Customer property in care
Items left for repair can be damaged, lost, or stolen while in the shop's custody.
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Repair & Maintenance Insurance
A second visit to redo a repair is not the same cost as damage to other property after the item is returned. Your service protection should distinguish workmanship, customer custody, and resulting harm, whether you work at a bench or travel to the customer.
The Southern Agency can help you protect your repair shop, your tools, and your completed work.
Operations within this group
You repair or maintain customers' equipment and property, in your workshop or at their location. An item can be damaged while you handle it, and a repair alleged to cause later damage can lead to a separate claim.
The Southern Agency can review your repair methods and customer-property responsibilities to help you select insurance. We can discuss custody protection and resulting-damage liability alongside portable tools, keeping the cost of redoing faulty work separate.
Find your business
Choose your business type to discuss insurance with The Southern Agency. If it isn’t listed, call an agent to ask whether we can place it.
- Appliance Repair ServiceAppliance repair insurance considers service vans, customer homes, portable tools, and completed repairs.
- Auto Repair ShopAuto repair insurance considers customer vehicles, completed repairs, shop machinery, and waste fluids.
- Collision and Body ShopCollision shop insurance considers customer cars, structural repairs, spray finishing, and test drives.
- Computer and Phone Repair StoreComputer and phone repair insurance considers entrusted devices, data work, batteries, and returned repairs.
- Electronics Repair CenterElectronics repair insurance considers bench work, customer equipment, and failures after devices are returned.
- Furniture Restoration ServiceFurniture restoration insurance considers heirloom custody, finishing processes, pickup, and customer valuations.
- HVAC Maintenance ContractorHVAC maintenance insurance considers serviced systems, roof work, hot work, service trucks, and portable tools.
- Leather Repair ServiceLeather repair insurance considers recoloring, entrusted goods, mobile touch-ups, and chemical supplies.
- Shoe and Leather RepairCobbler insurance considers footwear custody, bench machinery, adhesives, and retail customer visits.
- Small Engine Repair ShopSmall engine repair insurance considers fueled equipment, customer custody, and machines returned after service.
- Upholstery ShopUpholstery insurance considers customer furniture, fabric and foam stocks, bench machinery, and delivery.
- Watch and Jewelry Repair ShopJewelry repair insurance considers concentrated client valuables, bench damage, security, and specialist shipments.
Risks across this group
Faulty workmanship claims
A repair that fails can lead to claims of resulting damage or injury.
Tools and equipment loss
Valuable tools can be stolen or damaged, on-site or in transit.
On-site work exposure
Service calls at customer locations create property-damage and injury risk.
Employee injuries
Hands-on work with tools and equipment creates injury exposure.
Hazardous materials
Solvents, lubricants, and parts can create handling and disposal exposure.
Coverage worth discussing
Policies to ask about. Which ones fit depends on your operations, your contracts, and the carrier’s forms.
- General Liability InsuranceMay respond to third-party injuries and property damage resulting from your repair and service work.
- Inland Marine InsuranceMay help protect valuable tools and equipment, including while traveling to customer job sites.
- Business Auto InsuranceMay cover service vehicles used to travel to customer locations.
- Workers Compensation InsuranceMay cover technicians exposed to tools, equipment, and repair materials.
- Business Owners PolicyBundles liability and property coverage for many shop-based repair businesses.
Situations to think through
These hypothetical examples are not agency claim results. Whether a loss is covered depends on the facts, policy terms, and applicable exclusions.
Hypothetical: Customer item damaged
A customer's equipment is damaged while in the shop. Coverage for property in care may help, depending on how the policy treats care, custody, and control.
Hypothetical: Tools stolen
Tools are stolen from a service van. Inland marine coverage may help replace them, subject to deductibles.
Hypothetical: On-site damage
A technician damages a customer's property during a service call. General liability may help respond, subject to terms.
Before you talk to an agent
Questions to raise
- Match customer-property coverage to the item: vehicles, jewelry, electronics, furniture, and appliances can require different forms and valuations. Check damage during work, storage, testing, and transit to outside specialists.
- Separate the cost to redo a repair or replace faulty work from resulting injury or damage to other property. Review completed operations after the item is returned, not just premises liability while it is in the shop.
- List customer vehicles or equipment driven or tested by employees. Confirm who may operate them, where, and under what liability and physical-damage terms.
- For mobile work, list tools, parts, locations, and overnight storage in vans. Review theft conditions and distinguish coverage on the vehicle from coverage on its contents.
Contract terms to check
- Bring shop leases, commercial or fleet-service agreements, manufacturer warranty-program terms, equipment finance schedules, and customer intake documents. Review insurance requests, repair warranties, testing authority, and responsibility for entrusted goods. Verify state workforce obligations and the vehicle arrangements used for mobile work.
What the agent conversation looks like
Start with the work you do and the questions your current policies leave unanswered. Carrier options depend on your location, risk, and underwriting. Explore our approach.
- ListenReview your operations, current coverage, and past claims.
- AssessIdentify potential hazards and discuss ways to reduce risk.
- BuildDiscuss policy and carrier options, premium costs, and audits.
- SupportReview changes and help you plan ahead as your needs develop.
Questions owners ask
Is customer property in my shop covered?
General liability can limit or exclude property in care, custody or control. Review the actual items, values, and operations under appropriate customer-property, bailee, garagekeepers, or other specialized terms.
Does general liability cover faulty workmanship?
The cost to redo faulty work and resulting injury or damage can be treated differently. Completed-operations wording, exclusions, and facts matter; a repair warranty is not itself insurance.
Are my tools covered away from the shop?
A tools or inland marine form may cover scheduled tools in transit and at jobs. Review limits, theft conditions, and locations; vehicle physical damage does not establish coverage for the tools inside.
What auto arrangements should a mobile repair business review?
Identify company vehicles, rentals, and employee-owned vehicles used for service calls. Compare liability and physical-damage arrangements with actual use rather than assume every personal policy excludes all business driving.
Is a BOP suitable for a repair shop?
It may combine selected property and liability parts for an eligible shop. Customer goods, professional services, mobile tools, and vehicles need specific review beyond the package label.
Tell us what your repair & maintenance business does
Bring your questions, current policies, and relevant contracts. An agent can review coverage terms, exclusions, and the information carriers ask for, then explain the options available to you.