California License #4472487 | Texas License #3365362 | NPN License #21655529

Inland Marine Insurance covers business property in transit, mobile equipment, and specialized tools that aren’t tied to a fixed location. This includes:

• Contractor tools and machinery
  
• Rental equipment under your custody
  
• Materials or inventory being transported
  
• Installation projects not yet affixed to a structure
  
• Exhibitions, fine art, and high-value mobile assets
  
• Temporary jobsite storage units or trailers
  
  

📦 Real-World Example: A general contractor’s compressor and framing tools are stolen from a jobsite overnight — Inland Marine covers the loss, where commercial property would not.

Despite its flexibility, Inland Marine does not cover:

• Stationary property permanently housed at your place of business (covered under Commercial Property)
  
• Vehicles (covered by Commercial Auto)
  
• Wear and tear, rust, or mechanical failure
  
• Employee theft (unless endorsed via Crime Coverage)
  
• Items not owned or contractually responsible by the insured
  
• Damage resulting from illegal or fraudulent activities
  
  

🧠 Key Expert Insight: Many contractors mistakenly assume Inland Marine covers everything mobile — but physical damage unrelated to transit or jobsite use is often excluded unless customized.

🛠 Solution: Tailor your policy with endorsements to plug critical gaps — especially if you operate in high-risk environments like construction or energy sectors.

Yes — and here’s why. Inland Marine is one of the most underrated, high-ROI policies for any business with tools, equipment, or goods in motion. It protects against:

• Theft (most common inland claim)
  
• Transportation loss or damage
  
• Jobsite vandalism or accidental breakage
  
• Rented or borrowed equipment damage
  
• Incomplete installations (via installation floaters)
  
  

📈 Worth Analysis: Losing $7,000 in gear from a truck break-in could delay projects and ruin client trust. A $38/month inland marine policy would have fully reimbursed the loss — and kept your timeline intact.

Inland Marine policies are typically written on an “all-risk” or “open-perils” basis — meaning they cover everything except what’s specifically excluded. Covered perils generally include:

• Fire and smoke damage
  
• Theft (including jobsite theft)
  
• Vandalism or malicious mischief
  
• Transportation-related damage (impact, collision, overturn)
  
• Accidental breakage or dropping
  
• Water damage (non-flood)
  
• Windstorm, hail, and certain natural elements
  
  

🔐 Optional Riders can extend coverage to include flood, earthquake, or mysterious disappearance.

Example: A landscaping company stores $12,000 worth of equipment in a trailer overnight at a jobsite. The trailer is broken into and tools are stolen.

• Covered by Inland Marine: Theft from an off-site location involving mobile equipment falls squarely within coverage.

📌 Another example: A plumbing contractor’s rented excavator is damaged while being moved between sites. Covered under a non-owned equipment clause within Inland Marine.

While powerful, Inland Marine Insurance has a few caveats:

1. High variability in policy terms — not standardized like general liability.
   
2. Complex valuation — requires accurate equipment value declarations or may underpay.
   
3. Exclusion blind spots — misunderstanding exclusions (e.g., employee theft, wear and tear).
   
4. Not intuitive — business owners often overlook or misunderstand it until after a loss.
   
   

🔎 Pro Tip: Work with a licensed advisor who understands your industry and can write a policy that mirrors your operations.

• General Liability protects you from third-party bodily injury, property damage, and lawsuits (e.g., someone slips at your jobsite).
  
  
• Inland Marine protects your own business property — especially when it’s in motion, off-site, or temporarily staged.
  
  

🧠 In other words: General Liability covers what you do to others. Inland Marine covers what you own — when it’s not sitting still.

1. Ocean Marine Insurance: Covers sea-going vessels, cargo, and marine liability.
   
   
2. Inland Marine Insurance: Covers land-based mobile property — tools, gear, goods in transit, etc.
   
   
3. Hull & Machinery Coverage: Specific to ships and their physical structure — typically part of Ocean Marine.
   
   

📦 Key Insight: For land-based contractors, tradesmen, and transport businesses — Inland Marine is the only relevant type.

The most common exclusion is:

Wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, or gradual deterioration.

Other frequent exclusions include:

• Government action
  
• Flood/earthquake (unless endorsed)
  
• Inventory loss from employee theft (unless covered under crime policy)
  
  

🧠 Be proactive: Always review exclusions before a loss occurs. Many claim denials stem from misunderstood policy terms.

Not directly. Inland Marine does not cover structural tunnels or bridges themselves.

However, it can cover:

• Equipment used on tunnels/bridges
  
• Materials transported to or from such projects
  
• Tools or installations staged for use on infrastructure jobs
  

🛠 Example: Your boom lift damages a bridge section during a job — the bridge isn’t covered, but your boom lift may be, if you have the right form.

For land-based industries like construction, HVAC, electrical, trucking, and landscaping — Inland Marine is best.

Best carrier choice depends on:

• Your trade (e.g., contractors need high customization)
  
• Number and value of mobile assets
  
• State-specific risk exposures
  
• Your claims history
  
  

⚡️ At WorkersInsurance.com, we specialize in matching high-risk, tool-heavy trades with the right Inland Marine provider — with zero fluff.

The technical term is often:

• “Contractor’s Equipment Floater”
  
• “Installation Floater”
  
• “Tool & Equipment Floater”
  
• “Mobile Property Coverage”
  
  

🔎 Each form has unique structures depending on whether the equipment is owned, rented, borrowed, or part of an ongoing installation.

Typical deductibles range from $250–$2,500 per claim — depending on:

• Value of items insured
  
• Frequency of claims
  
• Trade classification
  
• State and carrier-specific terms
  
  

🧠 Pro Tip: Lower deductibles are tempting, but higher deductibles often reduce premium and may be smarter if claims are rare but high-value.