Best Inland Marine Insurance for Contractors (2026)
Contractors need inland marine when tools and equipment move between jobs, because ISO's general liability and builders risk specimens both leave that property out. Check how the policy lists your equipment, whether a loss pays actual cash value or replacement cost, how rented equipment is handled, and the breakdown, wear and theft exclusions.1,2,6
10 providers document Inland Marine Insurance for contractors. TechInsurance, Chubb and Coverdash rank highest on Spot’s evidence ranking.
Updated
Which Providers Document Inland Marine Insurance for Contractors?
- Rank 1
Named for Contractors
- Broker Spot Score · Assessed 2026-09-22 · TechInsurance as a division/brand of Specialty Program Group LLC, doing business as SPG Insurance Solutions, for small-business and…
TechInsurance targets inland marine coverage at businesses that ship property, transport high-value equipment, take tools to worksites, or store property off-site, naming construction contractors, photographers, cleaning services and IT professionals as example segments. 7
Company-reportedInland marine product page, Who needs inland marine insurance coverage? section.
- Rank 2
Named for Contractors
- Carrier & MGA Spot Score · Assessed 2026-09-23 · Chubb Limited as group parent and the exact US insurer entities in the cited materials. Current authority is independently verified for…
Chubb positions its inland marine solutions for transportation and logistics companies, contractors and developers, and describes coverage scaling from single-location residential builders to regional homebuilders. 8
Company-reportedProduct page introduction and Homebuilders builders' risk description.
- Rank 3
Named for Contractors
- Broker Spot Score · Assessed 2026-09-22 · Coverdash Insurance Services, LLC as the licensed broker/agent and Coverdash, Inc. as the technology/brand entity. The cited materials do…
Coverdash markets inland marine to contractors, tradespeople, installers and any business whose valuable property regularly leaves the office. 9
Company-reportedProduct-page eligibility description; actual acceptance depends on underwriting.
- Rank 4
Named for Contractors
No review scoreReview Score
- Carrier & MGA Spot Score · Assessed 2026-09-29 · Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSIC, NAIC 22276) as a U.S. admitted insurer, using Nebraska and New York regulator…
For Inland Marine, BHSI lists developers, general contractors, logistics, transportation, oil and gas, utilities, and warehousemen as top targets. 10
Company-reportedBHSI U.S. Inland Marine target-account list only. Material limitation: Target examples do not guarantee eligibility; do not substitute the separate Ocean Marine customer list or combine the products/forms.
Read the Full Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Inland Marine Insurance Page
- Rank 5
Named for Contractors
No review scoreReview Score
- Broker Spot Score · Assessed 2026-09-22 · Alliance Risk Insurance Services LLC, the subsidiary agency named in Alliance's terms and the single licensee of record under National…
Alliance Risk lists contractors with mobile equipment, logistics and shipping companies, retailers and wholesalers shipping goods, import/export businesses, and museums, art dealers and jewelers as common inland and ocean marine buyers. 11
Company-reportedInland & ocean marine product page, Who Needs Inland & Ocean Marine Insurance? section.
- Rank 6
Named for Contractors
Not ratedSpot Score
The page focuses on contractors and other small businesses with mobile equipment; it does not establish eligibility for a particular item or applicant. 12
Company-reportedInsureon’s public marketing page and quote route documents this description. It does not establish the issuing insurer for an individual quote, exact state or provincial availability, the policy form, complete exclusions, or terms offered to a particular buyer; confirm those in the quote and policy documents.
- Rank 7
Named for Contractors
Not ratedSpot Score
The company gives contractors with tools, photographers with cameras and mobile groomers with equipment as examples of potential inland-marine buyers. Those examples do not guarantee eligibility. 13
Company-reportedCompany-published inland-marine information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.
- Rank 8
Named for Contractors
No review scoreReview Score
- Broker Spot Score · Assessed 2026-09-22 · Kinro Insurance Services LLC and the Kinro/Kinro AI technology-enabled distribution service for U.S. small-business commercial insurance.…
Kinro says this coverage commonly fits contractors, lawn care businesses, plumbers and electricians, and typically comes up when tools move between jobs, equipment is left at jobsites, or the business uses scheduled, rented, leased or high-value equipment. 14
Company-reportedTools & Equipment / Inland Marine page "Common fit" and "Triggers" sections.
