Free tool
Insurance ComparisonCompare coverage stacks cleaning contractors actually need.
$18,000
average replacement cost for a commercial cleaning company's full transported equipment inventory, all typically excluded from standard commercial property policies
Source: Insurance Information Institute; BLS PPI cleaning equipment, 2024
Free Tool
Inventory your cleaning equipment and calculate the coverage amount you need for inland marine.
Commercial property insurance covers your office contents and fixed equipment at your business location. The moment that equipment leaves your building (loaded into a van, transported to a client site, stored temporarily at a job location) your property policy typically stops covering it. For cleaning businesses, where expensive scrubbers, carpet extractors, pressure washers, and industrial vacuums travel between client sites daily, this is a serious coverage gap.
Inland marine insurance (an awkward name with origins in maritime trade) covers property in transit and at temporary locations, precisely the scenario that defines a cleaning company's equipment exposure.
Why the Name "Inland Marine"?
The term dates to the early insurance industry, when "marine" coverage applied to goods on ships. As commerce moved inland, insurers created "inland marine" policies to cover goods in transit on land. Today, inland marine covers any property that is mobile, in transit, or at a location other than a fixed business premises.
For cleaning businesses, inland marine is typically structured as a Contractor's Equipment Floater or Tools and Equipment policy: specific inland marine products designed for businesses that transport work equipment.
What Inland Marine Covers for Cleaning Companies
A properly structured inland marine policy covers your cleaning equipment against:
- Theft: From locked vehicles, client sites, or storage units (the most common loss for cleaning equipment)
- Accidental damage: Dropping a $4,000 floor scrubber down a stairwell, damaging equipment in transit
- Fire: Equipment destroyed in a vehicle fire or facility fire during service
- Weather damage: Flooding of equipment stored in a van or on a job site
- Vandalism: Deliberate damage to equipment on a client site
Unlike commercial property insurance, which ties coverage to a specific location, inland marine coverage follows the equipment regardless of where it is.
| Equipment Type | New Replacement Cost | Theft Risk Level | Covered by Inland Marine? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial floor scrubber (ride-on) | $8,000–$25,000 | Medium, large size | Yes |
| Carpet extractor (hot water) | $3,000–$6,000 | High, portable, valuable | Yes |
| Pressure washer (commercial) | $1,500–$4,000 | High, compact, high resale | Yes |
| Backpack vacuums (set of 5) | $1,500–$3,500 | Medium | Yes |
| Auto-scrubber (walk-behind) | $2,500–$8,000 | Medium | Yes |
| Window cleaning system | $500–$3,000 | Medium | Yes |
| Supply chemicals (in van) | $200–$800/van | Low | Varies by policy |
How Much Does Inland Marine Insurance Cost?
Inland marine premiums for cleaning businesses are typically calculated on the total scheduled value of covered equipment. Expect:
- $5,000–$15,000 in equipment: $150–$400/year
- $15,000–$50,000 in equipment: $400–$900/year
- $50,000–$150,000 in equipment: $800–$2,000/year
Premiums are affected by:
- Total replacement cost of equipment
- Theft protection measures (alarmed vehicles, locked storage)
- Deductible choice ($500 vs. $1,000 vs. $2,500)
- Claims history
- Geographic area (higher-theft areas increase premiums)
Blanket vs. Scheduled Coverage
Blanket inland marine covers all equipment up to a single total limit without itemizing each piece. Simpler to manage, but if you have a single high-value item (a $15,000 floor scrubber), the per-item sublimit may not cover it fully.
Scheduled inland marine lists each item with its individual value and insures each piece for its full scheduled amount. More administrative work at inception and renewal (you must update the schedule as you buy or dispose of equipment), but provides more precise protection for high-value items.
Many cleaning businesses use a hybrid: blanket coverage for small tools under $1,000 and scheduled items for major equipment over $2,500.
| Scenario | Commercial Property | Inland Marine |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment stolen from locked company van | Not covered (off-premises) | Covered |
| Equipment stolen from your office | Covered | Covered |
| Scrubber damaged at client site | Not covered | Covered |
| Equipment damaged in van accident | Not covered | Covered (most policies) |
| Equipment at temporary storage unit | Typically not covered | Covered |
Internal Link Network
- Hub: Insurance for Cleaning Businesses: The Complete Guide
- Related: General Liability Insurance for Cleaning Businesses
- Related: Commercial Auto Insurance for Cleaning Companies
- Tool: Equipment Coverage Calculator
- Site: Opora Supply Cleaning Equipment Shop
Frequently Asked Questions
My equipment lives in the van, isn't that already covered by my commercial auto policy?
It isn't, and this is one of the most common coverage gaps cleaning operators discover the hard way. Commercial auto covers the vehicle itself and the liability that comes out of an accident; it does not cover what you're hauling. A backpack vacuum, a burnisher, or a full kit stolen out of that van is a contents loss, and contents losses fall to inland marine coverage.
What deductible makes sense on an inland marine policy?
For most cleaning operations, $500 to $1,000 is the standard range and it lines up well with how these claims actually behave. The average equipment theft claim runs $2,000 to $8,000, so a $2,500 deductible eats a large share of a typical loss while shaving only a modest amount off your premium. Higher deductibles always lower the premium, but they move real dollars onto your balance sheet every time something walks off a job site.
If a machine finally wears out after years of route work, will inland marine replace it?
No. Inland marine responds to sudden, accidental losses, theft, fire, and physical damage from drops or accidents on the job. Gradual deterioration and normal wear and tear are explicitly excluded from the policy, because insurers price the peril of an event, not the arithmetic of aging equipment. Replacing worn-out machines stays a capital budgeting problem, not an insurance claim.
What about a floor scrubber whose motor burns out mid-shift?
Mechanical breakdown is excluded from inland marine the same way wear and tear is, so that repair bill won't be covered under this policy. For high-value equipment like floor scrubbers, the right instrument is an equipment breakdown policy (the coverage historically sold as boiler and machinery) which is built specifically for internal failures rather than external events.
How we built this guide
Opora editorial sources from BLS OEWS wage tables, ISSA-447 production rates, NCCI workers' compensation classifications, EPA List N, OSHA 29 CFR standards, and primary state regulatory filings. We don't recycle blog posts. We audit primary documents.
Methodology · Editorial standards · Corrections policy · About Opora