Property insurance covers what happens to equipment. Not what happens inside it.
Equipment breakdown covers mechanical, electrical and pressure-system failures, and the stock spoiled when refrigeration stops, which property policies exclude as an internal cause.
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What equipment breakdown actually covers.
Mechanical and electrical breakdown
Failure of compressors, motors, panels and HVAC from an internal cause.
Without it — A failed walk-in compressor is excluded by the property policy as wear rather than peril.
Spoilage
Perishable stock lost when refrigeration fails.
Without it — A restaurant loses its entire cold stock overnight with nothing responding.
Business income from breakdown
Lost trading while the equipment is repaired or replaced.
Without it — A kitchen without refrigeration is closed, and the closure is uninsured.
Where equipment breakdown shows up.
- Restaurant
A walk-in compressor that fails from the inside is excluded by the property policy, and the stock inside it goes at the same time.
- Bar
A walk-in cooler that fails from the inside is excluded by the property policy, and the stock inside goes with it.
- Tavern
The walk-in and the draft system fail from the inside, which the property policy excludes, and the stock goes at the same time.
- Nightclub
Compressors and electrical plant fail from the inside, and the property policy will not respond to it.
- Physical Therapy Practices
Modalities and clinic plant fail, and property policies exclude the breakdown itself.
- Chiropractic Practices
Imaging and therapy equipment fails, and property policies exclude the failure itself.
- HVAC Contractors
The shop’s own compressors and electrical plant fail like any other machinery, and property insurance treats that failure as maintenance.
- Crane & Rigging Contractors
Hydraulic and electrical failure stops the lift, and the standby cost falls on somebody.
- Excavation & Grading Contractors
Hydraulic and electrical failure on machines takes them out of service and stops the job.
- Welding & Fabrication
Shop machinery fails electrically and mechanically, and property policies treat that as maintenance rather than a loss.
- Convenience Stores
A compressor failure spoils every cooler and freezer in the store at once.
- Recording Studios
Power events take out consoles and converters, and the repair queue for older gear is long.
- Auto Body & Collision Shops
Booth burners, compressors and the frame machine. Mechanical breakdown is excluded from property.
- Sports Facilities & Venues
Refrigeration on an ice sheet, HVAC in a dome, lighting on a turf field.
- Family Entertainment Centers
Karts, compressors, lifts and control systems that stop the attraction when they fail.
- Bowling Centers
A pinsetter failure closes lanes and the parts are not held locally.
- Water Parks
Pumps and filtration failing closes attractions immediately.
- Amusement & Theme Parks
A ride out of service is closed revenue and a repair with a long lead time.
- Zoos & Aquariums
Life support, filtration and climate control failing is an animal welfare emergency within hours.
- Manufacturing
Property policies exclude breakdown from an internal cause: the way machines actually fail.
- Machine Shops
The most expensive single machine on the floor fails the one way property excludes.
- Food Manufacturing
A cold-store failure over a weekend writes off inventory a property policy will not.
- Craft Breweries
A glycol failure over a weekend ruins tanks of beer, and property excludes the cause.
- Distilleries
Pressure equipment failure is excluded by property policies as an internal cause.
- Wineries & Vineyards
A refrigeration failure mid-ferment ruins the tank, and property excludes the cause.
- Commercial Landlords
A lift or chiller failing is excluded by property as an internal cause.
- Apartment Buildings
A burst boiler in winter damages the building and empties it.
- Life Sciences
A freezer failure destroys irreplaceable material that has no market value and enormous cost.
- Laboratories
A freezer failure destroys material that cannot be repurchased.
- Food Trucks
A failed fridge overnight is a write-off and a lost trading day.
- Caterers
A failed fridge the night before is the whole event’s food.
- Bakeries
Property excludes the machine breaking itself, which is how they break.
- Juice & Smoothie Bars
Property excludes internal failure, and produce does not survive a night without refrigeration.
- Coffee Shops
A dead espresso machine closes the business until it is fixed.
- Florists
Flowers are the inventory and they have a shelf life of days.
- Car Washes
A tunnel failure stops all revenue instantly and property excludes the cause.
- Laundromats & Dry Cleaners
A boiler failure is excluded by property as an internal cause.
- Dry Cleaners
Property excludes failure from an internal cause, which is how this equipment actually fails.
- Funeral Homes
Equipment failure mid-process is both a breakdown and a professional claim.
- Hemp & CBD
Solvent extraction is a serious fire exposure underwriters ask about.
- Pizza Shops & Delivery
A dead walk-in compressor takes the stock with it and closes the store while it is replaced.
- Food Banks & Pantries
A walk-in that fails overnight destroys the inventory, and property excludes internal breakdown.
- Laser Hair Removal & Energy Devices
The most valuable item in the building fails the one way property excludes.
- Auto Repair Shops
A compressor or lift failure stops the shop, and the property policy treats mechanical breakdown as excluded.
What clients with equipment breakdown ask us.
Why does my property policy not cover this?
Because property forms cover external perils — fire, wind, impact — and exclude loss caused by the equipment itself failing internally. That distinction sounds academic until a compressor burns out, at which point it is the whole claim. Equipment breakdown exists specifically to buy back that exclusion.
Commercial insurance is 96% of what we do — it is not a department here, it is the whole business. Not ready to talk? The guides answer the questions this page raises in more depth. Already insured with us and need a certificate or a policy change? Ask the service team rather than starting a quote — it is faster and it goes to the people whose job it is. We also write home and auto, which is usually cheaper alongside the business policy than apart from it.
Handed a lease, a vendor packet or a client contract with insurance requirements? Paste it into the COI Requirements Decoder to see what each one means for your business, or read what the requirements mean.