- Rank 9
Named for Contractors
Not ratedSpot Score
AIG identifies transportation and logistics businesses and construction or equipment exposures, including contractors, equipment and movable business property. The public overview is not a complete applicant eligibility schedule. 15
Company-reportedAudience is the segment AIG names on the linked source; this is not an underwriting decision, quote or guarantee of availability.
- Rank 10
Named for Contractors
Not ratedSpot Score
No review scoreReview Score
Zurich names property and inland marine options for construction customers, including Z-PRIME, a Contractor’s Inland Marine Package, and monoline Contractor’s Equipment. 16
Company-reportedProduct examples within Zurich's construction practice; they do not establish eligibility for a particular contractor, project, or state.
How Did Spot Rank Inland Marine Insurance Providers for Contractors?
Spot lists a provider only when its published Inland Marine Insurance information includes a documented claim (verified or company-reported) about eligibility, role, coverage or application that mentions contractors. “Named for Contractors” marks a provider’s own statement of who it serves; “Related mention” marks a role, coverage or application claim.
Providers with both a Spot Score and a Review Score rank first, then providers with one of the two, then providers with neither. Within each group the order is the equal-weight average of the scores the provider has, as in the industry guides; ties break on fit, then the number of documented claims, then name.
The Spot Score comes from Spot’s reliability assessments and the Review Score from the provider’s rated review sources. Neither measures whether a policy fits your business or what it costs. How Spot Scores work.
Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. Editorial policy.
What Do Contractors Need From Inland Marine Insurance?
Your equipment is outside the other policies you carry. ISO's general liability specimen excludes property damage to property you own, rent or occupy and to personal property in your care, custody or control, and ISO's builders risk specimen lists contractor's equipment and tools among property not covered. California's insurance department lists equipment floaters, described as contractors equipment, and installation floaters among common inland marine coverages.1,2,3
One rental company's terms put the loss on you. Its standard terms say that during the rental period the customer assumes all risk of possession, control or use, including theft, and require a business customer to carry all-risk property insurance on the equipment for at least its fair market value, unless the customer buys the company's optional protection plan. The plan is described in the terms as not insurance. Read the rental contract before you assume your own policy covers the machine.4
Expect to be asked for an equipment list. One insurer's contractors equipment submission list asks for a description of operations, a schedule of values, a five-year loss history and the coverage and limits wanted. Build the list of every item with a description and value before you ask for quotes.5
Which Inland Marine Exposures Do Contractors Face?
What gets paid depends on valuation. In the AAIS contractors equipment form as issued in one state government's policy, the value of covered property is actual cash value at the time of loss, with a deduction for depreciation, unless replacement cost is shown on the schedule of coverages. Even then, replacement cost does not apply until the damaged property is repaired or replaced, and you can claim actual cash value first and the replacement cost later if you notify the insurer within 180 days. One insurer lists replacement cost valuation as an option for covered property not more than five years old.5,6
The base coverage is for listed equipment. The form covers equipment on an equipment schedule, or on a schedule kept on file with a description and a limit for each item; rented and newly bought equipment are added by supplemental coverages. A loss to one item does not reduce the limit unless it is a total loss to a scheduled item. Highway vehicles, such as trucks and trailers designed for over-the-road transport, are generally not covered property, and coverage applies in the United States, its territories, Canada and Puerto Rico.6
Breakdown, wear and unexplained loss are excluded. The form does not pay for mechanical, structural or electrical breakdown, wear and tear, marring or scratching, or missing property where the only proof is unexplained or mysterious disappearance or an inventory shortage, though it does pay for a covered peril that results. Theft wording varies by form: this one has no unattended-vehicle condition, while ISO's builders risk specimen pays for theft from an unattended vehicle only if the vehicle was locked and shows visible signs of forced entry.2,6
Rented equipment and new purchases are supplemental coverages with limits. In the form, equipment leased or rented from others is covered up to $25,000 per occurrence unless the schedule says otherwise, and where the schedule calls for reporting, a report of rental expenditures is due within 30 days after the policy ends; without it, the most paid is 90% of the limit. New equipment you buy is covered for up to 60 days at a capped limit, with premium due from the date of purchase.6
What Should Contractors Check Before Buying Inland Marine Insurance?
