Frequently Asked Questions
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Insurance
Personal Insurance: Home Insurance
Exclusions
Business Use - Can my home-based business be covered by my Homeowners policy?
Yes - sometimes! A "Home Business" Endorsement provides coverage for certain types of small businesses being operated from your home. The endorsement provides the basic coverages needed by most small home businesses, and optional coverages can be selected to tailor the policy to your specific needs.
There are many home-based businesses that are acceptable for endorsement to your Homeowners insurance policy to add business liability and business personal property coverage. Typically, home-based businesses that involve doing the work at home with limited customer visitation to your premises are acceptable. Consult with your agent concerning your specific home-based business.
Below is a partial list of generally acceptable home-based businesses:- Accounting, Advertising, Tax Preparation
- Barber & Beauty Shops*, Cosmetic Sales
- Cake Decorating & Party/Wedding Planning
- Classes and instruction like art, music, sewing, cooking, computer use, etc.
- Computer consulting / Desktop publishing
- Dog & cat grooming
- Dressmaking & alterations
- Florist & flower arranging*
- Graphic designers
- Hand crafted products like costume jewelry, clay/ceramics, fabrics – sewing/knitting, wood, glass, leather goods
- Household product sales like Amway Laundry services
- Musical instruments – sales, service, repair
- Photographers Picture framing
- Tax preparation
- Trophy making, engraving
- Tutoring
* Professional Liability or Errors or Omissions Liability is available as an optional coverage.
This is not an exhaustive list. Consult with your agent concerning your specific home-based business.
Unacceptable home-based business risks:
Some home-based business classes can’t be added to your Homeowners policy and require separate business insurance coverage like:
- Architects or Engineers
- Auto dealers
- Beauty & Barber schools
- Building contractors
- Catering
- Computer programmers
- Day care operators
- Exercise classes
- Gunsmiths or Firearms dealers
- Janitorial Services
- Landscapers
- Pawn shops
- Real estate agents
- Taxidermists
- Travel Agents
- Upholsterers
Again, this is not an exhaustive list. Consult with your agent concerning you specific home-based business.
For a list of related questions click:
Does my Homeowners policy exclude business activities?