Tools & Equipment / Inland Marine for framing contractors

Commercial property covers gear at a fixed location like your shop. A tools & equipment (inland marine) floater follows your tools wherever they go — jobsite, truck, trailer — which is where framing tools actually live and get stolen.

We write tools & equipment at replacement cost so a stolen nailer or saw is replaced new, not depreciated to pennies. That's the difference between staying on schedule and buying gear out of pocket.

An installation floater covers materials (lumber, trusses, hardware) while in transit to the jobsite and until they're installed and covered by builder's risk. It closes the gap between the supplier's truck and the structure.

We build a schedule listing each major tool and its replacement value. You can update the schedule as you add gear. Accurate scheduling keeps premiums fair and claims fast.

Yes — a tools & equipment floater covers theft from your truck, trailer, and jobsite, subject to the policy terms and deductible. Given how often tools are stolen from vehicles, this is essential for framers.

It can. We can extend coverage to borrowed and rented equipment, which matters if you rent lifts, compressors, or specialty tools for a job. Tell us what you use and we'll structure it.

Once you provide a police report (for theft) and the schedule, tools claims are typically paid quickly so you can replace gear and get back to work. We help you document to keep it moving.

Most framers pay $1,500–$4,500 a year for $1M/$2M general liability, with workers' comp rated on payroll at class 5403 and tools floaters based on scheduled gear. We quote the full program in about 15 minutes and show every market's price.

Yes. Contractors Choice Agency is licensed in all 50 states and writes framing crews from the Sun Belt and Texas to the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain West, and Northeast.

About 15 minutes for a standard program. Once bound, we turn around additional-insured certificates, waivers of subrogation, and primary/non-contributory endorsements usually within minutes.

Wood framing and rough carpentry is typically coded under NCCI class 5403 (Carpentry). Correct classification keeps you from overpaying or facing an audit surprise — and ensures claims aren't denied for misclassification.

We place general liability that specifically covers two- and three-story framing, truss setting, and roof work. Many budget contractor policies exclude work above one or two stories — we make sure yours does not.

Tools are covered under a tools & equipment (inland marine) policy, not GL or property. We schedule nail guns, saws, generators, and compressors at replacement cost so jobsite and truck theft is covered.

Most residential framers carry $1M/$2M GL with a $2M–$5M umbrella. Commercial and multifamily GCs often require $2M–$5M limits plus additional-insured status. We size limits to your actual contract requirements.

Yes — personal auto excludes business use and will deny claims when you haul lumber or tools. Commercial auto covers your trucks, trailers, and lumber haulers, including hired/non-owned vehicles.

Often, yes. We have excess-and-surplus (E&S) markets for contractors with loss runs, cancellations, or tough exposures that standard markets decline.

Your GL doesn't cover independent subs — they should carry their own and name you additional insured. We set up certificate tracking and additional-insured requirements so subcontracted work doesn't become your liability.

You reach a person with context, not a queue. We respond within 2 hours, help you document the loss, and manage the claim with the carrier so it's paid correctly and your operation keeps moving.

Framing has fall, nail-gun, saw, and theft exposures that generic carriers exclude or misprice. A specialty broker knows the class codes, the height exclusions to avoid, the markets that write framers, and how to manage a framing claim.