Business Interruption Insurance

Keep the cash flowing while your business gets back up and running after a covered loss with this essential add-on coverage.

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What Is Business Interruption Insurance?

Business interruption insurance, also known as business income insurance, helps pay for lost income and other operating expenses when a covered event forces your business to temporarily close. This coverage is vital for restoring your business and ensuring it can continue to operate after disaster strikes.

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Need to File a Business Interruption Insurance Claim?

Call us at 800.243.0210, Option 3, to report your claim — we’re here to help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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How It Works

What Does Business Interruption Insurance Cover?

Business interruption insurance helps protect against income loss when a covered event, such as fire, wind, or hail damage forces a temporary closure. In general, business interruption insurance assists with operating expenses,* such as:

Payroll for your employees
Mortgage, rent, or lease payments for your business space
Relocation costs if a temporary location is necessary
Operating expenses incurred by the property
Reimbursement of other reasonable expenses

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Common Exclusions

What Does Business Interruption Insurance Not Cover?

Business interruption insurance typically doesn’t cover losses that are not related to physical property damage. The following items are common policy exclusions*:

Utility services
Communicable diseases
Undocumented income
Overtime pay for employees, unless extra expenses coverage is included

25%

of businesses do not reopen after a disaster, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

How Does Business Interruption Insurance Work?

To better understand how this coverage works, let’s look at an example:

A fire renders a salon unusable, and the business owner cannot provide services or sell products. Business interruption insurance could help offset the loss of income and cover the day-to-day expenses for a set timeframe, called the restoration period. The restoration period and the amount of covered expenses varies by policy, so check with your agent or review your policy to ensure you have the coverage you need.

Who Needs Business Interruption Insurance?

While business interruption insurance is a smart move for almost any business owner, it can be a crucial coverage for businesses that rely on a physical workspace. It is especially important for businesses that do not have the cash reserves to manage a lengthy closure. Here are just some of the businesses that could benefit from adding business interruption insurance to their commercial policy:

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Bundle Essential Coverages

SureStep® BOP

You can get commercial property insurance as a standalone policy, but many small businesses choose to get a business owners policy (BOP). Westfield’s SureStep BOP combines three essential coverages — property, business interruption, and liability — with additional coverages available, based on your industry. See if SureStep is right for your business.

Explore Our BOP

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How Much Business Interruption Insurance Do I Need?

It depends on your specific operation, but calculating your business income can help you determine how much coverage you need. To get started, follow these steps:

Calculate your gross earnings.
Subtract your business’s expenses and operating costs from your gross earnings.
Deduct taxes from this amount to find your business income.

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Customize Your Policy

Explore Other Add-On Coverage Options

General Liability

Coverage for when bodily injury or property damage happens on your premises, regardless of whether you’re legally responsible.

Commercial Auto

Protection for the vehicles your business owns, hires, or borrows and the employees who drive them.

Commercial Property

Coverage for your buildings, your business property, and the personal property of other people.

Commercial Cyber

Insurance that provides first- and third-party coverage against losses like data breaches, extortion, and ransomware.

Crime Insurance

Protection against theft of money or property inside or outside your premises under certain circumstances.

Equipment Breakdown

Coverage for the cost to repair or replace equipment and any property damaged by the equipment breakdown.

Inland Marine

Coverage for property that is movable or used in multiple locations, such as equipment, tools, and goods in transit.

Workers’ Compensation

Coverage that pays for the medical care, rehabilitation costs, and lost income of employees who are injured on the job.

Commercial Umbrella

Protection beyond the coverage limits of your business policy that is typically used for larger exposures.

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Find an Agent Near You

Get a Business Interruption Insurance Quote

When your doors are temporarily closed, you still need to pay your lease, payroll, and other operating expenses. Add business interruption insurance to help you get back on your feet.

Contact an Agent

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Business Interruption Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does business interruption insurance cost?

There is no set price for business interruption insurance. That’s because interruption insurance costs depend on a variety of factors, including:

Industry and profession
Number of employees
Business location
Claims history

Contact a local agent to get a quote for business interruption insurance.

Does a business owners policy (BOP) cover business interruption?

Yes, Westfield’s SureStep BOP includes business interruption insurance.

Does general liability insurance cover business interruption?

General liability insurance does not typically cover business interruption. General liability helps protect your organization from claims that it caused bodily injuries or property damage to others, regardless of whether you’re legally responsible.

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*Please review your actual policy language to see applicable coverages, limits, and exclusions.