Inland Marine Insurance for Contractors

Tool theft off job sites is one of the most common calls we get — and unfortunately, we hear about it two ways. Either a contractor added equipment coverage before it happened, or they declined it and now they’re calling to ask if the stolen gear is covered. It usually isn’t, not without the right policy in place. Ladders, generators, power tools, specialty machinery — once it’s off your shop’s address, a standard commercial property policy typically stops covering it. Inland marine insurance for contractors is the coverage built to close that gap, and given how often tools actually walk off a job site, it’s one of the first things we push hard for every contractor client.

Inland Marine Insurance for Contractors: What It Covers

Inland marine is a form of property coverage for equipment and tools that move — or that live somewhere other than your main business address. Despite the maritime-sounding name, it has nothing to do with water today. For contractors, it’s the coverage doing the real work on a daily basis.

Tools and Equipment at the Job Site

Ladders, generators, power tools, and specialty machinery are exposed to theft, damage, and weather the moment they leave your shop. Job site theft is common enough that we treat this coverage as close to essential, not optional — it’s the claim we see most.

Why Your Business Owner’s Policy Isn’t Enough on Its Own

A standard BOP is built around one fixed address. It assumes your equipment stays where you put it. Inland marine isn’t an upgrade on top of that — it’s a different category of coverage entirely, built for property whose whole job is to move around. It’s also why we bring it up proactively rather than waiting for a client to ask: by the time most contractors think to ask about it, it’s usually because something already got stolen.

It’s Not Just Tools — Some Fixed Property Needs Inland Marine Too

Inland marine also picks up structures that are too specialized to fit a normal property form — not because they move, but because they don’t look like a typical building or piece of equipment either. A cell tower on a piece of land is a good example: it’s not a building and not standard equipment, so it gets written on an inland marine policy alongside general liability — the same category of coverage protecting your tools on a job site.

What Inland Marine Insurance Doesn’t Cover

• Company vehicles — commercial auto insurance, not inland marine
• Permanent fixtures and shop furniture — stays on your regular property policy
• Goods shipped by air or sea — a separate ocean/freight cargo product
• Normal wear and tear or mechanical breakdown — inland marine covers sudden loss, not gradual failure

How GIBB Builds the Right Inland Marine Policy for Your Business

Every contractor’s equipment list looks different, and carriers don’t all treat tools, machinery, and specialty property the same way. Because we’re independent, we shop your inland marine coverage across carriers who actually understand contractor equipment risk — so you’re not stuck with gaps you didn’t know existed, or paying for coverage you don’t need.