Firework Insurance

[Shootingstar_pyro86]

Ok so I have been doing firework for a while now ( 7 years) but never had to deal with the insurance part of it. How does it work? Do you just pay like regular car or home insurance? Or is it per show?


Thanks

Tommy

[MIpyro]

Ok so I have been doing firework for a while now ( 7 years) but never had to deal with the insurance part of it. How does it work? Do you just pay like regular car or home insurance? Or is it per show?


Thanks

Tommy

It is pretty pricey.. depending on the township you are applying for the permit to, they might require a million dollar policy that runs around $3500 for the year or a $5 million policy which runs around $10k for the year. That's why most people stick with just 1.4 and shoot a little 1.3 in the midst of it if you want a little boom but not go crazy where you draw attention to yourself. Being that most shoot on major holidays or mostly the 4th, you wont get bothered unless the people around you are those old geezers that throw a fit every time a firecracker goes off and call the authorities. But if you are wanting to do a full fledged show, get ready to fork over your children and childrens children, blood samples and life savings, lol! It's not cheap.

[mguerra]

$1800.00 per show is the best price I could find per show. Or $3,500 to $5,000 per year. There was a guy on this board scamming people in to paying $865.00 per year for a group policy, I got burned on that deal. For now, my 1.3 G supplier is designating me as a shooter for his display company when I want to shoot a show. He charges a fee for the insurance based on the price of the product I buy from him. This works well.

[MIpyro]

$1800.00 per show is the best price I could find per show. Or $3,500 to $5,000 per year. There was a guy on this board scamming people in to paying $865.00 per year for a group policy, I got burned on that deal. For now, my 1.3 G supplier is designating me as a shooter for his display company when I want to shoot a show. He charges a fee for the insurance based on the price of the product I buy from him. This works well.

I might have to talk with my Local Pyro company and see about becoming a licensed pyro tech with them and pay the fee so I can do my own shows. Its just outrageous to pay that much if you are not making money on it.

[MIpyro]

[QUOTE=mguerra;25303]$1800.00 per show is the best price I could find per show. Or $3,500 to $5,000 per year. There was a guy on this board scamming people in to paying $865.00 per year for a group policy, I got burned on that deal. For now, my 1.3 G supplier is designating me as a shooter for his display company when I want to shoot a show. He charges a fee for the insurance based on the price of the product I buy from him. This works well.[/QUOT

how much do you pay for the fee if you don't mind saying?

[mguerra]

13.5% of the pyro product price. I mix 1.4 and 1.3 at my personal shows and this is very affordable. Let's say I shoot $1,500.00 of 1.4 and $1,000.00 of 1.3 at a show. The insurance price on that is $135.00. Beats the hell out of $1,800.00!!! Will every display company offer you this deal? I don't know. My guy trained me, and so helped me get my license, I am a customer for his product, and I may shoot a company show for him on rare occasions. So we have a mutually beneficial relationship.

[mguerra]

Let me expound on this a bit. For the purpose of getting insurance, I am considered an employee possessor of this display company for my show, and the permit is issued to the display company. The implication of this is that I did not need to get my ATF Type 54. The display company has that license, I am an employee possessor and a pyrotechnician for the company when I shoot my own show. This is not what I had originally planned. My plan was to have my own licenses, which I do, buy my own insurance, get my own permits and shoot my own shows. And when I "bought" the insurance from that guy for $865.00 earlier this year I thought I had it made in the shade. The whole thing collapsed when I dicovered my insurance was a scam. I had a big show planned for August 15 and when I went to apply for my permit from the State Fire Marshall, I found out I did not really have insurance. In a mad scramble I called my 1.3 supplier and asked him if I could shoot the show as part of his company, to use his insurance, in order to get the permit. To do this, I had to be an employee possesor as well as the licensed pyrotechnician for his company. Since I am a customer of product, he happily agreed. If there is any way I can contrive to get my own insurance affordably, I will. And then revert to my original plan of being my own man. But for now, I will be doing it this way.

[Shootingstar_pyro86]

Thanks Guys!!! This is all great Info. mguerra, What company offered those prices?

[Northern Sky]

To the best of my knowledge the insurance to are referring to is Ship/Show insurance. From what I have found they usually want a certain % of the total show to come through them. The numbers I hve found are in the neighborhood of 80% of the show to come from them. Most companies will say that they are not in the business of selling their insurance. It puts their company on the line for you, the individual being an employee/possessor.

[MIpyro]

Awesome! I'll get in contact with my supplier and ask if they are willing to do this so I can do bigger shows since I buy a couple grand from them every year. Thanks!

[Northern Sky]

You guys have to remember that when there id 1.3 in the display, it is considered a 1.3 display period. There is no distinction for a little spiced up 1.4.

If you get visited, have your ducks in a row or be ready to pay the piper.

[mguerra]

When I shoot my shows, all the licenses, permits and insurance are in order. The display company I work with is on the line for this and would never do it otherwise.

[MIpyro]

You guys have to remember that when there id 1.3 in the display, it is considered a 1.3 display period. There is no distinction for a little spiced up 1.4.

If you get visited, have your ducks in a row or be ready to pay the piper.

The fine will still b cheaper than the insurance..just my thoughts. But the odds of getting visited is very low in the area I shoot because its out in the middle of no where.

[MIpyro]

BUt the thing is, I did contact the local township and they did say the first visit, "if" caught is just a verbal warning. Hmmmm, I don't think they really care on the 4th.