Inland marine insurance covers tools, equipment, and materials that move between locations or are temporarily stored at jobsites. For roofing contractors, this includes nail guns, compressors, generators, safety harnesses, tear-off equipment, and materials staged on a roof or in a parking lot awaiting installation. Your general liability policy does not cover your own property, and your commercial property policy typically only covers items at your listed business location.
Roofing equipment is particularly vulnerable to theft and damage because it is frequently left on open jobsites overnight, transported in open truck beds, and exposed to weather. A contractors equipment floater, a type of inland marine policy, covers these items on a scheduled or blanket basis anywhere they travel within your coverage territory. Scheduled coverage lists each item and its value; blanket coverage provides a single limit for all qualifying equipment.
When pricing inland marine coverage, your insurer will consider the total value of your equipment, your loss history, how equipment is stored and secured overnight, and the geographic area where you operate. Deductibles are typically $500 to $2,500. If you have invested in high-value equipment like a crane, hot-air welder, or commercial-grade vacuum system, make sure those items are individually scheduled with accurate replacement values. Underinsuring your equipment means you will receive only a partial payout after a covered loss.