208-609-3511 daniel@bittickinsurance.com

Inland marine insurance covers business property and equipment that moves off your premises, whether it's in a truck, at a job site, in a third-party warehouse, or temporarily in someone else's hands. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with water. The term is a historical holdover from the early days of cargo insurance, now applied broadly to any property that travels or gets stored away from your main location.

A standard commercial property policy typically protects only what sits on your physical premises. For a contractor hauling tools and materials to a new build in Meridian, or a field-services company moving equipment between sites across the Treasure Valley, that gap in coverage can be expensive. Inland marine steps in where commercial property leaves off.

What this coverage includes

Property and equipment in transit

This is the core of inland marine coverage. If your tools, materials, or equipment are in a vehicle or being shipped by rail or freight carrier and something goes wrong, this policy covers the loss. A commercial auto policy covers the truck itself; inland marine covers what's inside it. For a plumbing contractor driving pipe fittings and fixtures to a job in Nampa, those are two separate exposures that need two separate policies.

Off-site storage and third-party locations

Some businesses store inventory or equipment at warehouses, staging yards, or leased spaces that aren't their primary address. Inland marine covers property held at those locations. It also extends to property that's temporarily under your care, custody, or control, which matters for shops that hold customers' items for repair or service. A bike shop in Eagle storing a customer's high-end frame for a component swap, for example, carries real exposure if that frame is damaged or stolen.

Building materials and jobsite property

Contractors and subcontractors often have tens of thousands of dollars in materials sitting on a job site before they're installed. Once lumber, conduit, or HVAC equipment leaves your shop and goes to the site, it's typically off the commercial property policy's radar. Inland marine covers those materials while they're in transit and while they're staged on the job. This is especially relevant for the fast-moving residential and commercial build-out happening along the Highway 16 and Chinden corridors in Star and Meridian.

Demo equipment, displays, and trade show property

If your business takes product demos, display equipment, or sample inventory to trade shows, client meetings, or industry events, those items are away from your premises and at real risk of damage or theft. Inland marine covers them during transit and at the event location. The same logic applies to any high-value portable equipment, survey instruments, cameras, or diagnostic tools, that your team routinely takes into the field.

Equipment belonging to others stored on your property

Some inland marine policies also cover equipment that belongs to your clients or vendors but is temporarily on your premises. Repair shops, fabricators, and service businesses often hold other people's property for days or weeks at a time. If that property is damaged while in your possession, the liability lands on you. This extension of inland marine addresses exactly that situation.

Pairs well with

Commercial Property Insurance

Covers buildings, equipment, and inventory at your primary business location. Inland marine picks up where commercial property ends, so the two policies are designed to work side by side.

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Commercial Auto Insurance

Covers your business vehicles. It does not cover the cargo or equipment inside them, which is exactly what inland marine addresses.

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Contractors Equipment Insurance

A specialized form of inland marine focused on heavy tools and machinery. If your business is in the trades, this may be the more targeted fit depending on what you're hauling.

General Liability Insurance

Covers bodily injury or property damage claims made against your business by third parties. If you damage a client's property while it's in your care, inland marine covers the property loss and general liability addresses the legal exposure.

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Builders Risk Insurance

Specifically designed for structures under construction, covering the building itself and often the materials on site. Pairs well with inland marine when a contractor needs coverage for both the structure and the equipment serving the job.

What this coverage protects against

Common risks and how this coverage addresses them. Tap any scenario to expand.

  • Tools stolen from a work truck parked at a Boise job site.

    The risk

    A framing crew wraps up for the day and parks their truck on the street outside a new build. By morning, the truck's toolboxes have been pried open and a significant amount of hand and power tools are gone. The commercial auto policy covers the truck damage; it doesn't touch the tools.

    How this coverage helps

    Inland marine coverage applies to the stolen tools as business property in transit or storage away from the main premises. The crew files a claim, gets reimbursed for the loss, and is back on site with replacement tools within days rather than weeks.

  • A rear-end collision destroys materials en route to a Meridian project.

    The risk

    A plumbing subcontractor is carrying copper pipe, fixtures, and rough-in supplies to a new subdivision off Linder Road when another driver runs a red light and hits the truck. The materials are a total loss. The project timeline is already tight.

    How this coverage helps

    The inland marine policy covers the value of the destroyed materials, giving the contractor the funds to reorder immediately. The commercial auto policy handles the vehicle damage separately, and the project delay is limited to the reorder lead time rather than a drawn-out coverage dispute.

  • High-value demo equipment damaged at a trade show.

    The risk

    A technology reseller ships a display server rack and several laptops to a regional industry event in Boise. During setup, another exhibitor's team drops a heavy crate onto the display, destroying two laptops and cracking the rack enclosure.

