CAN INSURANCE HELP COVER ASPHALT PAVING REPAIR FOR YOUR BUSINESS’ DRIVEWAY?
Cracks, pooling water, and potholes in the asphalt paving of your business’s parking lot or driveway aren’t just unsightly—they can be downright dangerous. Customers could trip or damage their vehicle while on your property, leaving you at risk of a costly lawsuit.
While your business’ general liability coverage may help pay for an injured party’s medical expenses, your property coverage most likely won’t cover your business’ driveway repair, with a few exceptions. In today’s blog post, we’re going to discuss what those exceptions are, plus provide tips on how to keep your business driveway in tip-top shape for your peace of mind and your customer’s safety.
Your Business Driveway is Your Customer’s First Impression
If the first thing your customers experience when they pull into your place of business is a driveway filled with cracks, potholes, crumbling edges, and raveling, it’s not going to make a good first impression. Not only is it an eyesore, but if your customer gets hurts because of your driveway’s condition, you could be held liable for their medical costs.
These signs indicate that it’s probably time to resurface your driveway. Although for minor issues, you may be able to do some basic repairs that will keep your business’ driveway looking beautiful to make a positive first impression on your customers. We suggest getting a free quote from our experienced paving contractors to determine the needs of your business driveway.
Your Business Insurance May Cover Damages
Of course, there is a cost associated with repairing or resurfacing your business’ driveway, but how do you know if your business property coverage will help cover the costs of your driveway repair? The short answer is that it probably won’t help protect it. Generally, damage to asphalt paving happens over time. Most asphalt driveways have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, and as they age, they will start to wear down, requiring repair or resurfacing.
However, if you need a sudden repair from an unanticipated and unpredictable event, your business’ property coverage may provide some relief. This property coverage protects your business’ building against covered perils. Remember, it’s still subject to a deductible and limits, but it’s a good idea to call your insurance agent to assess the damage and determine if the repairs are covered.
Examples of Covered Perils
So, what exactly is a “covered peril?” A covered peril is something like a natural disaster or vandalism. For example:
A storm knocks a tree over on your driveway and cracks it
Lightning strikes your driveway, causing damage
Heavy hail pounds on your parking lot and creates a pothole
A vandal purposely damages your business driveway
You’ll want to check your business owner’s policy (BOP) for details on what events are covered, as this list doesn’t guarantee your policy covers it.
Ways to Protect the Asphalt Paving of Your Business Driveway
Like other fixtures in your business, regular maintenance of your business’ driveway can help protect it from more costly damage.
We recommend seal-coating your driveway every three years to help extend your driveway’s lifespan. Seal-coating is a specially formulated liquid coating applied to asphalt paving. It hardens as it dries, protecting your pavement from water penetration, sun damage, and chemicals that can damage your asphalt.
Significant cracks and potholes will need more than seal-coating, which doesn’t repair them. An asphalt overlay can help address minor crack filling or major signs of aging in small areas.
For larger, widespread areas of damage, asphalt resurfacing can help restore your driveway to its original beauty.
If the edges of your driveway are crumbling, consider placing a border of bricks, stone, or gravel around the end of your driveway to help prevent cracks in the asphalt. The barrier helps to stabilize the asphalt and prevent the edge from pulling away.
Need to Hire a Paving Company to Repair Your Business’ Driveway? Get a Free Quote Today!
Whether a covered peril caused the damage to your business’ driveway or if it’s time for some upkeep, you need a reputable, local paving company in the Central PA area that can protect, repair, or resurface your asphalt driveway. Lyons & Hohl Paving has been serving the area since 1978 and can provide full-service restoration, high-quality asphalt paving, and edging for your business driveway.
Our residential and commercial customers trust Lyons & Hohl Paving with all of their asphalt needs. Our three-step paving process delivers top-quality asphalt pavement to restore driveways to a beautiful and safe condition.
Get a free quote today to get started!