Auto Body Shop Insurance in Tennessee

Common risks for auto body shops

• Paint booth fires
• Damage to customer cars
• Fume exposure
• Theft of vehicles
• Injuries from tools

Coverages auto body shops often consider

• Garage liability and garagekeepers Covers liability from your auto operations and damage to customers’ vehicles while in your care.
• Commercial property Covers your building (if you own it), equipment, furniture, and inventory after covered losses like fire or theft.
• Workers’ compensation Pays medical bills and lost wages if an employee is hurt on the job, and includes employer’s liability.
• Tools and equipment (inland marine) Covers tools and gear that travel to job sites or customer locations, or sit in your truck.
• Commercial umbrella Adds higher liability limits above your general liability, auto, and employer’s liability.

Not every business needs every coverage. The right mix depends on your work, your contracts, and your budget. All coverage is subject to underwriting and the terms of the policy.

What a claim could look like

For example, imagine a fire starts in your paint booth in Lebanon and damages two customer cars. Garagekeepers and property coverage may help, subject to policy terms.

This is a hypothetical example for education only. Whether any claim is covered depends on the facts and your policy terms.

Tennessee rules to know

Workers’ comp. Most Tennessee employers outside construction and coal mining must carry workers’ compensation once they have five or more employees, full- or part-time, per the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Even below that number, many owners choose to carry it.

We can review your requirements and help you shop workers’ compensation and the other coverages above with carriers that write auto body shops, subject to underwriting.

Certificates of insurance

Insurers and fleet clients may require certificates.

A certificate of insurance shows your coverage on the day it’s issued. If a contract asks for additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation, the policy usually needs an endorsement, not just a line on the certificate. Our certificate of insurance checklist walks through what to check.

What affects the cost

• The type of work you do and how it’s classified
• Annual revenue and payroll
• Number of employees and any subcontractors
• Where you work and the value of your equipment or property
• The limits and deductibles you choose
• Your claims history and years in business

We can’t promise a price ahead of time, but we can compare options and explain the trade-offs in plain English.

How Eric can help auto body shops

Shops and service businesses near I-24, I-40, and I-65, from Antioch and La Vergne to Lebanon and Gallatin, see heavy traffic and a lot of customer cars. As an independent agent affiliated with Hutsenpiller Insurance, Eric can review what you have, read your contract requirements with you, and help you shop options with more than one carrier. See how an independent agent works for you.

Related guides

• Automotive Business Insurance in Tennessee
• All business types we can help
• Business insurance in Middle Tennessee
• General liability insurance
• Business interruption insurance
• Small business insurance checklist (PDF)
• Certificate of insurance checklist (PDF)