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View Full Version : Question for those with Laser in their home



Barbara Buhse
01-23-2006, 8:21 AM
I am trying to figure out if my homeowner's insurance company should know about my laser engraver...
I'm not sure if it would be better to insure it, or not say anything at all...
I'm sure there are pros and cons to both sides (increases fire hazard? vs. increasing the premium)
Does anyone have any advice to offer on this subject?
Thanks...
Barbara

Ed Lang
01-23-2006, 8:33 AM
If you sell anything, they will require a commercial policy I bet. Call your agent and ask.

I have to have a seperate policy for my shop.

Joe Pelonio
01-23-2006, 8:43 AM
Wait, don't call your agent. If you do you may pay, whether you want to or not. Insurance agents these days make note of these kinds of calls and use them in case of future claim or to raise rates. What you want to do
is call another company, ask them, and do not give them your real personal information. Maybe even try 2-3. BTW after 911 my business insurance (leased shop) went from $300 to $1,400/year.

Kurt Sallaz
01-23-2006, 10:44 AM
Hi Barbara... Ahh, insurance companies. Gotta love em... Chances are your insurance company will not allow coverage on your laser engraver under your current homeowner's policy. Once you earn a penny with any piece of equipment they force you to use expensive commercial insurance. If anything does happen to your engraver at this point (whether you tell them or not), they will probably disallow a claim on it. You would have to fool them into believing that it is for personal use only. Even with personal computer equipment coverage under a homeowners policy the limits are usually $5,000. I was quoted a seperate policy on our engraver and it is $864.00 a year just on the engraver. My agent said they could only find one company to insure it, which I think is incorrect. The same is true for telephone lines and even trash pick-up. Once they find out it is for a business (no matter how small) they stick it to you. Shop around and get some quotes. It's a valuable piece of equipment and you wouldn't want to loose it. Right now, you undoubtedly have no insurance on it.

Barbara Buhse
01-23-2006, 1:30 PM
Thanks... this is all really good to know... my MAJOR concern is not if something happens to my engraver, but if something happens to my house BECAUSE OF my engraver. I really don't want to insure the engraver at all, but am afraid they could turn down coverage if it caused a fire. ??

Barbara

Alan Young
01-23-2006, 2:39 PM
I had no problems getting a small busines liability coverage and coverage for the equipment. I did not need a lot because I do not have a store front. I purchased from the same company I have all my other insurance from.
Alan

Joe Pelonio
01-23-2006, 3:57 PM
Thanks... this is all really good to know... my MAJOR concern is not if something happens to my engraver, but if something happens to my house BECAUSE OF my engraver. I really don't want to insure the engraver at all, but am afraid they could turn down coverage if it caused a fire. ??

Barbara
As long as you are next to it when it's running and have a good extinguisher handy you should be safe. I've left mine on overnight a few times to keep from re-sending the (big) job to it, but left the top up so
the tube wouldn't fire (like leaving a PC on). You might also put good smoke and heat detectors in the room with the laser.

I was told a while back (when I was thinking of moving the shop home)
by my agent, most homeowners insurance will cover $2,500 for home office equipment and inventory in your home and $250 for home office inventory and equipment away from home. Plus there is no liability if someone is injured while in your home, such as the UPS man tripping on your kid's skates while picking up a package. If I do move the business home I'll still save a lot to add the riders to the homeowners over what I pay now.

Nick Adams
01-23-2006, 4:12 PM
Because I was considering moving my laser to the house I built a small (12x14) building out back. Alot like a HD/Lowes prefab but better built since I did it all with thincher and heavier materials. I did this so that I could run my business out of this building and not my house. The power is run from the house, however they are independent circuits. No splices into other elec wiring. By doing this then adding in a seperate Circuit breaker panel in the building I was all but seperated from the house....


Total cost on the building with heavy insulation way above code building materials was around 2500 dollars.

This allowed me to take out small business insurance (540 a year for 250k)

It is a little steeper then I wanted it to be, However it will not interfer with my homeowners, and my homeowners will still cover the building and contents if a tree falls on it. My business coverage will cover all contents - building. So I think for me this worked out great.

You situation is a tricky one. You would need a rider on the house unless you aren't worried about the house or laser, which I doubt is the case. Not sure what company you are with, but shouldnt be to expensive. Most likely you will need a small policy for fire damage on just the laser if that is a concern. and a rider on the homeowners covering damage from the laser.


Insurance companies are fast to assume, but if you give them false information or misled them you will suffer because they don't pay for what they dont know about.

Brent Brod
01-23-2006, 7:40 PM
I had to buy a business policy for $1300 per year or risk no coverage if there is any kind of fire, caused by the laser or not. Better find someone that is an expert on this before taking the risk.

The good thing is the rider also covers the engraver, lost production, and lost supplies/inventory in the event of a fire.

Barbara Buhse
01-24-2006, 7:16 PM
boy, this is a tricky situation....
I think I'll get a bigger fire extinguisher while I'm thinking about it...

thanks for all the advice, you all gave me lots of different perspectives.

By the way, I NEVER leave the engraver on without being right there anyway, I have seen a few flames when cutting some thick pieces of wood (even with the air assist)

Thanks everyone

Barbara