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What to Know About Commercial Property Insurance

Insurance for commercial property, depending on your specific needs, can protect different types of commercial property, including equipment and buildings. Commercial property insurance works in a similar way to personal property insurance. This coverage is not for general wear and tear, or for tenant’s use of your space or equipment. Instead, commercial property insurance protects your organization from damage and destruction caused by natural disasters, theft, and fire. There are several types of property and casualty insurance for commercial property, and it will largely depend on the industry you are in and the type of property you need to protect. Here are some common options:

Business Owners Policy (BOP)

This type of coverage is a combination of business property and liability coverages. This can provide basic protection, but is generally not comprehensive, and needs to be bundled with other types of commercial property insurance.

Business Interruption Insurance

Just like the name implies, this type of property insurance can help protect your business if damages from a disaster require you to close up shop for an extended period.

Inland Marine Insurance

This coverage can help protect your commercial property in transit, whether you are delivering goods and equipment, or travel to provide services to your clients.

Commercial Crime Insurance

Most commercial property insurance will cover damaged or stolen property, but not the cost related to the crime itself. This coverage can protect from forgery and fraud as well.

Boiler & Machinery Insurance

Sometimes equipment breaks down or malfunctions through no fault of your own. This can be a major disruption in day-to-day operations and expensive to fix. This policy helps cover those costs and get you up and running again.

Ordinance/Law Insurance

When your commercial property is damaged, basic insurance covers the cost of repairs and replacement, but sometimes there are fees associated with building codes and other city/state ordinances. This property insurance coverage helps cover those costs.

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Determining What Commercial Property Insurance You Need

Commercial property insurance is unique in that there are rarely one-size-fits-all coverages. Before selecting the coverage you need, here are some important considerations you will want to keep in mind:

  • Where is your commercial property located? Things like crime rate, flood and fire risk can all play a factor in the best protection for you.
  • Is your equipment stationary or do you take it from job site to job site? This can also impact where your property is located, depending on the type of job sites your equipment travels to.
  • What is your building used for and how was it constructed? Things like fire-resistant material, lighting, the amount of glass, and the types of activities taking place in your commercial property will impact the cost and type of insurance you need.
  • What fire and disaster precautions are in place? Things like fire hydrant placement, proximity to emergency responders and even proximity to fault lines can point to risks your commercial property needs protection from.

 

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Valuing Your Business for Property Insurance Policies

When deciding how much commercial property insurance you need, considering the value of what commercial equipment and real property you want to cover is going to be the priority. Valuing something, especially if that value might diminish (equipment) or grow (like real estate) over time, is not always an easy task. The two primary calculations you can use are Replacement Cost (how much it would cost to replace a piece of commercial property in today’s dollars) or Actual Cash Value (the value of an item after calculating its age, use, and other depreciating factors). The primary difference is in how commercial property insurance coverage calculates reimbursement: RC will consider how much you need to replace property that has been stolen or damaged, but ACV will look at the value of what was stolen or damaged and reimburse you with its depreciated value. Which valuation you use will depend on the property you are insuring and the premium you want to pay.

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Related Product Offerings

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General Liability

Accidents happen and if they happen on your property or as the result of work that you have done, you could be liable for damages. Learn more about general liability insurance options.

General Liability
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Workplace Violence Insurance

The need for workplace violence insurance covers a broad range of incidents. Learn more about workplace violence insurance types and how Ansay & Associates can help you.

Workplace Violence Insurance
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Workers Compensation

Workers’ compensation can help cover medical costs and even provide employee wages for time missed from work and is an important thing to have as a business owner. Learn more about workers’ compensation insurance coverage options.

Workers Compensation

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to Frequently Asked Commercial Property Insurance Questions

What does Property Insurance cover?

Commercial property insurance can cover a variety of damages affiliated with natural disasters, fire, and theft. There are multiple types of coverage that protect everything from glass to equipment you take to a job site.

How much is Property Insurance?

The cost of insurance will depend on a variety of factors such as the type of commercial property you are looking to cover, its location, and potential risk exposure.

Can you insure property you don't own?

The short answer to this question is: Yes. Leased equipment and property often requires some type of coverage, but this is rarely comprehensive.

Is Property Insurance tax deductible?

Insurance for your business and commercial property can be counted as an expense and is tax deductible.

Does Commercial Property Insurance cover theft?

Specific commercial property insurance coverage will vary, but theft is generally included in most policies.

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Help protect your business from natural disaster damage, fire, and theft with a Commercial Property Insurance plan. Call today and speak with an Ansay & Associates specialist – we’ll help you find the protection you need.

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