What does inland marine insurance cover?

Inland marine insurance protects business property in transit, which is typically excluded from commercial property insurance.

Example: A video production studio's commercial property policy does not cover valuable cameras, lighting, and other equipment that moves from place to place in the company's van.

Inland marine insurance can protect property that's temporarily in your care.

Example: Many bars and cafes exhibit artwork from local artists. These businesses are temporarily in possession of someone else's property. If they were stolen, inland marine insurance would cover the cost as a form of protection called bailee coverage.

Inland marine insurance covers business property that's in a fixed but movable location, such as heavy equipment installed inside a van or truck.

Example: This policy would cover the cooking equipment in a food truck, but not the truck itself. If a fire damages the kitchen, it would pay for repairs or replacement of the damaged equipment.

Inland marine insurance covers property that moves from location to location, such as a contractor's tools that move to different worksites.

Example: A carpenter purchases contractor's tools and equipment insurance, a type of inland marine insurance, to protect a toolbox and carpentry equipment brought to each job site. This policy protects items under $10,000 that are less than five years old.

Your business may have special decorations or artwork that can't be insured with standard policies.

Example: Inland marine insurance can be added to commercial property insurance for valuable artwork that could not be insured otherwise. If the artwork is stolen, the policy would cover the costs.

This may include computer equipment that travels to different locations and elecronic data.

Example: Employees at an IT consulting firm often bring laptops to client homes and offices. To provide protection wherever the computers go, the consulting company invests in inland marine insurance.

Commercial auto insurance is the policy that covers business-owned vehicles. A small business can protect personal, rented, or leased vehicles used for work purposes with hired and non-owned auto insurance.

An open perils policy, also called an all-risk policy, covers all types of perils unless otherwise stated. Usually, it includes a list of exclusions that details events the policy won't cover.

Open perils policies typically cover fire, windstorms, natural disasters, collisions, and theft. Make sure to read the exclusions carefully so you know exactly what's covered.

A named perils policy only covers events listed in the policy and nothing else. Because its coverage is more limited, it often costs less than an open perils policy.

You may be able to add inland marine insurance as an endorsement to a business owner’s policy. To compare quotes for a BOP from top-rated U.S. providers, fill out Insureon’s free online application.