Mechanic & Auto Repair Shop Insurance in California
Review Travelers insurance options for mechanic and auto repair shops through Casurance, including garage liability, garagekeepers, commercial property, tools, workers' compensation, commercial auto, business income, equipment breakdown, cyber, umbrella, and certificate support.
Who This Is For
Mechanic shops, auto repair shops, mobile mechanics, and service garages performing general repair, brake, tire, transmission, smog, EV, or performance work on customer vehicles.
Coverage Options for Mechanic & Auto Repair Shop
Auto repair shops work around customer vehicles, lifts, diagnostic equipment, tools, parts, employees, test drives, customer waiting areas, and expensive shop property every day. One missed lug nut, one shop fire, one stolen tool chest, one customer vehicle damage claim, or one employee injury can interrupt the business. Casurance helps mechanics and auto repair shops review Travelers insurance options that may help protect garage liability, customer vehicles in your care, shop property, tools, and employees, subject to underwriting and policy terms. Availability depends on state, class, limits, and carrier eligibility.
Garage Liability
May help protect against covered third-party bodily injury or property damage claims arising from garage operations, subject to policy terms and exclusions.
Garagekeepers Coverage
May help address damage to customer vehicles in your care, custody, or control while being serviced, stored, or repaired.
Commercial Property
Covers your office, equipment, and business personal property against fire, theft, water damage, and other covered perils.
Business Income / Extra Expense
May help replace lost revenue and cover continuing expenses if a covered property loss forces a temporary shutdown.
Equipment Breakdown
Covers the mechanical or electrical failure of diagnostic, treatment, or imaging equipment — often excluded from standard property coverage.
Tools & Equipment / Inland Marine
May help cover mobile tools and equipment that move between bays, vehicles, or job sites and are not tied to a fixed location.
Workers Compensation
Covers medical costs and lost wages for employees injured on the job, and is required in California for nearly every business with employees.
Commercial Auto
Covers vehicles used for business purposes, including mobile or home-visit care, with liability and physical damage protection.
Hired & Non-Owned Auto
May help address liability when employees drive their own vehicles or rented vehicles on business errands, such as parts runs.
Products / Completed Operations Review
Review of coverage for claims alleging faulty workmanship or a failed repair after the vehicle has left the shop.
Cyber Liability
May help cover costs from a data breach, ransomware attack, or other cyber incident affecting customer records or payment systems.
Crime / Employee Dishonesty
May help address losses from employee theft, forgery, or dishonest acts affecting money, securities, or property.
EPLI
Employment practices liability may help cover claims alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, or harassment by employees.
Umbrella / Excess Liability
Adds an extra layer of liability protection above your garage liability, auto, and employer's liability limits for large or catastrophic claims.
Pollution Liability Review
Review of coverage for claims tied to paint, solvents, waste oil, or other pollutants common to garage and body shop operations, which are often excluded from standard liability policies.
Real-Life Claim Scenarios for Mechanic & Auto Repair Shop
A customer slips on oil or water in the service area.
A customer or visitor is injured in the waiting area or shop floor.
Garage Liability / General LiabilityA customer vehicle is damaged while parked overnight.
A vehicle left on the lot overnight is dented or damaged before pickup.
Garagekeepers CoverageA technician test-drives a repaired vehicle and gets into an accident.
A test drive after service results in a collision.
Garage Liability / Commercial Auto ReviewA lift, compressor, scanner, or alignment machine breaks down.
Key shop equipment fails and interrupts service work.
Equipment BreakdownExpensive mechanic tools are stolen after a break-in.
A break-in results in stolen tool chests, scanners, or diagnostic equipment.
Commercial Property / Inland MarineA fire damages the shop, tools, and vehicles inside.
An electrical or shop fire damages the building, tools, and customer vehicles.
Commercial PropertyA customer alleges faulty work after a brake, tire, or engine repair.
A customer claims a repair failed after leaving the shop.
Garage Liability / Products-Completed Operations ReviewAn employee injures their back lifting tires or parts.
A technician suffers a lifting-related injury on the job.
Workers CompensationA parts runner uses a shop vehicle and causes an accident.
An employee driving for a parts run causes a collision.
Commercial Auto / Hired & Non-Owned AutoCustomer payment data or repair records are exposed in a cyber incident.
A point-of-sale or scheduling system is compromised.
Cyber Liability
Which Coverage Handles Which Risk?
| Risk | Coverage to Review | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Customer slips in the shop | Garage Liability / General Liability | A customer trips over an air hose in the waiting area. |
| Customer vehicle damaged while in your care | Garagekeepers | A vehicle left overnight is dented before pickup. |
| Test-drive accident | Garage Liability / Commercial Auto Review | A technician rear-ends another car during a test drive. |
| Tools stolen from the shop | Commercial Property / Inland Marine | A break-in results in stolen diagnostic scanners and hand tools. |
| Lift or compressor breaks down | Equipment Breakdown | A hydraulic lift fails and halts service work for days. |
| Fire damages shop and tools | Commercial Property | An electrical fire damages the bays and inventory. |
| Shop closes after covered fire | Business Income / Extra Expense | Repairs take six weeks, cutting off revenue. |
| Employee injured while repairing vehicle | Workers Compensation | A technician suffers a back injury lifting a transmission. |
| Faulty repair allegation | Garage Liability / Products-Completed Operations Review | A customer claims brake work failed after leaving the shop. |
| Parts runner causes accident | Commercial Auto / Hired & Non-Owned Auto | An employee using a personal car for a parts run causes a collision. |
| Waste oil or solvent issue | Pollution Liability Review | Improper disposal of used oil creates a contamination claim. |
| Customer payment data breached | Cyber Liability | A point-of-sale system is hacked, exposing customer card data. |
| Large lawsuit exceeds primary limit | Umbrella / Excess | A severe injury claim exceeds the garage liability limit. |
Common Insurance Requirements
What Affects Cost
These are the main factors Travelers underwriters typically review when pricing this class:
- Business name and location
- Type of auto repair work performed
- Square footage
- Years in business
- Number of employees
- Annual revenue
- Annual payroll
- Number of customer vehicles usually in your care
- Maximum value of customer vehicles in your care
- Do you test drive vehicles?
- Do you store vehicles overnight?
- Do you perform body work, paint, towing, tire work, transmission, EV, smog, or performance work?
- Business personal property value
- Tool and equipment value
- Current insurance carrier
- Expiration date
- Prior claims
- Lease or certificate requirements
Upload Your Garage, Auto Repair or Body Shop Requirements
Need a certificate for a landlord, DRP program, fleet customer, finance company, vendor, lease, or client contract? Upload the requirement and Casurance can review requested insurance limits, certificate holder wording, additional insured language, waiver of subrogation, garage liability, garagekeepers, property, workers' compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, and other requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Garage & Auto Services Classes
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Coverage described on this page may help address certain risks common to this class, subject to policy terms, exclusions, and underwriting approval. Availability and pricing are not guaranteed and are determined by Travelers underwriting. This page is for informational purposes and is not an offer of coverage or medical/legal advice.
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