Tools & equipment insurance that replaces your gear.

Tools and equipment insurance is a scheduled inland marine policy that covers your contractor gear — nail guns, saws, lasers, generators, compressors, and mobile equipment — against theft, damage, and loss on the jobsite, in transit, and on your truck. It follows your gear wherever the work takes it, unlike a fixed-location property policy.

Most contractors pay between $500 and $2,500 a year for a scheduled tools floater, depending on the total value of gear scheduled, the deductible chosen, and your theft-loss history. Premium is typically 1-3% of scheduled value. We quote the full program in about 15 minutes and show you every market's price side by side.

We write tools & equipment at replacement cost so a stolen or destroyed tool is replaced new — not depreciated to a fraction of its value. Actual cash value (ACV) policies can pay $150 for a $600 nailer. Replacement cost is the difference between staying on schedule and buying gear out of pocket.

A scheduled floater lists each major piece of gear individually — make, model, serial number, and value — so coverage and claims are unambiguous. Scheduled coverage pays the listed value at claim time with no depreciation argument. We help you build and maintain the schedule as you add gear.

Yes — a tools & equipment floater covers theft from your truck, trailer, and jobsite, subject to the policy terms and deductible. Some policies carry a separate, higher deductible for theft from an unattended vehicle, so we review those terms carefully and structure the policy to minimize out-of-pocket exposure.

Scheduled coverage lists each item with its value; blanket coverage covers the total inventory up to a limit without itemizing. Scheduled pays more reliably at claim time (no depreciation or proof-of-ownership fights) and is better for high-value gear. Blanket is simpler but often pays less and caps per-item limits. We recommend scheduled for gear-heavy contractors.

No. Commercial auto covers liability for at-fault crashes and physical damage to the vehicle itself — not the cargo, tools, or equipment inside or on the truck. Tools are covered by a tools & equipment (inland marine) floater. We pair the two so both the truck and its contents are protected.

An installation floater covers materials and supplies while in transit to the jobsite and until they're installed and accepted by the owner. It closes the gap between the supplier's truck and the structure. If you haul material packages that could be lost, damaged, or stolen before installation, you need one.

Inland marine is the coverage class for property that moves — tools, equipment, materials in transit, and gear on jobsites. It's the flexible foundation that scheduled tools floaters, installation floaters, and mobile equipment coverage are built on. For contractors whose gear rarely sits still, it's the right coverage.

Yes — high-value mobile equipment (boom lifts, towable compressors, welder generators) should be scheduled separately at agreed value. Generic policies undervalue this equipment, but scheduled mobile-equipment coverage pays the agreed amount on a total loss. We list each unit individually.

Tools insurance covers theft and external damage. Equipment breakdown (boiler and machinery) covers internal mechanical and electrical failures — a blown compressor, fried generator windings, burned-out motor, or shorted electronics — that standard property excludes. Most gear-heavy contractors need both.

Yes. Contractors Choice Agency is licensed in all 50 states and writes tools & equipment programs for contractors anywhere in the country — from the highest-theft markets like Texas and the Northeast to the storm-rebuild surge zones of the Southeast and Gulf Coast.

Typically 15 minutes on a call for a standard scheduled-tools program. Larger schedules with mobile equipment and installation floaters may take a day to place with the right markets, but we move fast and tell you the timeline up front. Once bound, certificates and schedules are issued quickly.

We build a schedule listing each major tool with its replacement value — make, model, serial number, and what it would cost to buy new today. You can update the schedule as you add gear. Accurate scheduling keeps premiums fair and claims fast. Keep receipts and photos to support it.

Most contractors choose a $250 to $1,000 deductible. A higher deductible lowers premium but increases out-of-pocket at claim time. Watch for theft-from-unattended-vehicle deductibles, which can be higher ($1,000-$2,500). We help you balance premium against realistic out-of-pocket exposure.

Often we can still place coverage. We have excess-and-surplus (E&S) inland marine markets for contractors with loss runs, prior thefts, or cancellations that standard markets decline. Bring your loss runs and gear schedule and we'll find a path.

It can. We can extend coverage to borrowed and rented equipment, which matters if you rent lifts, compressors, or specialty tools for specific jobs. Rental companies often require proof of insurance — we issue certificates naming them as required.

Premium is based primarily on the total scheduled value of your gear (typically 1-3% of value annually), modified by deductible, theft class of your region, and loss history. Mobile equipment and installation floaters are rated separately. We document your inventory accurately so you're rated on real exposure.

Tools, mobile equipment, and installation floaters live in the inland marine market — a specialty class most generic agents don't understand. A specialty broker knows which carriers write scheduled gear at replacement cost, how to structure theft deductibles, and how to manage a tools-theft claim so it pays. That means better coverage at a fairer price.