I deal with a company out of Calgary, H. E. Hunt and Associates (403) 262-8333. They specialize in welding liability amongst other things. Many of my rig welder friends are insured through them also. Might be worth checking them out.
You may also need a lesson in insurance terms. For a mobile welding operation, you also need "Underground Lines" coverage. You need "Strorefront Protection" (it is not just for storefronts) You need an "Explosion Buyback" on your fire policy clause. (Explosions, even as a result of a fire, are not covered by your fire protection coverage.) You need "Excess Liability" (6 million is standard, but if you work on an oil rig, you may need 40 million). You need a "Personal Articles Floater". You need a "Care Custody and Control Exclusion" buy back. You need a "Waiver of Subrogation" clause. If you can get it, you may need "Environmental Damage" coverage. You probably need "Uninsured Subcontractors Insurance". It is good to have some "Also Insured" provisions.
Basic liability insurance for the welding industry usually only covers third party liability coverage. I. E., You cause a fire on a customers piece of equipment, - your liability insurance does not cover it. If someone elses car parked right next to it gets damaged, - it is covered. If the fire turns into an explosion, and the car gets damaged, - you are not covered unless you have the "Explosion Buyback". In neither case is the equipment you are working on covered, unless you have a "Personal Articles Floater and "Inland Marine" coverage.
The Liability coverage that most welders buy is next to USELESS for most of the problems you will encounter with a mobile welding service. It is really a scam. I would venture to say that you are looking at $15.000.00 per year premium to start, if you get the coverage that most people "THINK" they have. Be sure to talk to the insurance agent and ask detailed questions in writing. Get the answers in writing!
My first run in with insurance coverage involved a large contract, with detailed insurance requirements written in the contract. I took the contract to my agent and he told me I wasn't covered for ANY of it! I was shocked. I had better than the "standard isnurance" most of the other portable welders on Long Island had, and I was essentially bareback! It was not possible for a one man business to get the insurance I needed for the contract. I couldn't get the insurance and therefore didn't get the job.
I never had a claim, and I count that as the equivalent of winning the big lottery!
If you work on a ship, or on a dock out beyond the high water mark, or on a bridge over a navigable waterway, you need "Longshoremans and Harbor Workers Protection Act Insurance", besides your state workers compensation coverage. This coverage is phenominally expensive!
Another thing about insurance, the premium is based on the yearly audit and your gross income. So, the quoted premium you get is is just the base line price. The insurance company now becomes your silent partner who takes away a substantial part of your annual profit. The manual rate also varies as you move from county to city and even within parts of the cities. If you can, get incorporated, then get the minimum insurance coverage required by law to be a contractor in the states that you are going to operate in, then go bareback for everything else. The drawback is that you often can't get some jobs, if you don't have insurance. Sometimes this can be circumvented. Most large companies can put you on their insurance as an "Also Insured", with a "Waiver of Subrogation" for a small fee. If the company really likes you, talk to them about doing things this way.
The insurance industry is truly the "Great Satan" to welding contractors. If you need insurance, please get an education in insurance terms before you sign on the dotted line. Never assume you are covered. You could loose your house and be in debt for the rest of your life!
Joe Kane
joe , well said . we had some similar experiences this winter . even during an emergency for our utility , the insurance that was required had to be met , they needed the service we provided and they helped to get their requirements covered while this was happening . having worked for these people in in industry for the last 40+ years helped because of our safety record . good luck to all with your insurance . if you do good no one remembers , if you do bad no one forgets . willie
Thanks for that Joe, Gives a guy a little more to think about . I'm going in today to sign on the line I will have at least an ideal of what I'm looking for now. The job I am going on is primarily coverd by the main contractor so I should be ok for this round,eyes are open at this point .
That sounds about right in your neck of the woods there Sourdough but, I'm inclined to believe that Joe is also correct for the Greater New York Metro area also!!! 
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