Inland Marine Insurance

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Business Insurance

Coverage for the property that doesn’t stay put.

The name is a leftover from shipping, and it confuses everyone. Inland marine covers business property that moves: equipment on a job site, tools in a truck, materials in transit, gear at a customer’s location.

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The Basics

Your property policy covers a building, not a job site.

Commercial property insurance covers things at a fixed address. The moment your excavator leaves the yard, your tools go in the truck, or materials head to a site, that policy largely stops following them.

Inland marine fills that gap. It is the coverage contractors, farmers and service businesses most often discover they needed after equipment was stolen off a trailer overnight.

  • Equipment covered wherever it is working
  • Tools in vehicles, which auto policies exclude
  • Materials in transit and awaiting installation
  • Scheduled or blanket limits depending on your fleet

Who Needs It

  • • Contractors and trades
  • • Excavation and site work
  • • Farms with mobile equipment
  • • Landscapers and arborists
  • • Anyone hauling tools daily
What’s Included

Common inland marine coverages

Contractors Equipment

Excavators, skid steers, compressors and attachments, on site or in transit.

Tools & Small Equipment

Hand and power tools, whether in the shop, the truck, or on the job.

Installation Floater

Materials from purchase through installation and owner acceptance.

Rented & Leased Equipment

Equipment you rent, which rental agreements make you responsible for.

Property in Transit

Goods and materials while being moved between locations.

Bailee Coverage

Customer property in your care, custody or control while you work on it.

Common Questions

Inland Marine FAQs

Why is it called marine insurance if nothing is on water?
It descends from ocean marine policies that covered cargo. When goods started moving overland, insurers extended the concept and the name stuck. It has nothing to do with boats.
Aren’t my tools covered by my commercial auto policy?
No. Auto covers the vehicle, not the contents. Tools stolen from a locked van overnight is one of the most common uncovered losses we see.
Scheduled or blanket coverage?
Scheduled lists each item individually and suits a few high-value machines. Blanket covers everything up to a per-item and total limit, which is simpler for many small tools. We will look at your list and recommend.
Does it cover rented equipment?
It can, and it should. Rental agreements typically make you liable for damage or theft, and rental companies charge aggressively for it. Adding rented equipment coverage is usually cheaper than the rental yard’s waiver.

Let’s inventory what leaves the yard.

Bring an equipment list and we will price it properly.

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