Home workshop insurance

Keye

Keye
Corporate Member
Chris is correct.... ASK and document your conversations. Ask specific questions and demand specific answers.

My shop and contents are covered under my homeowners. Yours may differ.
I do not disagree with your advice. Based on my experience with 3 insurance companies and talking with a family member who owns an insurance agency your agent does not have any say in how your claim is settled. I received a letter from State Farm telling me they would no longer cover my horse trailer. My agent told me their was nothing he could do about it. This was not a damage claim but it shows how little, if any, control your agent has after he sells you a policy.
 

chris_goris

Chris
Senior User
I do not disagree with your advice. Based on my experience with 3 insurance companies and talking with a family member who owns an insurance agency your agent does not have any say in how your claim is settled. I received a letter from State Farm telling me they would no longer cover my horse trailer. My agent told me their was nothing he could do about it. This was not a damage claim but it shows how little, if any, control your agent has after he sells you a policy.
What part of specific answers is there to disagree with, if its in writing, its indisputable. You are correct, your agent has no control over claims. But, you can make certain things are documented as you understand them.
 

Mike Wilkins

Mike
Corporate Member
I spent 25 years handling property insurance claims so I have some experience in these matters. Detached buildings/shops/barns are insured under your homeowners policy for a percentage of your homes' coverage, as long as it is not used for business. Your tools are covered under the same policy up to the policy limit. Motorized vehicles such as lawn tractors/ tractors are covered as personal property as long as they are used to service the property, such as mowing. Any good agent should be able to explain your coverages should any questions arise.
If you have more than one detached building, you may want to talk with your agent about getting an endorsement for multiple buildings.
 

bobsmodels

Bob
Senior User
May I make a suggestion. I have had several insurance companies over the last 45 years and I have had rather large shops. They contain both metal working tools and woodworking, lots of them. On advice of an agent way back in the 70's I requested from each insurance company whenever I changed companies a letter from them stating the coverage. I supplied documentation to them ie photos of the shop, equipment, and stuff I built. I got various responses, but they were in writing on company stationary. One company said they would honor whatever the insurance agent stated, I got the insurance agent to put his coverage explanation in writing. The most recent was a combination, the items they would not cover, the items covered under my insurance policy and what sections. My personal documentation of conversations is not worth much, the documentation must be at least co-signed with the agent. If it is not in writing from the insurance company, either clearly in your policy or from the agent in writing it is not covered. I also got a letter one year after I had been with a company for about 15 years explaining that they would no longer cover certain items that I owned. That was after going through several agents so they clearly still had the letter they sent to me originally. The point is make the question of what is covered very specific with documentation, not general ie is my shop covered. If they will not document specific coverage questions in some fashion find another company. Dollar amount limits can then easily be determined and insurance increased if deemed necessary. I strongly recommend video or photo documentation of every tool, cabinet/drawer contents, shelf's, etc. update about every two years.
 

zapdafish

New User
Steve
on occasion I bring the same topic up with my agent because of my woodworking tools and firearms and like someone previously mentioned I am covered under "contents". But at 80,000 worth of tools, that might rise to a different category than me and I'd check with your agent.
 

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