Insuring Your Home-Based Business

February 28, 2024||inBusiness Insurance|business insurance, commercial auto insurance, general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance

What you need to know if you have a business based at home

Whether running a part-time, seasonal, or full-time business from home, you’ll want to carefully consider your risks and insurance needs. Starting a business—even at home—can be challenging, and having the right insurance can provide you with a financial safety net and peace of mind.

Insuring Your Home-Based Business
Click here to submit an inquiry to Murphy Insurance or call us at 800 222 8711

Your insurance choices should be based on the type of business you operate. For instance, if you’re a sole practitioner home-based accountant, you’ll have very different insurance needs than your neighbor who runs a childcare business. When considering insurance for your business, here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • What type of business do I run? What are the potential risks faced by your type of business?
  • What is the value of my business property? Do you have expensive equipment, such as cameras or commercial printers? Do you stock valuable business inventory, such as gemstones?
  • Does my business have employees?
  • Do customers or contractors visit my business at my home?
  • Do I use my car or other vehicles during my business operations?
  • Does my business store customers’ financial and personal information on a computer or through a cloud computing service?

The answers to these questions will guide which types of insurance to purchase—and how much coverage you’ll need. For your home-based business, the main types of insurance to consider include the following:

Property and Liability Insurance

Depending on the nature of your home-based business, you’ll need insurance to protect the value of your business property from loss due to theft, fire, or other insured perils. You’ll also need liability protection to cover costs if someone is injured due to visiting your business or using your product or service. Your homeowners insurance may provide some protection for your business, but it may not be sufficient. Options for property and liability insurance for home-based businesses include:

  • Adding an “endorsement” to your homeowners policy
  • Stand-alone home-based business insurance policies
  • A Business Owners Policy—or BOP—which combines several types of coverage

Business Vehicle Insurance

Your auto insurance may provide coverage for limited business use of your car. But if your business owns vehicles or your personal vehicle is primarily used for business purposes, you’ll need business vehicle insurance.

Workers Compensation Insurance

If you have employees, you will want to strongly consider purchasing workers compensation insurance to cover costs if an employee is hurt on the job. Workers compensation insurance provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured during employment in exchange for relinquishing the right to sue the employer. In some states, workers compensation insurance is mandatory, so check your state’s workers compensation website for local requirements.

Other types of insurance may be suitable for your home-based business as well. Your insurance professional can help you evaluate your needs and select insurance to meet your budget.

Read Other Blog Posts

Cybersecurity Awareness Month How Businesses Can Stay Protected in a Digital World

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How Businesses Can Stay Protected in a Digital World

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month—a reminder that cybersecurity is more than an IT issue; it’s essential to business survival. From phishing scams to ransomware, digital threats can disrupt operations and erode customer trust. Murphy Insurance helps businesses strengthen defenses and recover quickly with customized cyber liability insurance coverage.
Read more
Pollution Liability

Pollution Liability: The Most Overlooked Coverage Your Business Might Need

Many business owners assume their general liability or property insurance covers everything, but pollution-related risks are often excluded. Pollution liability insurance helps fill that gap, covering cleanup costs, lawsuits, and damages from environmental incidents. From contractors and manufacturers to auto shops, property owners, and agricultural businesses, many industries face hidden pollution exposures. Without this protection, a single spill, leak, or contamination event could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Read more
Insurance Audits

How to Make Workers’ Comp Audits Less Stressful: Tips from Our Business Account Managers

Workers’ Compensation audits don’t have to be overwhelming. With some simple year-round preparation, you can avoid unexpected costs and reduce stress. Our Business Account Managers share practical tips to help you stay organized, document subcontractor details properly, and keep your policy up to date—so audit time goes smoothly.
Read more
Murphy Insurance Team

27 Reasons to Work with Murphy Insurance Agency

For more than 88 years, Murphy Insurance Agency has been a trusted partner for families, individuals, and businesses across Massachusetts. As a family-owned and independent agency, we prioritize relationships over transactions, offering guidance and support tailored to your needs. With access to more than 25 top-rated carriers, we deliver personalized solutions, competitive options, and peace of mind. Discover 27 reasons why thousands have chosen Murphy Insurance to protect what matters most.
Read more
What Is Professional Liability Insurance and Does Your Business Need It

What Is Professional Liability Insurance—and Does Your Business Need It?

General liability insurance won’t protect your business from claims tied to mistakes, missed deadlines, or professional advice gone wrong. That’s where professional liability insurance—also known as Errors & Omissions (E&O) coverage—steps in. It covers negligence, inaccurate advice, project delays, and the legal costs that come with client disputes. From consultants and IT professionals to architects, real estate agents, and accountants, this coverage is essential for anyone providing specialized services.
Read more
Construction worker 1200

5 Workplace Safety Trends to Watch in 2025

While certain elements of occupational safety remain constant, others may change and evolve over time. As such, it’s essential for employers to stay on top of the latest workplace safety trends and adjust their risk management strategies accordingly. Several factors have been influencing the occupational safety landscape this year, including advances in technology, rising mental health concerns, ongoing remote work challenges, a growing connection between sustainability and safety, and shifting corporate culture expectations. This article provides more information on these trends and offers guidance to help employers properly navigate such developments.
Read more
Floorplan 1200

5 Risks of Hiring an Uninsured Contractor

Project owners and general contractors must thoroughly vet all contractors to ensure jobsite safety and protect against financial losses. A key part of this vetting process is confirming that contractors carry the appropriate insurance coverage. Hiring uninsured contractors can lead to serious consequences, including safety risks, legal liabilities and unexpected costs. Here are five major risks of hiring uninsured contractors that highlight why adequate insurance is essential.
Read more
Paperwork 1200

Medicare Part D Notices Are Due Before Oct. 15, 2025

Plan sponsors must provide the annual disclosure notice to Medicare-eligible individuals before Oct. 15, 2025—the start date of the annual enrollment period for Medicare Part D. This notice is important because Medicare beneficiaries who are not covered by creditable prescription drug coverage and do not enroll in Medicare Part D when first eligible will likely pay higher premiums if they enroll at a later date.
Read more
OSHA Safe & Sound Week

OSHA’s Safe and Sound Week Runs From August 11-17, 2025

More than 5,000 workers are killed on the job each year, and more than 3.6 million employees are seriously injured each year while at work. Because of this, OSHA holds a nationwide event each August called Safe and Sound Week, which promotes the importance of companies incorporating safety and health programs into their workplaces. This year, the event runs August 11-17, 2025.
Read more

Visit Our Business Insurance Page

Business Insurance

Murphy Insurance stands as your steadfast partner in safeguarding your business from unforeseen challenges in today’s dynamic business landscape. In an era where comprehensive business insurance is not just a prudent choice but a vital one for ensuring the long-term stability and security of your enterprise, we are here to offer our expertise. Running a business inherently entails various risks that can potentially impact your financial stability and reputation. Learn more about our comprehensive business insurance solutions, which are meticulously designed to protect you from these potential threats, granting you peace of mind necessary to focus on the growth and prosperity of your business.