Garagekeepers Insurance: Coverage & Questions to Ask

What this coverage question is really about

Garagekeepers Insurance: Coverage & Questions to Ask is best evaluated by starting with the exposure: customer vehicles left in an auto business’s care. Depending on the policy, it may address damage to customers’ autos in the business’s care, custody or control under the selected form. The exact form, endorsements, limits, definitions, exclusions, and conditions control.

Important caution: legal liability vs direct primary/excess options, collision/comprehensive perils, deductibles and limits differ.

Policy wording to locate

Ask for the declarations page, forms list, and endorsement schedule before relying on a summary.

• Insuring agreement or coverage grant.
• Definitions that describe covered persons, property, services, autos, locations, or events.
• Limits, sublimits, deductible or retention, and aggregate structure.
• Exclusions and endorsements that change the base form.
• Territory, policy period, reporting or notice conditions when relevant.

Questions before buying

Use the same exposure description with every provider so answers are comparable.

• Does the quoted form match the business’s actual customer vehicles left in an auto business’s care?
• Which situations are handled by a different policy line?
• Which endorsements are required by a lease, client, lender, venue, or project?
• What documents will the insurer request at audit, renewal, certificate issuance, or claim time?

Garagekeepers questions for auto-service businesses

For an auto-service business, start by separating garage liability from coverage for damage to customer vehicles in the business’s care.

• Which customer vehicles are considered in the business’s care, custody, or control?
• Is the form legal liability, direct primary, or another option?
• Which causes of loss and deductibles apply?
• How are vehicles stored overnight and what limits are needed for peak vehicle values?

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