Inland Marine Insurance in Ohio, for equipment that doesn't stay put.

Your property policy lives at one address. Your equipment doesn't.

A commercial property policy is built around a building: the things inside it, at that address. But a lot of business property spends its life somewhere else. A skid steer on a job site in Delaware. A trailer of tools parked overnight in Powell. Materials waiting to be installed in a customer's home. A laptop and projector in the back seat on the way to a client. That's what inland marine insurance is for.

The name is historical. Marine insurance covered cargo on ships, and inland marine grew out of it to cover goods moving over land. Today it's a flexible family of coverages, often called floaters, for property that's mobile, in transit or hard to fit on a standard property form.

It's most familiar to contractors and construction companies, whose equipment and materials move constantly and take a beating. But it's just as useful for businesses that ship goods, landscapers with mowers and trailers, IT and audio-visual pros with mobile gear, and medical and aesthetic offices with expensive devices like imaging systems and lasers.

We're an independent agency, so we represent multiple insurance companies. Several types of inland marine coverage exist, some built for small businesses and some for larger operations. We'll help you figure out which fits, compare options across several carriers and explain the differences in plain English.

How inland marine fits with your other coverage.

Inland marine fills the gaps between your other policies. Here's where it sits.

Inland marine vs. commercial property

Commercial property covers your building and what's inside it at the listed location. Many property policies limit or exclude property away from the premises. Inland marine picks up where that leaves off.

Inland marine vs. commercial auto

Commercial auto covers the truck or van itself and liability for driving it. It generally doesn't cover the tools, equipment or cargo inside. Inland marine covers what's in the vehicle, and trailers or equipment that don't qualify as autos, depending on the policy.

Scheduled vs. blanket

Big-ticket items are usually scheduled, listed one by one with a value. Smaller tools and gear are often covered on a blanket limit. Keep the schedule current as you buy and sell equipment, so a new machine isn't left off.

Replacement cost vs. actual cash value

Some policies pay what it costs to replace an item new. Others pay actual cash value, which subtracts depreciation. For older equipment the difference can be large, so ask which one you have. Also ask about leased or rented equipment, since some contracts make you responsible for it.