Compare the equipment schedule with what is on your jobs. List owned, rented and borrowed equipment separately, with values and serial numbers, and ask whether the policy uses an equipment schedule or a schedule on file, as the AAIS form does. One insurer also offers unscheduled mobile equipment as an option, so ask for it by name.5,6
Ask for the valuation basis and any age limit in writing. Ask whether a loss pays actual cash value or replacement cost, whether replacement cost waits for repair, and whether older equipment is excluded from replacement cost.5,6
Match the policy to your rental contracts. If the rental company requires all-risk property insurance for the equipment's fair market value, check that your rented-equipment limit reaches it, and that you can meet any reporting deadline. A $25,000 default limit does not cover a machine worth more.4,6
Read the theft, breakdown and territory wording against how you work. If your crews leave tools in vehicles or at jobsites overnight, ask what theft conditions apply. If you work across the border, check the territory. Ask who adds a machine you buy mid-term and how quickly.2,6
What Do Contractors Ask About Inland Marine Insurance?
Does General Liability Cover Contractors' Tools and Rented Equipment?
No. ISO's general liability specimen excludes property damage to property you own, rent or occupy and to personal property in your care, custody or control. Tools and rented equipment need inland marine or another property policy.1
Does Inland Marine Pay Contractors for Wear and Tear or Breakdown?
Not in the AAIS contractors equipment form we read, which excludes mechanical, structural or electrical breakdown and wear and tear, though it pays for a covered peril that results. Ask about equipment breakdown cover separately.6
Does Inland Marine Cover Equipment That Contractors Rent?
It can. The AAIS form covers equipment leased or rented from others as a supplemental coverage with its own limit and reporting rule, and a rental company's contract may require you to insure the equipment for its fair market value. Compare both.4,6
Sources for Inland Marine Insurance for Contractors
Sources for the Segment Guidance
- Commercial General Liability Coverage Form (CG 00 01 12 07). ISO; specimen hosted by Hiscox; Section I Coverage A exclusion j Damage To Property, pp.4-5. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Builders Risk Coverage Form IH 00 70 05 17 (specimen). ISO, specimen hosted by a broker; A.2.d Property Not Covered: contractor's equipment and tools; B.2.a theft from an unattended vehicle. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Inland Marine (Form 700 revised June 14, 2024). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Sunbelt Rentals Terms and Conditions: U.S. (revision date 11/19/2021). Sunbelt Rentals; Section 6 Customer Liability; Section 9 Insurance; Section 10 Rental Protection Plan (one rental company's standard terms). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Contractors Equipment Insurance. Chubb; Coverage options; Submission Requirements (insurer's statements about its own program). Accessed 2026-10-01.
- State of Florida contractors equipment policy (AAIS form IM 7000 04 04), policy period July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023. Markel American Insurance Company for the Florida Department of Management Services; Form pp.2-13: Property Covered; Property Not Covered; Supplemental Coverages 2 and 3; Perils Excluded; Valuation; Reporting Conditions; Territorial Limits. Accessed 2026-10-01.
Sources for the Ranked Providers
- Inland Marine Insurance – Compare Quotes. TechInsurance. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Inland Marine Insurance. Chubb. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Inland Marine Insurance. Coverdash. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Marine. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Inland & Ocean Marine Insurance. Alliance Risk. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Tools & Equipment Insurance for Contractors - Get Online Quotes. Insureon. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Inland Marine Insurance. Simply Business. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Tools & Equipment / Inland Marine. Kinro. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Inland Marine Insurance. AIG. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- Construction Property & Inland Marine Coverages | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S. Accessed 2026-09-30.
