The short answer: a convenience store needs more than a general liability policy. Fuel, a canopy, cash, beer and hot food each add a risk that a plain retail policy either excludes or undervalues. We quote your store with the carriers and wholesale markets that actually write c-stores and gas stations, side by side. Call (405) 509-9433 or use the form above.
What a convenience store policy has to cover
Most stores end up with a package built from a few pieces:
- General liability for slip and fall claims inside the store, on the lot and at the pumps. See general liability in Oklahoma.
- Property for the building if you own it, your build out if you lease, plus coolers, shelving, inventory, signs, the canopy and the pumps. See commercial property.
- Business income so the bills still get paid if a fire or storm closes the store for weeks.
- Crime and money for cash in the register and the safe, lottery funds and employee theft.
- Liquor liability if you sell beer or wine.
- Workers compensation once you have employees. See workers comp.
The gaps we see most often
The canopy and pumps are left off. They are expensive, they sit outside and they get hit by cars and hail. If they are not listed with a value, a claim can come back far short.
Beer sales with no liquor liability. Standard general liability forms exclude liquor liability for a business that sells alcohol. If you sell beer or wine, that coverage has to be added on purpose.
Cash that is not covered. Money and lottery funds are limited or excluded on many property forms. Crime coverage is what pays after a robbery or an inside theft.
Fuel tank pollution. A leak from an underground tank is normally excluded from general liability and property. Storage tank pollution coverage is its own policy, and we can quote it with the rest.
Spoiled inventory. A dead compressor or a long power outage can ruin a walk in cooler of stock. Ask for equipment breakdown and spoilage coverage.
Hot food changes the underwriting
Roller grills and a microwave are one thing. A fryer, a grill or a pizza oven is another. Carriers will ask whether an automatic fire suppression system (Ansul) is over the cooking, whether all cooking is under a hood, and whether you have a cleaning contract for the hood and ducts. Most want that cleaning done at least every six months, with the service tag on the hood to prove it. Have those answers ready and the quote moves faster.
What we need to quote your store
Have these ready and most stores can be quoted within a day or two:
- Annual sales broken out by grocery, fuel, beer and wine, lottery and propane.
- Number of gas pumps, and whether the canopy and pumps need to be covered.
- Whether you own or rent the building, and what you need covered: building, canopy, pumps, signs and contents.
- Type of cooking, plus the Ansul system and hood cleaning schedule if you fry or grill.
- Propane: tank exchange only, or do you refill tanks.
- Your current dec page and five years of loss history.
See business insurance for how this fits with the rest of your coverage.
Convenience store insurance questions
How much does convenience store insurance cost in Oklahoma?
It depends mostly on your sales, whether you sell fuel and beer, how you cook, the building and what it is built from, and your loss history. A store with no fuel and no fryer prices very differently from a gas station with a hot food counter. Send us the numbers and we will quote it with several carriers rather than guess from a rate table.
Do I need liquor liability if I only sell packaged beer?
Usually yes. Standard general liability forms exclude liquor liability for a business that sells alcohol, packaged or not. If a customer you sold to causes a crash, that exclusion is the problem. We add liquor liability to the quote when you sell beer or wine.
Are my gas pumps and canopy covered?
Only if they are on the policy with a value. They sit outside the building, so they are often left off or undervalued. Tell us what they would cost to replace and we will make sure they are listed.
Does my policy cover a fuel tank leak?
Almost never. Pollution from an underground storage tank is excluded from standard general liability and property policies. Storage tank pollution coverage is written separately, and we can quote it alongside the store.
Why does the carrier ask about my hood cleaning?
Grease fires in the hood and ducts are one of the most common causes of serious c-store fires. Carriers want to see an Ansul system over fryers and grills and a cleaning contract, usually every six months. Without them, many carriers will not quote hot food at all.
Is propane exchange treated differently from refilling?
Yes. A locked tank exchange cage with a barrier in front of it is a simpler risk. Refilling tanks on site, especially if customers do it themselves, adds fire and injury exposure and fewer carriers will write it. The form asks which you do so we send it to the right markets.