Inland marine insurance protects the mowers and trailers, along with the hand tools your crew hauls from job to job. Standard property and general liability policies only cover equipment at your business address. That coverage stops the moment a trailer rolls out for the day, so inland marine insurance closes that gap. It’s often the missing piece in a landscaping business insurance program built around a smaller equipment list.
In this blog, we break down what coverage protects and what it costs. We’ll also tell you how to add it to your policy. That way, a stolen trailer or a damaged mower never turns into a season-ending loss.
What Inland Marine Insurance Covers (and What It Doesn’t)
Inland marine insurance covers your equipment wherever it sits outside your shop. It applies to equipment in transit between job sites and tools left overnight at a client’s property. It also applies to machinery stored off-site during winter.
- Movable equipment, such as mowers, trimmers, trailers, and hand tools, remains covered in transit, at the job site, and in storage.
- Theft and weather damage from vandalism, fire, and storms are covered even when your crew isn’t on-site to prevent it.
- Rented and borrowed machinery, like skid-steers and mini-excavators, can be added to the same policy for larger jobs.
What it won’t cover matters just as much. Wear and tear builds up slowly and stays outside the policy. Inland marine insurance responds to sudden losses like theft or fire. Employee theft needs a separate endorsement, and collisions involving a vehicle fall under commercial auto instead. Reviewing insurance for landscaping equipment gives you a fuller picture of how these pieces fit together.
Must Read: Common Mistakes Landscaping Businesses Make When Choosing Insurance
What Inland Marine Insurance Costs and How Limits Are Set
Inland marine coverage usually runs about $800 a year for $100,000 in protection, with a $1,000 deductible. That premium shifts based on how much gear you’re insuring and how often it travels between sites.
Setting your limit starts with a full count of what you own. Add up the replacement cost of every mower or hand tool your crew relies on. Include the smaller items too, since they add up fast.
Undervaluing your equipment leaves you covering the difference yourself after a loss. A solid landscaping equipment management routine helps here, too. Accurate records make it easier to set the right limit and settle a claim faster.
Must Read: Is Your Landscaping Insurance Coverage Built for All Risks and Seasons?
Adding Inland Marine Insurance to Your Policy
Inland marine insurance usually comes as an endorsement added to your existing business owner’s policy or general liability policy. Your broker can typically add it during a policy review instead of running a separate application. Before that conversation, work through a few things first.
- Replacement value: Total up what your crew uses on a regular job. Keep a list with make, model, and serial number for anything worth more than a few hundred dollars. That list becomes your first piece of proof if a claim comes up.
- Movement between sites: Note how often equipment travels from job to job. More movement usually means more exposure to theft and damage.
- Rented machinery: Flag whether your team rents heavy equipment for bigger projects. Rented gear requires its own coverage to be confirmed before it leaves the yard.
Review that list again at renewal, since crews add new trailers and swap out mowers as the season goes on. A policy that isn’t updated to match leaves part of your tools and equipment uninsured. That’s usually the gap that turns into a real loss.
LandPro closes that gap by pairing inland marine coverage with the rest of what a landscaping business needs. Its landscaping business insurance program covers general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, and pollution liability under one roof. The program is also backed by A+ rated carriers, meaning the insurers have strong financial resources and a solid record of paying covered claims. Ask your broker to sign you up for LandPro, or contact us to build a policy around your equipment list.
