Parkside Insurance

Owned & Rented Equipment

Film Equipment Insurance for Owned & Rented Gear

We work with production companies, videographers, photographers, and owner/operators who rely on a mix of owned and rented equipment for day-to-day production work. That may include:

  • Camera packages

  • Lighting/G&E packages

  • Audio kits

  • Production carts

  • Production supplies

Unlike traditional office property, production equipment is constantly moving between locations, vehicles, studios, rental houses, airports, hotels, and temporary production offices. Because of that mobility, production equipment insurance is typically structured differently than standard business property coverage. Visit our overview page to learn about our general policy offerings.

What Film Equipment Insurance Covers

Our coverage is structured around the way production companies actually operate.

Depending on policy structure, coverage may apply to:

  • Owned equipment

  • Rented or borrowed equipment

  • Equipment in transit

  • Temporary production locations

  • Mobile production equipment traveling between shoots/locations

We commonly work with production companies that own core gear while renting additional equipment depending on the project.

Inland Marine Insurance & Mobile Production Equipment

Inland Marine insurance is commonly used for film production equipment because it is designed for property that regularly moves between locations.

Traditional property policies are often designed around equipment remaining primarily at the insured premises, while Inland Marine coverage is generally designed around mobile property exposures.

Camera package coverage

Common Production Equipment Exposures

We commonly see production companies needing coverage for exposures involving:

  • Equipment transit

  • Theft from vehicles

  • Temporary storage

  • Rental equipment

The way coverage is structured can significantly impact how claims respond in real-world production environments.

Rental House Insurance Requirements

Rental houses commonly request:

  • Certificates of Insurance (COIs)

  • Proof of equipment coverage

  • Specific coverage limits

  • Loss Payee wording

  • Additional Insured status

  • Waiver of Subrogation

This is often where production companies discover there can be a major difference between general property coverage and production-focused equipment coverage.

Replacement Cost vs Actual Cash Value

Actual Cash Value generally factors in depreciation.

Replacement Cost coverage is typically designed to help replace equipment with comparable new property without deducting for depreciation.

That distinction can become significant during a production equipment claim.

How We Commonly Structure Production Equipment Coverage

A common structure may include:

  • General Liability coverage

  • Inland Marine coverage

  • Coverage for rented or borrowed gear

  • Hired & Non-Owned Auto coverage

  • COI support for locations and rental houses

Owned, Hired & Non-Owned Auto coverage

Coverage Built Around Production Workflows

We believe production equipment insurance should reflect how film gear is actually used:

  • On location

  • In transit

  • Between shoots

  • At temporary production sites

  • During rentals

Properly structured coverage helps production companies address the operational realities of mobile film equipment and modern production workflows.

Visit our Production Insurance Page to Request a Quote

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Depending on policy structure, film equipment insurance may help cover rented or borrowed equipment in addition to owned gear.

    This is especially important for production companies regularly renting camera packages, lighting/G&E packages, grip trucks, audio kits, or specialty production equipment.

    Coverage details, limits, and valuation methods can vary significantly between policies.

  • Production equipment is commonly exposed to transit-related risks involving vehicles, airports, temporary storage, hotels, and multi-location productions.

    Inland Marine coverage is commonly used for production equipment because it is generally designed around mobile property exposures rather than equipment remaining primarily at a fixed business location.

    Coverage details involving transit, theft, and temporary storage can vary depending on policy structure.

  • Standard property coverage is typically designed around business property remaining primarily at the insured premises.

    Inland Marine coverage is generally designed for property that regularly moves between locations.

    Because production equipment is constantly traveling between shoots, studios, rental houses, vehicles, and temporary production sites, many production companies use Inland Marine coverage for mobile film equipment.

  • Rental houses often require Certificates of Insurance (COIs) before releasing professional production equipment.

    They may also request:

    • Proof of equipment coverage

    • Specific coverage limits

    • Loss Payee wording

    • Additional Insured status

    These requirements help confirm the production company carries appropriate coverage for rented equipment exposures.