short term insurance Archives

Do you need information on short-term equipment rental insurance? Who is responsible for getting the quote, you or the rental house? Are equipment rentals covered by home insurance policies?

These are all good questions that any filmmaker may have. After all, most independent productions rely on rented equipment for their shoot. However, accidental damage to that equipment can create a financial disaster.

Therefore, if you are renting equipment, then you should call around and get quotes on short-term equipment rental insurance. Even if your rental house offers insurance, you will want to shop around.

How can you get a quote for Equipment Rental Insurance?

The fastest and easiest option is to call your insurance agent. Getting a quote over the phone takes about 10 minutes. Your agent willask you a series of questions that determine what type of coverage you need and how to get you the best rate. Then, they can quickly give you a quote and even take payment over the phone. Shortly after, you will receive an email that is legally binding and ready for presentation at the rental house.

Here are three different options for getting a quote. They apply to both rental houses referring a client OR renters that wish to purchase short-term equipment rental insurance.

Call Luke Gelineau at (818) 295-2266 for Equipment Rental Insurance

No time for a call? No problem!

Fill Out an Online Quote Request Form

While the result is not as immediate as with a phone call, online quote systems are fast and easy. Just input a few key pieces of information and your agent will mail a quote right back to you. At EPI, we receive your information instantly, and immediately follow up. So, for those of you who like to do paperwork late at night, online quotes may work best.

Click HERE for Online Quote Request

But, what if you are a rental house? How can you get a quick quote for your customers that don’t have insurance?

Short-term insurance quotes are available to both rental houses and those who are renting. Obviously, if you are renting out your equipment, one of the primary concerns for your clients is the cost. To give you ballpark figures:

$100k of Rented Equipment, $1M of General Liability – approximately $925 premium for 12 days of filming
Everything above plus Hired Auto Liability/Hired Auto Physical Damage – approximately $1,625 for 10 days of filming
Everything above plus $1M of Workers Comp – approximately $3,300 for 10 days

Keep in mind that these are just estimates and subject to change depending on the specific needs of your client.

What about homeowner’s insurance?

Occasionally, a small filmmaker will assume that their homeowner’s policy will cover rental equipment if they use it at home.

Unfortunately, homeowner’s insurance excludes any property used by a business. Vehicles or equipment that’s rented falls under the classification of “business equipment” and is no longer being used primarily for personal use.

Most insurance companies do not understand how the entertainment industry operates and the idea of insuring rented out equipment makes them nervous. It is always best to check with a company, like Insured Productions, which specializes in insuring film equipment. We understand the types of coverage you need. Make sure you have the required production equipment insurance to avoid any future problems.

There are lots of easy ways to contact me for a quick insurance quote. There is simply no excuse for any of your clients, or yourself, for going without insurance. Feel free to call or e-mail me at any time.

And be sure to ask me about production insurance for multiple productions. Bundle all of your projects together and save on coverage costs!

You may wonder what the difference is between short-term production insurance and annual production insurance. Knowing the difference can save you money on film insurance, so let’s take a look at each.

Short-Term Production Insurance

This type of policy is perfect if you are working on a single project and plan to wrap it up with only a few days of filming. It is perfect for YouTube films or documentary interviews.

Make sure you include prep days along with actual filming days in the term of your coverage.

There are some short-term policies out there that do not come from an agent. That is a problem. If you have questions about the coverage, or if you wish to file a claim, you won’t be able to call anyone. Make sure that the certs you receive have a phone number for the issuing agent. That way you can contact them to verify coverage limits or deductible amounts.

Annual Production Insurance

Annual production insurance is best if you’re working on several projects, or if you plan to shoot multiple times during the year, then you need annual production insurance. This type of policy is definitely best for movie production companies. You should get a quote for annual coverage if any of the following apply:

You own your own movie production company.
Your company rents out movie equipment to productions.
You are an independent filmmaker expecting to film more than four projects in a year.

What is Production Insurance

This is the general term for the package your agent will help you put together. It can include any of the following types of film insurance.

Some of these, like Workers’ Compensation Insurance, are required by law. Your agent can help you figure out exactly what you need and what you don’t.

Where to Purchase Production Insurance

We NEVER charge an agency fee EVER!

For more information on production insurance in California, contact Equipment & Production Insurance. The team at Equipment and Production Insurance are film, photographic & entertainment industry insurance specialists. Whether you need short-term, annual, post, documentary, commercial, equipment, rental house, or E&O, you can rely on their quick and knowledgeable assistance to meet all of your production insurance needs.

The Facts Regarding Short-Term Equipment Rental Insurance