You need an equipment floater, a type of inland marine policy that covers your gear at a job site, in transit, and against theft from a truck. Your commercial property policy only covers equipment inside your own building. Who this is for: owners of water, fire, mold, and other restoration and remediation companies whose gear spends most of its life away from the shop.
The short version
- Your commercial property policy covers a building and what is inside it. It stops paying the moment your equipment leaves your shop for a job.
- An equipment floater is a separate policy that follows your gear to job sites, while it travels in your truck, and covers it if it is stolen off a truck.
- Rented or leased equipment usually needs to be covered too, since the rental company will still bill you if it is damaged or stolen while in your care.
- Truck mounted extraction units can fall in a gap between your auto policy and your equipment policy, so tell your broker about anything bolted to a vehicle.
- You can list specific high value items by name or buy one overall limit that covers everything below a set value, and either way you pick a deductible you pay first.
Why doesn't my commercial property policy cover my restoration equipment?
Because a standard commercial property policy is built around a fixed location. It covers a building, or its contents, at the address on the policy. Restoration gear does the opposite of stay put. Air movers ride in a van most days. Dehumidifiers sit in a customer's basement for a week. Once that gear leaves your shop, your property policy has nothing left to cover, because there is no address for it to attach to.
What is an equipment floater and what does it actually cover?
An equipment floater is a policy that covers your gear wherever it goes, instead of at one address. It is a type of inland marine policy, the category built for property that moves. For a restoration company, that usually means air movers, dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, negative air machines, HEPA vacuums, moisture meters, ozone or hydroxyl units, generators, and containment supplies.
| Where the gear is | Property policy pays? | Equipment floater pays? |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting in your warehouse | Usually yes | Usually yes, most floaters cover gear at your shop too |
| Running at a customer's job | No | Yes |
| Loaded in a van between jobs | No | Yes |
| Stolen from a parked, locked truck | No | Yes, a common claim |
| Damaged, permanently mounted to a truck | No | Sometimes, see below |
Do I need to cover equipment I rent instead of own?
Usually yes. If you rent a unit for a big loss job, the rental agreement usually makes you responsible for it while it is in your care. Your equipment floater can usually cover rented gear too, but tell your broker what you rent, since it changes the price. Do not assume a rental company's own insurance protects you. It almost never does.
What about truck mounted equipment?
Truck mounted extraction units sit in an awkward spot. Some insurers treat them as part of the vehicle, so your commercial auto policy should cover them. Others expect them on your equipment floater instead. Either answer can leave a gap if your two policies came from different places without coordinating. Tell your broker about every mounted unit, and get written confirmation of which policy responds. See where to get commercial auto insurance for a restoration or remediation company.
Should I list my equipment by name or buy one overall limit?
Both approaches exist, and many companies use a mix.
- Listing by name means specific high value items, like a large generator, each get their own limit. This keeps an expensive item from being underinsured.
- One overall limit covers everything you own below a certain value per item, without listing each one. This is usually simpler for a group of similar items like a dozen air movers.
Either way, you choose a deductible, the amount you pay yourself before the policy pays anything. A higher deductible usually lowers your price but means you cover more of a small loss yourself.
What does equipment coverage cost for a restoration company?
These figures are illustrative only. Your actual cost depends on the total value of equipment, how much travels versus stays in your shop, your claims history, and the deductible you choose.
| Business size | Illustrative annual cost |
|---|---|
| Small crew, basic drying gear, under $50,000 in equipment | $800 to $2,000 |
| Mid size firm, mixed drying and containment gear, $50,000 to $200,000 | $1,800 to $5,000 |
| Larger firm, generators and truck mounted gear, over $200,000 | $4,000 to $12,000 |
A theft or claims history can raise these numbers, and adding rented gear to the policy can move the price too.
How do I buy equipment coverage and how fast can it be in place?
Through a broker, alone or added to a package with your general liability. Insurers want a list of your equipment with approximate values, so keep an updated inventory. Coverage can often be added within a few business days once that list is in hand.
What this looks like in real life
Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.
The setup: A restoration company in Florida with eight employees runs a fleet of air movers, two negative air machines, and a portable generator. They carry general liability, auto, and workers comp, but assumed their commercial property policy covered the equipment since they bought it as one package with their office.
What went wrong: Overnight, thieves break into a locked, parked box truck and take four air movers, a negative air machine, and the generator, all staged for a job starting the next morning.
What it cost: The commercial property insurer denies the claim because the equipment was not at the covered building address when it was stolen. Without a floater, the company replaces the stolen gear out of pocket and pushes back the job start while sourcing replacements.
The fix: A commercial property policy only follows equipment inside your building. Anything that leaves for a job, rides in a truck, or sits in a parking lot overnight needs an equipment floater, and theft from a vehicle is one of the most common claims restoration companies file.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What equipment coverage does a restoration or remediation company need?
You need an equipment floater, a type of inland marine policy, since your commercial property policy only covers equipment inside your own building. An equipment floater follows your air movers, dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, and other gear to job sites, while in transit, and covers theft from a truck.
Q: Why won't my commercial property insurance cover my dehumidifiers once they leave the shop?
Because commercial property coverage is tied to a specific building address. It has nothing left to attach to once equipment is set up at a job site or riding in a van.
Q: Do I need to insure equipment I rent, not just what I own?
Usually yes. Rental agreements almost always make you responsible for rented equipment while it is in your care. Your equipment floater can usually be written to cover rented items too, but tell your broker how often you rent.
Q: Does my commercial auto policy cover a truck mounted extraction unit?
It depends on the insurer, and this is a common gap. Some treat a mounted unit as part of the vehicle, while others expect it on your equipment floater instead. Tell your broker about every mounted unit and get written confirmation of which policy responds.
Q: Should I schedule each piece of equipment or buy one overall limit?
Either works, and many companies use both. Naming specific high value items gives each its own limit, which protects it from being underinsured. One overall limit covers everything below a certain value per item, which is simpler for similar equipment like several air movers.
Q: What deductible should I choose for equipment coverage?
A deductible is the amount you pay yourself before the policy pays anything. A higher deductible usually lowers your price but means a small loss, like one stolen moisture meter, comes out of your own pocket.
Q: How much does equipment coverage cost for a restoration company?
As an illustrative range only, a small crew with basic drying gear might pay $800 to $2,000 a year, while a larger firm with generators and truck mounted gear can pay $4,000 to $12,000 a year. Your actual cost depends on the value covered, claims history, and deductible.
Q: Does an equipment floater cover gear that is stolen from a locked truck overnight?
Usually yes, and this is one of the most common claims restoration companies file. A commercial property policy only covers a fixed building address, so theft away from that address falls to the equipment floater.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Pricing equipment coverage for air movers, dehumidifiers, generators, and other restoration and remediation gear, including rented equipment and truck mounted units, is a routine part of what we do.
- Free contract review. Send us the contract or bid documents and we mark up the insurance section in plain English, whether or not you buy anything from us.
- Free, instant certificates. Clients issue their own certificates of insurance online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge.
- Markets you cannot reach online. One application, shopped across many insurance companies for general liability, workers comp, auto, umbrella, and pollution coverage.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Your contract and your policy wording control in every case. Requirements vary by customer, by state, and by insurance company, so have a licensed advisor review your own contract and your own policy before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated September 2026.