I'd like to insure my gear (~$10-12k) for loss, theft, and damage, and when looking around at options (Full Frame insurance, Progressive, etc), they all seem focused on businesses (requiring a business address, and so on). I am not a pro and don't have a business for my photography.
I checked with my renter's insurance, and that only covers theft. Has anyone else run into this, and found a good solution? Would something like NANPA be a good route?
I have my gear insured under my renters as well as a Personal Articles Policy from State Farm.
Had to send my State Farm agent, a list of items, with price, serial number and links to B&H
for the items so they could ensure the prices I mention are legit.
What State Farm told me
- Personal Articles Policy with $29,550 in coverage
- Premium = $494 per year ($41 per month)
- Accidental damage would be covered under a Personal Articles Policy but not under your renters
- Negligence is not a covered loss with your renters policy, but would be for the Personal Articles Policy
Your basic home or renters insurance won’t cover it, you need an explicit rider policy to add on your basic policy as others have mentioned. Some cap at 10,000, some cap at 20,000, you will just have to ask your insurance company. These additional policies will cover accidental damage, theft, and any other stupidness that may befall your equipment anywhere in the world
I don't know that companies necessarily won't insure you because you're not a professional. I have most of my camera equipment commercially insured. They don't seem to care if I don't make money with my cameras or how much equipment I have as long as I pay my premiums .
State Farm will insure you. I have a personal articles policy with over $20k in coverage. I once had over $36k in camera coverage before I sold some items.
State Farm personal policy. Covers theft, drop, loss etc. $0 deductible. I have family jewelry, 3 laptops and my camera gear covered with the policy. No claims, but peace of mind lugging $27,000 in camera gear around… 🤷🏼♂️
agvogel wrote:
I'd like to insure my gear (~$10-12k) for loss, theft, and damage, and when looking around at options (Full Frame insurance, Progressive, etc), they all seem focused on businesses (requiring a business address, and so on). I am not a pro and don't have a business for my photography.
I checked with my renter's insurance, and that only covers theft. Has anyone else run into this, and found a good solution? Would something like NANPA be a good route?
Thanks in advance.
I use Full Frame insurance, and I'm not a pro. Give them a call to discuss it if you're interested. That's what I did.
I'm not sure if it's the same in the USA or not but here in Canada my contents insurance (basically my home insurance) covers the loss or damage of my equipment even while traveling. So long as I don't admit I did anything on purpose, and file a police report if I believe it's been stolen, I would be reimbursed under the same maximums that apply to my entire home contents.
If I want to put it on a separate rider, all that does for me is limit my deductible.
CanadaMark wrote:
I'm not sure if it's the same in the USA or not but here in Canada my contents insurance (basically my home insurance) covers the loss or damage of my equipment even while traveling. So long as I don't admit I did anything on purpose, and file a police report if I believe it's been stolen, I would be reimbursed under the same maximums that apply to my entire home contents.
If I want to put it on a separate rider, all that does for me is limit my deductible.
Doesn't work like that in the US. Home insurance only covers theft/disaster without a rider.
RoamingScott wrote:
Doesn't work like that in the US. Home insurance only covers theft/disaster without a rider.
My standard Homeowners policy covers all my possesions for all risks except failure. However, this standard coverage is both subject to my policy deductable, and in mny categories such as jewelry, electronics, cameras, limited in value to an insufecient amount of coverage.
To compensate I have a personal property rider attached to my policy. Here I insure against all risk (except failure), Worldwide coverage for a very low premium. I must maintain an accurate inventory, valuation, and supporting documents for all property I want covered under this property. This allows me to travel and shoot my gear without worry over possible risk while traveling and such. Well worth the cost.
When they say personal property they mean it. I must not make any income from property covered under this policy.
I insure with USAA, a superb company to do business with.
I have insurance through NANPA, North American Nature Photography Association. Whatever value you tell them that's what it's insured for with I think a $100 deductible! Had this for years.
I have my gear insured through NANPA. The deductible on my policy is $250. The way that it works is you can divide your gear into two insured groups that they cover. One is non-scheduled items with each item being valued under $500. This is a bulk group - so you might schedule say $1,000 (or whatever you want) for these items. The second group is for items that are valued at over $500 that you want to insure individually on an insurance schedule. You tell them the amount that you want to insure each item for. They do not require an appraisal, which some other insurance outfits require.
I have had two claims with them over the years and no problems. The deductible is per claim.
Also, the premium that you pay is once per year based on the gear that you are insuring initially or when the policy renews. If you change your gear during the year, you are not charged more that year if the value goes up (buying and insuring more gear). You also are not refunded anything if the insured value of your gear goes down (selling gear and removing from insurance coverage).
George DeCamp wrote:
I have insurance through NANPA, North American Nature Photography Association. Whatever value you tell them that's what it's insured for with I think a $100 deductible! Had this for years.
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Abuttolph wrote:
I have my gear insured through NANPA. The deductible on my policy is $250. The way that it works is you can divide your gear into two insured groups that they cover. One is non-scheduled items with each item being valued under $500. This is a bulk group - so you might schedule say $1,000 (or whatever you want) for these items. The second group is for items that are valued at over $500 that you want to insure individually on an insurance schedule. You tell them the amount that you want to insure each item for. They do not require an appraisal, which some other insurance outfits require.
I have had two claims with them over the years and no problems. The deductible is per claim.
Also, the premium that you pay is once per year based on the gear that you are insuring initially or when the policy renews. If you change your gear during the year, you are not charged more that year if the value goes up (buying and insuring more gear). You also are not refunded anything if the insured value of your gear goes down (selling gear and removing from insurance coverage). ...Show more →
Thank you both - shopping around to compare with doing it through my Renter's. Do you happen to know if NANPA's policies are valid outside the US/Canada? Specifically I'll be going to South Africa later this year.
I have a rider on my home (co-op) insurance policy. They would only give me a max of $10,000, but I haven't checked in recent years to see if they'd now make it higher.
Thank you both - shopping around to compare with doing it through my Renter's. Do you happen to know if NANPA's policies are valid outside the US/Canada? Specifically I'll be going to South Africa later this year.
Yes, the coverage is worldwide as far as I know. There could be some exclusions, but I doubt that South Africa would be one of them.
Thank you both - shopping around to compare with doing it through my Renter's. Do you happen to know if NANPA's policies are valid outside the US/Canada? Specifically I'll be going to South Africa later this year.
Yes they are or at least 99% sure they are. I wiped out a camera and lens on a dive in Cozumel several years ago and they paid for both. Been to Africa a couple times and made sure everything was covered, that was 2010 so double check but like I said pretty certain! Also the deductible is probably 250 per item like Abuttolph said, wasn't sure on that! Of course if a war breaks out in Africa I think that voids coverage, they have some mention about those kind of events!
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