Inland Marine Insurance Coverage
What Is Inland Marine Insurance Coverage?
Inland marine insurance is a type of business coverage that protects your tools and equipment against theft or damage.
Despite the odd name, this coverage protects your business gear wherever it goes — whether it’s at home base, at a job site, in storage, or on the move.
You may also see Inland Marine Insurance called things like:
- Equipment and Gear Coverage
- Tools and Equipment Coverage
- Equipment and Inventory Coverage
What Does Inland Marine Insurance Cover?
If your tools, gear, or inventory get stolen, damaged, or broken, inland marine insurance can pay to fix or replace them, so you can keep working without missing a beat.
It’s designed to cover:
- Mobile job equipment like power tools, pressure washers, lawn gear, cleaning kits, ladders, and lighting
- Electronics and specialty gear like cameras, lenses, drones, DJ/music gear, laptops, point-of-sale tablets, and work smartphones
- Inventory and samples in transit like finished goods, raw materials, or supplies you’re delivering or moving between locations
- Gear in business vehicles like cooking supplies in your food truck, dog clippers in your grooming van, or DJ equipment in your trailer
- Products stored at off-site locations like a temporary storage space
To fit under inland marine coverage, your equipment has to be:
- Movable: Not a permanently installed part of a building or vehicle
- Used for business: Not your personal property used for non-business reasons
- Damaged by a covered cause: Policies often exclude things like normal wear and tear, mechanical breakdowns, and damage due to poor packing. High-value items may also need to be “scheduled” (listed with their value in your policy) to be covered.
Common covered causes of loss include theft, fire, vandalism, accidental damage, and many transit accidents (like a collision or overturn).
What Are Examples of Inland Marine Claims?
Photographer on the go: A camera bag is dropped after a wedding shoot, cracking several lenses. Inland marine helps replace the gear so the photographer can keep working.
Contractor at a job site: A pressure washer falls off a truck ramp and breaks. Inland marine covers the damage so the contractor stays on schedule.
Vendor at a trade show: A trade show booth is broken into overnight, and inventory is stolen. Inland marine helps pay for the stolen products and damaged displays.
Inland Marine vs Business Personal Property: What’s the Difference?
They sound similar, but inland marine and business personal property protect very different things. Check out this quick comparison before you decide which fits your setup best.
| Inland Marine | Business Personal Property | |
|---|---|---|
|
What it covers |
Movable property your business uses, ships, or takes on the go |
Business property kept at a fixed location (your office, shop, or warehouse) |
|
Where it protects |
On the go at job sites, client locations, vehicles, exhibitions, and in transit |
On your premises only (and sometimes within a limited distance) |
|
Typical property |
Tools, contractors’ equipment, cameras, DJ equipment, laptops, inventory in transit, vendor gear |
Furniture, fixtures, inventory stored onsite, office computers or servers |
|
Transit coverage |
Built to cover many transportation risks |
Usually limited or excluded unless you add extra coverage |
|
High-value items |
Often scheduled (listed with values and serial numbers) |
Covered up to the BPP limit |
|
Best fit |
Businesses that move gear: contractors, photographers, DJs, cleaners, landscapers, mobile vendors, and more |
Businesses with most property in one place (retail shops, studios, offices, warehouses) |
In short: Inland marine protects property that moves. BPP protects property that stays put.
Will General Liability Insurance Cover Business Gear?
No. General liability insurance only covers harm from others (like someone getting injured or their property being damaged) because of your work or business. It doesn’t cover your own gear or tools.
Here’s how inland marine works together with other types of business insurance, like professional liability coverage:
| Category | Inland Marine | General Liability | Professional Liability |
|---|---|---|---|
|
What it covers |
Business property that travels (tools, gear, inventory) |
Injury or property damage to others caused by your work |
Clients’ financial losses from your mistakes, errors, or bad advice |
|
Protects |
Your stuff on the go |
Your business if someone else gets hurt or has property damage |
Your business if a client claims you cost them money |
|
Typical claims |
Stolen gear, dropped equipment at a job site, damaged trade show booth |
Customer falls, broken client property, advertising mistakes |
Wrong specs, missed deadlines, flawed consulting |
|
Doesn’t cover |
Wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, poor packing |
Your own property, employee injuries, and professional errors |
Bodily injury or property damage (that’s general liability), intentional wrongdoing |
|
Who needs it
|
Contractors, retailers, photographers, DJs, cleaners, mobile vendors, and more |
Almost all small businesses with in-person risks |
Consultants, coaches, designers, and other tech and service pros |
Think of it this way: Inland marine protects your gear, general liability protects other people from you, and professional liability protects your clients from mistakes.
Additional Resources
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