Does my tools and equipment coverage protect my drywall sheets and joint compound?

No — tools and equipment (inland marine) coverage is built for your reusable gear like lifts and sanders. Materials like sheet goods, joint compound, and texture products need a separate materials floater.

What happens to materials that are stolen from a job site overnight?

This is a common loss in drywall work, and it's what materials-in-transit coverage is built to respond to — not your general liability policy, which covers third-party injury and property damage instead.

Once drywall is installed, whose insurance covers it?

Typically the project's builder's risk policy, usually carried by the GC or property owner, covers material once it's incorporated into the structure. The gap is the window before installation.

Do I need this coverage if I mostly do small residential jobs?

The exposure is smaller than on commercial buildouts, but even a modest job means material sitting exposed in a driveway or garage overnight — worth having in place regardless of job size.

Is materials-in-transit coverage expensive to add?

It's typically quoted as an add-on alongside your existing GL and tools coverage rather than a separate policy, and pricing scales with your typical material volume and job size.

Materials-in-Transit Coverage for Drywall Contractors

Your Tools Policy Doesn't Cover Your Sheet Goods

It's an easy assumption to make, and it's wrong: tools and equipment (inland marine) coverage protects your lifts, sanders, stilts, and compressors — the gear you own and reuse. It doesn't extend to the drywall sheets, joint compound, texture materials, or trim stock sitting in your truck or staged at a job site. That's a separate exposure entirely.

Materials in Transit vs. Materials Staged On-Site

A pallet of sheet goods can be exposed at two different points — in transit between the supplier and the job site, and again once it's delivered and staged before installation. Some policies distinguish sharply between the two; a materials floater built for drywall contractors should cover both without gaps in between.

Once It's Installed, Builder's Risk Usually Takes Over — Usually

Once material is actually incorporated into the structure, it typically falls under the project's builder's risk policy, which the GC or owner usually carries. The gap is in the window before installation — material that's been delivered and paid for but is sitting in a garage, driveway, or job trailer waiting for the crew.

Theft From Job Sites Is a Real, Common Loss

Drywall theft from job sites and driveways is a routine loss type in this trade — sheet goods are valuable, easy to move, and often staged in unsecured areas overnight. A materials floater is what responds to that loss, not your general liability policy.

How This Interacts With Commercial and Fire-Rated Work

On larger commercial jobs, material volume and value staged on-site at any given time is often significantly higher than on a residential remodel — worth flagging to your agent if your business is scaling into bigger buildouts, since the exposure scales with it.

Getting This Quoted Alongside Your Other Coverage

Materials-in-transit coverage is typically quoted as an add-on alongside your GL and tools coverage, not a standalone policy you have to shop separately. See our cost breakdown for how this factors into your overall premium, and tell us your typical material volume so we can size it correctly.