Photographer and videographer insurance in California

If you have a commercial lease, your property manager may require you to purchase general liability insurance. It's a common policy for photographers and videographers in California that can protect your business from expenses associated with common mishaps, such as client property damage and injuries.

Your clients may require professional liability insurance in a contract. Also called errors and omissions insurance, professional liability insurance provides financial protection if a client files a lawsuit claiming your work caused financial harm because it was late, erroneous, or incomplete.

State law in California requires every small business with employees to provide workers’ compensation coverage, and business-owned vehicles must be covered by commercial auto insurance. Personal vehicles used for business purposes should also have commercial coverage.

The most common policies for photographers and videographers in California vary depending on revenue, client contracts, partnerships, and other factors.

California photographers and videographers can expect to pay roughly $425 annually for general liability coverage, according to data gathered from insurance applications through Insureon. This is the same as the U.S. median cost.

A BOP will likely cost $550 per year, a little higher than the national annual median cost, and errors and omissions (professional liability) policies will likely cost California photo and video professionals $270 each year – about $70 less than the national average. Workers’ comp is the most expensive form of insurance purchased by photographers in California, at $1,232 per year, about $200 more than the national median.