Somebody else’s stock, your roof, and a limit set years ago.
Cover for warehouse and distribution operators — the building, the goods you hold for others, and the racking, forklift and fire exposures that decide whether it is insurable at all.
Tell us the situation.
A licensed human replies the same business day — not an auto-responder, and not five producers calling at once. We shop it across our carriers and tell you if the policy you already have is the right one.
We use this to quote and service your insurance, and we do not sell it or pass it to lead networks. Privacy policy.
What warehouse businesses actually need.
Warehouse legal liability
Damage to customers’ goods in your care, where you are legally liable.
Without it — Property policies cover what you own, and the stock on your racks is not yours.
Building and racking
Structure, sprinklers, dock equipment and the racking itself.
Without it — Racking is often omitted and is a substantial replacement cost.
Fire protection exposure
The sprinkler design against what is actually stored and how high.
Without it — A commodity change can render an approved sprinkler system inadequate.
Forklift and materials handling
Injury and damage from powered equipment, the routine claim in the trade.
Without it — Frequency here drives the workers comp mod more than anything else.
Business income
Income lost while the site cannot operate, and the cost of a temporary one.
Without it — Relocating a distribution operation at short notice is the real cost.
What warehouse operators ask us.
Are our customers’ goods covered automatically?
No. Your commercial property policy covers property you own, and goods held for others are specifically not that. Warehouse legal liability covers them where you are legally responsible — which is narrower than "if they are damaged", since a warehouseman is generally liable for failure to exercise reasonable care rather than as an insurer of the goods. Customers often expect broader cover than the law gives them, so the contract terms and the policy should be read together.
Why do underwriters ask what is stored and how high?
Because sprinkler adequacy is a function of commodity class and storage height, and it is the single thing that decides whether a warehouse is insurable on reasonable terms. A system designed for palletised non-combustibles at twelve feet does not protect plastics or aerosols racked to twenty-four. This is why a change of customer can be a change of risk — taking on a new client whose goods are a higher commodity class, or racking higher, can invalidate the basis the policy was written on. Tell us when the mix changes.
What about lithium batteries and aerosols?
They are the current hard question in this class. Lithium-ion in storage is treated as a serious and evolving fire risk, and many insurers now ask specifically about quantity, state of charge, segregation and whether charging happens on site — including forklift charging areas. Aerosols and flammable liquids carry their own protection standards. If you handle any of them, disclose it plainly at quote: it is placeable, and it is not placeable if it emerges after a fire.
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.