    How this coverage helps

    Inland marine covers the damaged equipment at its current value. The policy applies both in transit to the event and at the venue itself, so the reseller recovers the loss regardless of exactly when the damage occurred during the trip.

  • Customer's motorcycle damaged in a shop fire.

    The risk

    A motorcycle shop in Caldwell is holding three customer bikes for service work when an electrical fire breaks out in the shop overnight. All three bikes sustain smoke and heat damage. The shop's commercial property policy covers the shop building and its own equipment; it doesn't cover property belonging to clients.

    How this coverage helps

    An inland marine policy that includes a care, custody, and control extension covers the damage to the customers' bikes. The shop pays the claims to its customers promptly and preserves those relationships rather than facing a lawsuit over property loss.

  • Surveying equipment lost when a field truck goes off a Forest Service road.

    The risk

    An engineering firm sends a two-person crew into the foothills north of Emmett for a topographic survey. On the way back down a steep gravel road, the truck slides into a ditch and rolls. The crew is fine, but the total station, GPS receivers, and field laptops are destroyed.

    How this coverage helps

    The inland marine policy covers the surveying instruments and electronics as portable business equipment in the field. The firm files a claim, receives the replacement value of the instruments, and can put a replacement set into service before the next scheduled field engagement.

  • Warehouse pipe burst damages inventory staged for delivery.

    The risk

    A building supply distributor stores overstock materials at a third-party logistics facility near the Nampa rail corridor. A pipe in the warehouse bursts during a hard January freeze, soaking several pallets of flooring materials and making them unsellable. The distributor doesn't own the warehouse.

    How this coverage helps

    Because inland marine covers property stored at third-party locations, the distributor's policy applies to the ruined inventory. The warehouse operator's property policy covers the building; inland marine covers what was inside it belonging to the distributor.

  • Staging materials vandalized on a weekend at an Eagle new construction site.

    The risk

    A custom home builder stages framing lumber, windows, and exterior trim at a lot in a newer Eagle subdivision over a long holiday weekend. Vandals damage the windows and soil the lumber before Monday's crew arrives. The materials haven't been installed yet, so they aren't part of a builders risk policy.

    How this coverage helps

    Inland marine coverage for building materials in transit and on-site applies to the staged property before installation. The builder recovers the cost of the damaged materials, reorders, and keeps the project on schedule with minimal out-of-pocket expense.

Frequently asked questions

How is inland marine insurance different from commercial property insurance?
Commercial property insurance covers your business equipment and inventory at your primary location, the address on the policy. Inland marine extends that protection to property that moves: equipment in a truck, materials staged at a job site, or inventory held at a third-party warehouse. Most businesses that move equipment or materials regularly need both policies working together, not one or the other.
Does inland marine cover tools stolen from a vehicle?
Yes, that's one of the most common inland marine claims for trade contractors. A commercial auto policy covers damage to the vehicle itself, but the tools inside it are business property, and they need inland marine or a separate tools-and-equipment policy to be covered. If your crew regularly parks loaded work trucks overnight on job sites, this gap is worth closing.
What kinds of Idaho businesses typically need inland marine coverage?
Any business where valuable property regularly leaves the premises. That includes general contractors and subcontractors hauling tools and materials to job sites across the Treasure Valley, field services companies, surveyors and engineers who take equipment into the field, repair shops that hold customers' property, and distributors who stage inventory at third-party locations. Our San Antonio office sees similar demand from Hill Country contractors and commercial service businesses. If your work isn't contained to one fixed address, inland marine is likely relevant.
Is inland marine coverage expensive?
The premium depends on the value of the property being covered, how it's transported, where it's stored, and the nature of your business. For many small contractors and service businesses, the annual cost is modest relative to the value of the equipment at risk. Bittick shops your account across multiple carriers to find the right coverage at a competitive price.
Can inland marine cover equipment that belongs to my customers while it's in my shop?
Some inland marine policies include a care, custody, and control provision that covers third-party property in your possession. This matters for repair shops, fabricators, and service businesses that routinely hold customers' equipment. Not all policies include this automatically, so it's worth reviewing the terms carefully. Bittick can help you confirm whether your current policy covers that exposure or whether you need an endorsement.
Does inland marine cover property damage during a flood or earthquake?
Standard inland marine policies cover many causes of loss, including theft, collision, fire, and accidental damage, but typically exclude flood and earthquake just as most commercial property policies do. Flood and earthquake coverage generally require separate policies. If your business operates in areas with those exposures, Bittick can help you identify whether additional coverage makes sense.

Get the right coverage for property that doesn't stay put

Tell us about your business and we'll shop your inland marine options across our carrier network to find coverage that fits.

Don't like forms? Contact us at 208-609-3511 or email us.