Sample · fictional business
What a coverage map looks like.
Every client gets a coverage map. It starts from what could actually go wrong in the business and shows which policy responds, where a limit applies, and where nothing responds at all. This one is made up, so you can see the format before you see your own.
Sample coverage map for Example Mechanical
- Business
- Example Mechanical, LLC (fictional)
- Work
- Commercial HVAC and plumbing, some design-build
- Size
- 22 employees, 9 service trucks
- Where
- Utah only
10 situations checked4 covered1 covered, with a limit4 gaps flagged1 declined, by choice
| What could happen | Policy that responds | Status | In plain English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A fitting installed last spring fails and floods a customer's office. | General Liability completed operations | ✓Covered | Damage that shows up after a job is finished is what completed-operations coverage is for. It is included, and the limit matches what the firm's contracts ask for. |
| A technician is hurt on a jobsite. | Workers' Compensation | ✓Covered | Medical costs and lost wages are covered. Payroll is split by type of work, so office staff are not rated like installers. |
| A service truck causes an accident on I-15. | Business Auto | ✓Covered | All nine trucks are listed on the policy, along with the people who drive them. |
| An employee runs a parts errand in their own car and hits someone. | Business Auto hired and non-owned | !Gap flagged | The company can be sued even though it does not own the car. Hired and non-owned auto coverage is not on the current policy. |
| Tools are stolen from a truck overnight. | Inland Marine tools and equipment | ◐Covered, with a limit | Hand tools are covered up to a per-item limit. The pipe-inspection camera is worth more than that limit and is not listed on its own. |
| A general contractor's agreement calls for specific additional-insured wording. | General Liability endorsements | !Gap flagged | The endorsement on the policy does not match the wording two of the firm's contracts require. That tends to surface at the worst time: on a claim or an audit. |
| A serious injury claim runs past the general liability limit. | Umbrella | ✓Covered | The umbrella sits over general liability, auto and employer's liability, so a large claim does not stop at the first limit. |
| Ransomware locks the dispatch system and customer records. | Cyber | !Gap flagged | There is no cyber policy. General liability and property policies generally do not respond to this kind of loss. |
| A system the firm designed turns out undersized and has to be replaced. | Professional Liability E&O | !Gap flagged | The firm does design-build work. General liability typically excludes professional design services, and there is no E&O policy in place. |
| A former employee alleges wrongful termination. | Employment Practices EPLI | –Declined, by choice | Discussed and declined for now. It is written down as the owner's decision, with a note to revisit it at renewal. |
What happens with the gaps
- Each one becomes a decision. You see what closing it would involve, then choose: fix it, change it, or accept it.
- The decision is written down. Including "no, not this year", so nobody is surprised later.
- It gets re-checked at renewal. The business changes; the map changes with it.
This is an illustrative sample for a fictional business. It is general information, not advice about your specific situation, and not a quote, binder, or contract of insurance. Policy terms vary by carrier and form; actual coverage is governed solely by the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the issued policy.