Property and the canopy
Station property is the building, the canopy, pumps and dispensers, signs, coolers, the point-of-sale system, and convenience-store stock and fuel inventory. The canopy and outdoor equipment should be scheduled the way they actually sit on the lot, including anything replaced after an upgrade, because a form may limit outdoor property unless it is listed. In Florida, wind and hurricane deductibles are often a percentage of the building or contents value, not a flat dollar amount. Coastal locations in New York and New Jersey can carry windstorm or named-storm deductibles too. Flood is generally not part of a standard property form in any state — that is a separate policy. In New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, snow load on the canopy is part of the winter conversation.
Pumps, USTs, and storage tank pollution
Underground storage tanks, piping, and dispensers are their own discussion. A general liability or property policy often does not cover a release from a tank or a spill at the pump island. Federal rules generally require owners and operators of regulated underground petroleum tanks to show financial responsibility for cleanup and third-party claims, and insurance is one common way to do that. Each state also runs its own tank program. Storage-tank forms often have a retroactive date and may exclude contamination that existed before the policy, so tank age, testing, and history matter. We review what tanks you have, how they are registered, and whether a storage-tank or pollution form belongs on the proposal. We do not add those by default or promise a market.
General liability
Pump islands, a lot with moving cars, ice at the door in winter, and a store aisle are why general liability comes up first. It is meant to respond when someone alleges the station caused injury or damage — a slip on fuel or ice, a trip on the lot, or an incident inside the store. A claim that fuel sold at the pump damaged a customer’s engine is a products question worth reading on the form. Limits and additional insureds should match the lease and any fuel-brand or jobber agreement.
Liquor liability for beer and wine sales
If the store sells beer or wine, general liability commonly excludes liquor claims for a business that sells alcohol, so liquor liability is a separate discussion. Each state has its own licensing and dram shop rules about sales to minors or intoxicated customers, and some landlords and fuel suppliers ask for it in writing. Tell us what is sold and how ID is checked, and we will review whether liquor liability belongs on the proposal.
Crime and cash
Registers, a safe, lottery sales, and late hours make crime a real discussion. A property form may limit or exclude theft of money, and robbery and employee theft are usually separate. We review how cash is handled, dropped, and deposited, and whether crime coverage for money, securities, and employee dishonesty belongs on the proposal.
Workers’ compensation
Cashiers, stocking, lot work, and overnight shifts belong on the application as they actually staff. The coverage is meant to help with medical costs and lost wages after a work injury, and the payroll should follow how the site is actually run. All four states require workers’ compensation for most employers: in Florida the requirement depends on industry and headcount; New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania require it for nearly all employers with even one employee.
Business interruption
If a fire, storm, or covered breakdown shuts the pumps or the store down, business income coverage is meant to help replace lost income and pay ongoing expenses like rent, loan payments, and payroll while the site recovers. How it is written matters: the waiting period, how long it pays, and whether a utility outage away from the premises is included. We review those against how long it would really take to reopen.
Equipment breakdown
When a dispenser’s electronics, a submersible pump, the tank monitoring system, a walk-in cooler compressor, or the point-of-sale fails, the site can stop selling. Equipment breakdown is a separate discussion from the property form, which generally does not cover a sudden mechanical or electrical breakdown on its own. We review what is on the lot and in the store, and whether a breakdown endorsement — and spoilage for cooler stock — belongs on the proposal. We do not add those by default.
Cyber for card payments
Stations take cards at the pump and inside the store, and pumps are a common target for card skimmers. A breach of the payment system, or ransomware that locks the point-of-sale, can bring notification costs, card processor charges, and lost sales. Those are generally not covered by a property or general liability form. A cyber policy is a separate discussion, and we review whether it belongs on the proposal.
Umbrella
Moving cars, fuel, and alcohol sales can produce claims that outrun a primary limit. An umbrella or excess policy is meant to sit above general liability, liquor liability, commercial auto, and employer’s liability. Leases and fuel-supply agreements sometimes require a specific umbrella limit, so we read those before choosing one.
Repair bays and garagekeepers
Garagekeepers only comes up if the station has repair or lube bays, or otherwise takes customers’ keys and cars into its care. If it does, a general liability policy often does not cover damage to a customer’s vehicle while it is in your custody, and garagekeepers is meant to fill that gap. Repair work also raises garage liability and workers’ compensation questions. If there are no bays and no customer cars in your care, this does not belong on the proposal.
When the operation changes the file
Beer and wine, a car wash, repair or lube bays, towing, propane exchange, food service, and 24-hour hours are not footnotes. They change liability, liquor, auto, and sometimes property. Tell us what is sold and what happens on the lot, and we will tell you which of those belong on the proposal.
Related commercial lines
Some stations also need to talk through commercial auto for a tow truck or service vehicle, hired and non-owned auto, flood, or employment practices. Those sit with the rest of the commercial coverage we review. If the site also runs a wash, see car wash insurance.
