Building Materials & Lumber Wholesaler Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a building materials & lumber wholesaler business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for lumber yards and building material dealers and wholesalers. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual yards, shops, and delivery operations.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Property & Stock (Yard Included) | Covers buildings, sheds, and lumber stored outdoors — confirm outdoor stock is covered and values track lumber prices. | Core | |
| Commercial General & Products Liability | Covers yard injuries and claims from materials you sell, including defective imported products. | Core | |
| Commercial Auto | Covers delivery trucks, flatbeds, and boom trucks — often the largest liability exposure. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation | Required by law; forklift, lifting, and unloading injuries are frequent. | Core | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits above auto and GL for serious delivery and job-site accidents. | Core | |
| Business Income | Replaces income while a yard is rebuilt after a fire. | Prevalent | |
| Inland Marine / Equipment | Covers forklifts, boom attachments, saws, and shop machinery. | Prevalent | |
| Crime / Employee Theft | Covers theft of materials, fuel, and tools and contractor-account fraud. | Prevalent | |
| Professional Liability (Design / Take-Offs) | Needed if you design trusses or provide specifications contractors rely on. | Situational | |
| Installation / Contractor's Liability | Needed if you install products or subcontract installation. | Situational | |
| Cyber / Social Engineering | Covers vendor impersonation and payment fraud. | Situational | |
| Employment Practices Liability | Covers claims by yard workers, drivers, and sales staff. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gaps most often missed by lumber and building material dealers are outdoor stock and boom-truck deliveries. Some property policies limit or exclude property in the open, and stock values can lag behind lumber prices — a few-million-dollar yard fire leaves little room for either. Boom and crane deliveries can also fall between auto and GL when a load is set on a roof or a crane contacts a power line. Confirm outdoor stock limits, update values, and ask how your auto and GL respond to unloading and crane operations.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your building materials & lumber wholesaler coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Building Materials & Lumber Wholesaler Insurance · Building Materials & Lumber Wholesaler Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a building materials & lumber wholesaler business need?
The core coverages for a building materials & lumber wholesaler business are Commercial Property & Stock (Yard Included), Commercial General & Products Liability, Commercial Auto, Workers' Compensation, Umbrella / Excess Liability. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my building materials & lumber wholesaler coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.