Installation Floater Insurance
An installation floater covers fence materials — panels, posts, gates, hardware, and concrete — from the moment they leave your supplier until they're permanently installed, protecting against theft, weather damage, and loss while staged on an active job site.
Installation Floater Insurance for Fencing Contractors
Between the supplier and the finished fence line, your materials sit exposed — loaded on a trailer, staged in a customer's yard, or stacked at a commercial site over a multi-day install. An installation floater (a form of inland marine coverage) covers those materials for the vulnerable window before they're permanently part of the structure.
What's Covered
- Materials in transit: Panels, posts, and rail damaged in a trailer accident en route to the job
- Job-site staging: Materials theft or vandalism while staged and awaiting installation
- Weather exposure: Wind or storm damage to staged, unsecured materials
- Hardware & gate components: Locks, hinges, and automatic gate operators awaiting install
- Concrete & footing materials: Bagged concrete and supplies delivered ahead of the crew
Why It Matters for Fencing
Fencing materials are bulky, hard to secure, and often delivered days before a crew starts — chain-link rolls, ornamental iron panels, and cedar pickets left curbside are an easy, visible target. A theft or storm loss mid-job doesn't just cost the materials; it delays the whole schedule and can strain the customer relationship on a job that's already underway.
How It Works With Other Coverage
An installation floater is distinct from tools & equipment (which covers your augers and power tools) and from completed operations (which covers the finished, permanent fence). It specifically bridges the gap between "materials purchased" and "materials permanently installed" — exactly the window fencing contractors are exposed the most.
What's Covered
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between tools & equipment and installation floater coverage?
Tools & equipment (inland marine) covers your augers, post drivers, and hand tools — the equipment you use. An installation floater covers the actual fence materials — panels, posts, hardware, concrete — while they're staged or in transit before they become a permanent part of the finished fence.
Are staged fence materials covered if they're stolen overnight?
Only if you carry an installation floater or similar materials-in-transit/on-site coverage — standard general liability does not cover your own materials. Given how exposed staged fencing materials are on an open job site, this is one of the most commonly underinsured gaps we find.