Is Your Business Equipment Covered When You Take It to a Client's Site?
Learning goal: Know the small limits a homeowners policy typically gives business equipment, especially away from home, and what to check if you work on the road.
Short answer
Often only a little, if you rely on a homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy typically covers business equipment for about $2,500 at home and only about $250 away from it. If you carry laptops, cameras or tools to clients, ask about business property coverage that follows your equipment, often through a business policy or an endorsement.
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On this page
The Fuller Picture
Home-based businesses often grow into mobile ones: a photographer on location, a consultant at a client's office, a tradesperson at a job site. The homeowners policy's business limits weren't built for that, and the away-from-home limit is the smallest of all.
Key Takeaways
- The Insurance Information Institute: a standard homeowners policy typically provides "$2,500 for business equipment in the home and $250 away from the premises."
- Equipment that travels to clients or job sites often needs coverage designed to follow it, which insurers may offer as an endorsement or within a business policy.
- Check how your policy defines business property; a laptop used for both personal and business work can raise questions.
- Keep a list of business equipment with serial numbers and values, separate from your home inventory.
Real-World Example
One bag, two places
Dev, a freelance photographer, keeps $8,000 of gear at home and relies on his homeowners policy. If it were stolen from his home, a typical business equipment limit of about $2,500 would apply. If the same bag were stolen from his car at a wedding venue, a typical away-from-home limit of about $250 would apply. With a business property endorsement or a business policy that covers equipment anywhere, the same theft could be covered up to that coverage's limit, subject to its terms.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming personal property coverage treats work gear like household items.
- Not checking the away-from-home limit before taking equipment to clients.
- Mixing business and personal items with no separate list.
Interactive Exercise
Check your gear's coverage
Use your homeowners policy and a list of your work equipment.
Tick each step as you do it. Your checklist is saved in this browser.
Knowledge Check
Question: Under a typical standard homeowners policy, about how much coverage does business equipment have away from home?
Recommended Insurpedia Tools
- Coverage Builder: Answer a few questions about your home, vehicles, family and work, and see insurance topics worth researching for your situation, each linked to a plain-English explanation. It doesn’t tell you what to buy.
Related Insurance Terms
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Questions to explore next
Questions readers often ask next about this topic:
- What is inland marine insurance?
- Does a business owners policy cover equipment off-site?
- Is my work laptop covered by my employer?
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The factual claims on this page were checked against these sources. Rules and figures change, so check the source itself if you need to confirm the current version.
- Insuring your home businessInsurance Information Institute (Triple-I)
Educational information, not advice: This lesson is for general education only, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. Actual coverage, discounts, and requirements depend on your policy’s wording, your insurer, and the laws of your state. Confirm specifics with your own insurer or a licensed agent before making a decision. Insurpedia does not sell insurance and does not recommend specific insurers. The typical business equipment limits come from the Insurance Information Institute.