What kind of Insurance?

[lleyva]

I am not sure if insurance is considered equipment but I need some. I am just not sure what kind of insurance it is. Does the regular home insurance cover it? Do I need to take pictures (good idea anyway) of the gear and submit them to the insurance company. What kind of insurance is needed and who writes those policies?

[mmuhlenkamp]

If you aren't using your equipment professionally you can get your equipment covered through home owner's or renter's insurance. I need to pull out a specific policy to be extra sure my gear is covered but I need to go get my equipment appraised somewhere (much of it I bought used and don't have receipts for). If you already have homeowner's/renter's insurance I'd call up your insurance agent.

[WarrenG]

Luis,

This should probably be in the "business" section, but yes you can get a ryder to your home ownership policy, but you may want to also think about getting a full policy if you plan to shoot for money. You may find that some of the "photographic specific" insurance policies are more cost effective, but I will not start that debate. Try contacting your HO agent and start there... it never hurts to get a quote. More than likely they will just ask you for a lump sum you want to insure for the quote... then ask you to itemize. Yes, always a good idea to photograph the equipment.

Hope this helps.

W

[RKEnnis]

As an amateur photographer, I got a rider added to my homeowners insurance. I had to provide them with a list of all my equipment. They would only cover items specifically listed, and I had to provide a serial numbers and invoices where applicable. I included a couple of hundred bucks for "miscellaneous items" on my list (things like white balance cards, battery chargers, batteries etc.). They refused to cover any of those items when lumped together under miscellaneous. I had to list every single item I wanted covered, no matter how small!

It was a serious pain in the butt! But anyway, I'm glad to have everything covered.

[dmora]

Call your insurance company. Some companies offer policies specific for camera gear or electronics. Mine is about 15$ a month? Covers about $25k worth of camera gear and computers.

[bgpro611]

Mine cover a similar amount and cost $150.00 last year. I'm sure the price will go up this year; it always does. Also it is a direct replacement policy, no deductable.

[prairiefire]

Be careful. Some insurance companies will look at what you have and say it is "pro gear". When you suffer a loss, they will fight coverage.

I get my insurance through PPA -- and am pleased with both the rate and service.

[jlrphoto]

I have a "Personal Articles Policy" through State Farm. Pretty affordable, and they have two levels of coverage, Amateur and Professional (might not be their words, but that's basically how it works). Basically covers anything from your fault breakage to theft, etc. I update them about twice a year with my gear list, as it changes kind of frequently...I buy and sell depending on what I'm doing at the time.

I have this policy on top of my renters policy, car insurance, etc. It's similar to having an insurance company covering your wife's wedding ring, etc....small dollars every month but in the event you actually have to use it, it could save you a fortune.

[joeleitz]

I know that my renter insurance policy covers most, if not all of my personal possessions. There are a few things not covered (obviously). I would suggest shopping around for insurance quotes until you find something that best suits your needs.

Cheers,
Joe