What kind of insurance do I need for a mechanic shop?
William Jenkins
Updated on December 28, 2025
Every auto repair shop needs general liability, errors and omissions, and commercial property insurance. If you have employees you a need workman’s compensation insurance and if you store client information, cyber liability is also necessary.
What does garage keepers coverage cover?
Garagekeepers Legal Liability insurance provides protection in case a vehicle is damaged by fire, theft, vandalism or collision. It protects a customer’s vehicle when you are keeping it at a covered location for parking or storing, or to perform service.
What is the difference between garage liability and garage keepers liability?
In a nutshell, the difference between garage liability coverage and garagekeepers coverage is the difference between liability insurance and physical damage insurance. The other vehicle and its driver are covered by the garage liability policy. The customer’s vehicle is covered by the garagekeeepers.
What is a garage policy in insurance?
Garage Policy — a commercial auto policy designed to address the needs of auto dealers. Coverages include garage liability, garagekeepers, and auto physical damage; other coverages are available by endorsement.
What insurance do I need as a self employed mechanic?
Mechanics Insurance: Importantly, you’ll need a motor trade policy. This will cover you while you’re working on a customer’s car and can also cover your business’s office contents and equipment, buildings and provide cover in the instance of theft.
Can I insure my garage?
Garage insurance will cover the structure and contents of your garage against theft, fire damage and flooding. Most home insurance policies will cover your garage so long as it’s within your property boundary, but might set a limit on the amount of cover.
What coverage is used to cover damage to a customer’s auto in the care and custody of a repair garage?
Symbol 30 covers any customer’s auto left with the named insured for service, repair, storage or safekeeping. This symbol would be used to “trigger” the garagekeepers coverage. Symbol 31 covers dealers “autos” and “autos” held for sale by non-dealers or trailer dealers.
Which of the garage policy coverages will pay for physical damage to a garage customer’s auto regardless of legal liability?
2. Direct Primary. This form covers the customer’s vehicles regardless of liability. In a loss caused by no action of the insured such as a weather loss, or a theft although the vehicle was adequately protected, the direct primary garagekeepers pays.
What is not included in a garage policy?
Garage liability insurance will not cover the tools, building, personal, or business property of the policyholder. It does not provide coverage for vandalism, stolen vehicles, or damage from events such as hail. The policy does not cover accidents or damage to the customer’s cars on-site for service.
What is garage insurance designed for?
A basic garage liability insurance policy is designed to cover bodily injury or property damage caused by an accident during garage business operations. Garage liability coverage is typically purchased by automobile dealerships and repair shops, among other businesses.
Do garages have liability insurance?
Garage liability insurance is a type of umbrella policy that provides coverage for the day-to-day operations of the businesses in the automotive industry. Coverage includes bodily injury and property damage from direct garage operations, not covered under most commercial or business liability insurance.
Do mechanics have their own insurance?
There are a number of different insurance types a mechanic or motor trade business will require. The policies that you require will depend on the type of business that you operate. If you are running a mobile car detailing business you may only require public liability insurance and a small amount of tool insurance.
Does my home insurance cover my garage door?
Unfortunately, there is no insurance coverage for the general wear and tear that a garage door can experience. While your garage door may be noisy or dented, your homeowners’ insurance probably won’t cover any of the repairs if it’s from general wear.
Can you claim for a new garage roof on house insurance?
Most homeowners insurance policies cover roof replacement if the damage is the result of an act of nature or sudden accidental event. Most homeowners insurance policies won’t pay to replace or repair a roof that’s gradually deteriorating due to wear-and-tear or neglect.
Which of the following is not automatically included in a garage coverage form?
Which of the following is not automatically included in a Garage Coverage Form? The Garage Coverage Form provides liability coverage for Premises and Operations, Products, and Completed Operations Liability, but not for Contractual Liability.
Which symbol covers physical damage for dealers?
Symbol 31 covers dealers “autos” and “autos” held for sale by non-dealers or trailer dealers. This is used for physical damage coverage. Since the liability coverage part covers both CGL-type exposures and auto-type exposures, the policy includes two definitions of “who is an insured”.
What is symbol 21 on a garage policy?
Symbol 21 includes Hired and Non-Owned auto coverage. This symbol provides coverage for any auto the insured has contact with, including owned and non-owned, hired vehicles, and newly acquired vehicles. It includes coverage for non-owned autos, no-fault insurance, uninsured motorists or physical damage insurance.
What is garage liability for?
Garage Liability protects auto dealerships, service, collision and repair shops (or any similar operations) for liabilities arising from their operations. Garage coverage is a hybrid of General Liability and Business Auto. Also, if you cause harm to someone else while driving your customer’s auto, you’re covered.
Which of the following would be covered under the garage liability coverage form?
The Garage Coverage Form provides liability coverage for Premises and Operations, Products, and Completed Operations Liability, but not for Contractual Liability. A car rental agency would not be eligible under this form, which is intended for businesses that sell, service, or store automobiles.
What is the difference between garage liability and garage keepers?
Do your clients know the difference between garage liability and garagekeepers insurance? Garage liability covers the insured’s liability for operations and autos, while the latter covers damage to customers’ vehicles while on premises.
Does general liability cover garage liability?
General liability insurance typically excludes incidents of third-party bodily injury and property damage that arise from garage operations. However, CGL policies do include coverage for personal and advertising injury, which Garage Liability Insurance does not provide.
What is shopkeeper insurance?
The Shopkeeper’s Insurance is a combination of eleven sections covering risks faced by shopkeepers/traders. The policy covers building, contents, money, pedal cycle, plate glass, signs, baggage, personal accident, fidelity guarantee, liability and business interruption.
How do you become a preferred body shop for insurance companies?
How Do I Join a Direct Repair Program?
- Make a List of Insurance Companies.
- Find Out the Needs of Insurance Companies.
- Create an Application.
- Meet with Insurance Company.
- Keep Your Auto Body Shop Ready for Inspection.
- Deliver Application and Request a Contract.
- Review Contract.
- Make a Deal.
What kind of insurance does a garage keeper have?
Garage keeper’s insurance has three options offered: Legal Liability – This provides protection for a customer’s vehicle which is damaged due to the garage’s negligence. This is the most common type of Garage Keepers Liability. A customer’s vehicle is involved in a collision while the mechanic is test driving it.
Do you need liability insurance for a garage?
To help alleviate the intimidation, think of garagekeepers liability insurance as insurance that covers someone’s vehicle while it is being stored at an auto repair shop. The individual owner of the car would not carry a garagekeepers liability policy, but it would need to be purchased by the business owner who is in possession of the client’s car.
Can a garage be liable for a mechanic’s error?
The trouble with making mistakes with an auto repair is that they can be costly. “But,” you say, “my shop already has Garage Liability and Garage Keepers insurance!” That’s the minimum coverage and keeps your business legal, but it can still leave open exposures if you have a mechanic’s error.
What’s the difference between garage insurance and auto insurance?
Garagekeepers liability insurance can be a daunting term to understand for someone not in the insurance industry. To help alleviate the intimidation, think of garagekeepers liability insurance as insurance that covers someone’s vehicle while it is being stored at an auto repair shop.