Insurancy

What Is Business Personal Property Insurance?

Business personal property insurance protects businesses against losses caused by theft, fire, vandalism, and other events that result in damaged goods.

What Is Business Personal Property Insurance?
Brian Greenberg

Written by Brian Greenberg

CEO / Founder & Licensed Insurance Agent

Paige Geisler

Reviewed by Paige Geisler

Licensed Insurance Agent

Last updated: November 2022 | 3 min read

What Is Business Personal Property Insurance? at a glance

  • Covers physical items owned by your business, excluding buildings and vehicles.
  • Includes office furniture, equipment, electronics, and retail inventory.
  • Protects against financial loss from theft, damage, or loss of property.
  • Costs typically range from $400 to $1,200 per year based on coverage.
  • Essential for businesses with tangible assets to avoid significant financial loss.
  • Review policy details to ensure high-value items are adequately covered.
  • Consult your insurance agent for tailored coverage options.

It covers things such as computers, office furniture, and even heavy equipment. If it’s a physical item that your business owns, other than the building itself or a company vehicle, business personal property insurance likely covers it.

What is a Business Personal Property Insurance Policy?

A business personal property insurance policy is a type of insurance that covers the physical property owned by a business. This can include furniture, equipment, electronics, machinery, and other items needed to run your business. If any of these things are lost, damaged, or stolen, business personal property insurance protects the company from financial loss.

What is Included With Business Personal Property Insurance?

Business personal property insurance includes coverage for just about every physical asset owned by the company, with a few notable exceptions. It doesn’t cover buildings or real estate. For that, your company needs commercial property insurance. It also doesn’t cover company-owned automobiles. You can insure those by purchasing commercial auto insurance coverage.

What Assets Does a Business Personal Property Insurance Policy Cover?

A business personal property insurance policy typically covers most of the physical assets your business owns. The most common types of property covered include the following:

  • Office furniture
  • Office equipment
  • Heavy machinery
  • Computers and other electronics
  • Office furnishings
  • Office supplies
  • Retail inventory

Not all policies offer the same coverage. Before committing to a business personal property policy, read the fine print to understand exactly what is and isn’t covered. You should be particularly careful to make sure any high-value items owned by your business are covered. If not, you might need to purchase additional protection. Your insurance agent should be able to go over the policy in detail with you to make sure it covers all relevant items.

How Much Does Business Personal Property Insurance Cost?

The cost of a business personal property insurance policy depends on the amount of coverage purchased and the type and location of the business.

About half of all business personal property policies purchased cost between $400 and $800 per year. While it’s possible to find a policy for under $400 a year, coverage might be limited. A business that needs to insure high-value property might end up paying $1,200 per year or more.

What Businesses Need a Business Personal Property Insurance Policy?

A business personal property insurance policy is a must for any business that has tangible assets. If something happens to your property, whether it’s a fire, theft, or other covered loss, your policy will help you recover the costs associated with replacing those items. Otherwise, your business will be looking at a significant financial loss.

Retail businesses, in particular, are vulnerable to the impact of a loss of physical property. If a retailer’s inventory is lost or damaged to a significant degree, their entire business model falls apart. This makes personal property insurance a necessity for remaining a going concern.

If your company is in the market for business personal property insurance, there are several places to look for a policy. You can check with your current insurance agent or look for a local broker. Alternatively, some online insurance brokers offer competitive rates on business personal property policies.

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Frequently asked questions

What does business personal property insurance cover?+

It covers physical assets owned by a business, including office furniture, equipment, electronics, and machinery. However, it does not cover buildings or company vehicles.

What types of businesses need this insurance?+

Any business with tangible assets should consider this insurance. Retail businesses, in particular, are vulnerable to losses that can impact their operations.

How much does business personal property insurance cost?+

Costs typically range from $400 to $800 per year for most policies. High-value property may require policies costing $1,200 or more annually.

What should I check before purchasing a policy?+

Review the policy details to understand what is covered and ensure high-value items are included. Not all policies offer the same coverage.

Where can I find business personal property insurance?+

You can check with your current insurance agent, look for a local broker, or explore online insurance brokers for competitive rates.

What happens if my property is lost or damaged?+

If your property is lost, damaged, or stolen, the insurance policy helps recover the costs associated with replacing those items. This protection is crucial for financial stability.

Are there exceptions to what is covered?+

Yes, the policy does not cover buildings or real estate. For those, you need commercial property insurance, and for vehicles, commercial auto insurance.

About the authors

Brian Greenberg

Written by

Brian GreenbergCEO / Founder & Licensed Insurance Agent

Brian is the founder and CEO of Insurancy and carries Life, Health, and Property & Casualty licenses in all 50 U.S. states. Since 2013, Brian has been a member of Million Dollar Round Table, a designation for the top 1% of financial advisors worldwide. Brian has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, Money.com, Entrepreneur.com, Life Happens, Forbes, MSN, and Good Financial Cents. Brian’s goal is to show customers the best products, the quickest answers to their questions, and provide expert advice.

Paige Geisler

Reviewed by

Paige GeislerLicensed Insurance Agent

Paige is an assistant agent for State Farm and is licensed to sell property and casualty, health, and life insurance in Virginia. She handles all different types of insurance and financial services and is currently working on a securities and bonds license. Paige has a degree from Radford University in English and is a certified notary.

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