Protection for Your Shop & Their Cars.

Specialized Garage Insurance for Connecticut's Mechanics, Body Shops, and Auto Detailers.

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The "Custody & Control" Risk

Auto repair is unique because your most valuable inventory—your customers' cars—doesn't belong to you.

Standard business insurance has a major gap: it excludes property in your "Care, Custody, and Control." This means if a lift fails and crushes a customer's BMW, or a car is stolen from your lot overnight, a standard General Liability policy will pay zero.

At River East Insurance, we specialize in the Garage Coverage Form. We ensure you have "Garagekeepers" coverage correctly structured (Direct Primary vs. Legal Liability) so you aren't left paying out of pocket when accidents happen.

Shops We Insure

We have markets for every type of automotive business.

General Repair & Mechanics
Auto Body & Collision Shops
Detailing & Car Washes
Tire Dealers & Oil Change
Glass Repair
Used Car Dealers (Dealer Plates)

Essential Coverage for Garages

Garagekeepers Liability

The most critical coverage. It covers damage to customer vehicles while they are in your care (e.g., test drives, left overnight, or on the lift).

Collision during Test Drives
Theft from Lot
Fire or Vandalism

Garage Liability

This is your "General Liability" but specifically for garage operations. It covers slip-and-falls in the waiting room or if a tire comes off a car after it leaves your shop causing damage.

Premises Liability
Products & Completed Operations
Faulty Workmanship (resulting damage)

Workers' Compensation

Auto repair is physical work. Mechanics face risks from lifting injuries, eye injuries, and burns. We help you classify your employees correctly to keep premiums fair.

Medical Costs & Lost Wages
Pay-As-You-Go Billing
Employer's Liability

Mechanics Errors & Omissions

What if you fix a transmission, but a week later the customer claims you installed a defective part that ruined their engine?

Standard Garage Liability covers damage the car causes to others (like crashing into a wall), but it often excludes damage to the work itself. We can add endorsements to cover faulty workmanship and the parts you install.

✔ Tools & Equipment: Coverage for your Snap-on or Matco tools, even if employees own them.
✔ Dealer Plates: Liability coverage for vehicles owned by the business that are driven on public roads.
✔ Cyber Liability: Essential if you store customer credit cards or VIN data in your shop software.

Review My Shop Coverage

Need Coverage for Dump Trucks or Heavy Haulers?

If your business operations include hauling Dirt, Sand, or Gravel, or if you operate vehicles over 26,000 GVW, you need specialized Trucking Insurance.

View Trucking & Filings Page

Common Garage Insurance Questions

What is "Direct Primary" vs. "Legal Liability"?

Legal Liability only pays if the shop was negligent (you left the keys in the car). Direct Primary pays regardless of fault (a storm hits the car). We recommend Direct Primary to keep customers happy.

Are my employees' tools covered?

Not automatically. Business property covers your tools. We need to add an "Employee Tools" endorsement to cover the personal toolboxes of your mechanics.

Does my policy cover loaner cars?

If you give customers a loaner while their car is in the shop, you need specific "Auto Physical Damage" coverage for that loaner vehicle.

I sell a few cars a year. Am I a dealer?

If you sell vehicles, even occasionally, your standard Garage policy might exclude those sales. We can convert your policy to a "Garage & Dealer" form to cover both operations.