The small business owner's summer insurance checklist (Peninsula edition)

Summer brings more driving, more guests, more projects, and more of everything that creates insurance exposure. Here's a mid-year checklist for Peninsula homeowners and business owners — quick to run, and potentially saves you a major headache.

For Homeowners

Update your home inventory

Summer is a great time to walk through your house and take a quick video of each room on your phone. Open closets, cabinets, and drawers. Document electronics, furniture, artwork, and anything valuable.

If you had a total loss tomorrow, could you list everything you own from memory? Neither could I. That's why the inventory exists. Store it in the cloud — not just on a device in the house.

Check your liability limits before hosting season

Pool party? Fourth of July barbecue? More guests means more liability exposure. Make sure your homeowners liability limit is at least $300,000 — and consider an umbrella policy if you don't already have one.

Review your auto policy before the road trip

Summer road trips put more miles on the car and more time behind the wheel. Make sure your auto limits are adequate — especially uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. California has a lot of minimally insured drivers on the road.

Account for teen drivers home from college

If your kid comes home for the summer and drives your car, make sure they're listed on your auto policy. If they're not listed and they get in an accident, you could have a coverage issue.

Check pool, trampoline, and dog bite exposure

These are the three biggest homeowners liability exposures. If you have any of them, make sure your policy doesn't exclude them. Some carriers restrict or exclude coverage for certain dog breeds, above-ground pools, or trampolines without safety nets.

Wildfire prep (if you're in a high-fire zone)

Check your defensible space. Review your homeowners policy limits. Make sure you have adequate dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, and additional living expenses (ALE) in case you're displaced.

For Business Owners

Review workers' comp classifications for seasonal staff

If you bring on seasonal employees — interns, summer help, temporary staff — make sure they're included in your workers' comp coverage and properly classified. Misclassification is the number one audit issue I see.

Update your vehicle list

Adding a vehicle for the busy season? Renting equipment that goes on the road? Make sure your commercial auto or Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage reflects what you're actually using.

Check your business property limits

If you've added inventory, equipment, or made improvements since your last renewal, your business personal property limits may be too low. A quick check now prevents a painful discovery after a loss.

Get builder's risk for summer projects

If you're doing a remodel, addition, or build-out this summer — either on your own property or a client's — make sure you have builder's risk coverage. Your standard property policy and your contractor's GL don't fully cover a project under construction.

Umbrella renewal check

If your umbrella renews in summer (many do), take 5 minutes to review the limits and underlying policies it covers. Make sure it sits over your current GL, auto, and employer's liability — not last year's.

Key Takeaways

The 15-Minute Version

If you only have 15 minutes, do these three things:

Zach Nadler is a 4th-generation insurance broker at Nadler Insurance in San Carlos, CA. Send me your dec pages for a quick summer check →