with commercial auto insurance. Your rates will be based on several factors, including the number and types of vehicles you are covering, details about the employees who will be driving them, and information about where and how often they will be driven.
- Workers’ compensation insurance: This type of insurance will cover medical bills and lost wages for workers who suffer occupational illnesses or who are injured on the job. Rates are based on your company’s overall payroll and the potential risks faced by your employees according to their job classifications. The more hazardous the job, the more it will cost to cover the employee.
- Great Falls, MT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: Theft, vandalism, and severe weather events can lead to costly property losses for your business. So can damage caused by accidental fires. A fire may break out at your workplace due to a machine malfunction, an employee error, or even a wildfire in the area. If you have sufficient commercial property insurance, your company will be able to repair damage, replace lost materials, and continue to function without experiencing a large financial loss.
- Commercial auto: Your business is required to have commercial auto insurance if it has a company-owned vehicle or fleet of vehicles. Rates are based on a number of factors like the amount of coverage you are purchasing and the types of vehicles you own. It costs more to insure a 12-passenger van than a cargo van, since your liability risks are greater when you are using vehicles to transport people.
- Workers’ compensation insurance: This covers the cost of medical treatment, disability pay, and other expenses related to injuries employees may suffer while doing their jobs. It is required for nearly all employers in Montana. Workers' compensation rates are assigned according to your company’s overall payroll and the risk of worker injury based on the types of jobs your employees are assigned.
- Bozeman, MT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: A sufficient amount of business property insurance can shield your company from losses related to hazards like accidental fires, property crimes, and severe weather events like heavy winds and hailstorms. Adding a commercial flood insurance policy to your coverage portfolio can protect your business against the hazard of overflow events at well.
- Commercial auto: Accidents involving injuries and/or property damage can happen anywhere. If your business owns a vehicle or fleet of vehicles, you will need to cover them with commercial auto insurance. Rates for coverage can vary according to the number and types of vehicles you are covering, details about the employees who will be driving them, and the risk of collisions where they will be driven.
- Workers’ compensation insurance: This covers medical expenses and paid time off for employees who are injured on the job. If your Bozeman business has employees, you are required by law to have this insurance. Rates for coverage can vary significantly from one business to the next, depending on the types of jobs your employees do and your company’s overall payroll.
- Butte-Silver Bow, MT
- Business Insurance Common Coverage Options
- Property: As a business owner, you have probably invested a lot in your company’s assets, including computers, furniture, inventory, machinery, and supplies. Business property insurance can help cover the cost of repairing or replacing this property if it is lost or damaged by a covered event. Find a policy and rate that works for your Butte-Silver Bow business locally.
- Commercial auto: Many businesses in Butte-Silver Bow have company-owned vehicles. If yours is among them, you will need to cover these cars, vans, buses, or trucks with a commercial auto insurance policy that meets or exceeds the state’s minimum coverage requirements. Vehicles that are used for interstate commerce will need to have coverage that meets federal requirements as well.
- Workers’ compensation insurance: This covers medical bills and lost wages for workers who contract occupational illnesses or are injured on the job. It is required for nearly all Montana businesses that have at least one employee. Rates are assigned according to the types of jobs your workers do and how much they are paid.