Home Photography Liability Insurance Cost

Photography Liability Insurance Cost

You need insurance to protect yourself and meet venue or client requirements, but you don’t want to overpay. Learn what photographer insurance costs, what optional coverages are available, and what changes the costs with real-world examples. Or, skip the read and get a quote for your photography business insurance now.

TL;DR: Photography Insurance Starting Costs

A quick breakdown of policy options is below. For full details check the coverage details page.

Annual+: From $30.17/month for 365-day general liability and camera equipment protection
Annual: From $12/month for 365-day general liability protection only
Event: From $59 for a single event policy
Additional Insureds: $30/year for unlimited additional insureds with annual plans, and $5 for event plans

How the Cost of Photographer Insurance is Calculated

The cost of your photography business insurance is primarily based on:

Your claims history
The size of your business
The amount of coverage you have
What add-on coverages you choose

See if our insurance coverage is right for you!

Patrick:

An individual freelance portrait photographer

Patrick’s Business

Based in Ohio
Works consistently part-time
Has some essential, but not extensive camera equipment
Does not need additional insureds
Earns $20,000/year from photography, and needs budget-friendly insurance

Patrick’s Policy

A base Annual policy with $2 million in general liability coverage: + $12/month
Lowest-tier optional camera equipment insurance added: +$18.17/month
Patrick’s total policy premium: +$30.17/month

Ashleigh Rae:

A full-time solo wedding photographer

Ashleigh Rae’s Business

Based in Utah
Works full-time as a wedding photographer
Earns $125,000/year from her photography services
Does not provide videography services
Has multiple cameras, lenses, backups, and other equipment
Consistently works with wedding venues that have specific requirements for vendors

Ashleigh Rae’s Policy

To save time and money, Ashleigh Rae chooses to pay in one up-front annual payment

An Annual+ policy with added limits of $2 million / $2 million in general liability coverage: +$327/year
Mid-tier camera equipment coverage added: +$237/year
Data theft protection (cyber liability) added in case of hackers stealing client info or other cybercrime: +$79/yearr
Unlimited additional insureds added for the ability to add as many wedding event venues as necessary: +$30/year
Ashley’s total policy premium: $773.00/year

Leslie:

A part-time event photographer

Leslie’s Business

Leslie’s Policy

An Event policy with $2 million in general liability coverage: +$59

What Impacts the Cost of Your Coverage?

Several factors influence business insurance costs for photographers, including things like your location and what kind of coverage you need. Unlike other providers, FFI does not change your starting costs based on where you live. Things that do impact your final costs include:

Business size/revenue:

More work means more exposure to risk and higher premiums

Venues and event spaces:

Hotels, stadiums, and other event spaces may require higher coverage limits, requiring an add-on to base policies

Policy choices:

Higher limits and add-on coverages typically come with small additional costs

History and experience:

Past claims and safety records may increase your premiums, depending on the details of those events

Cost of Photography Insurance Plans and Add-Ons with FFI

FFI policy starting costs, coverage period, and add-ons available for each policy

Quick Overview	Annual +	Annual	Event
Starting Cost	$30.17/month	$12/month	$59/event
Coverage Duration	365 days	365 days	1-3 days
General Liability* $2M / annual $1M per occurrence	✅	✅	✅
Camera & Equipment** (Inland Marine)	✅	Add-on	❌
Additional Per-Occurrence Limits	Add-on	Add-on	❌
Professional Liability***	Add-on	Add-on	❌
Cyber Liability	Add-on	Add-on	❌

*Includes general liability, damage to rented premises, products-completed operations, personal and advertising injury, and medical expense limit

Add-on coverages available with FFI and their costs

Coverage	What It Covers	Tiers	Cost
Camera Equipment Coverage (aka inland marine)	Cameras, lenses, laptops, and other mobile equipment you use for work	Tier 1: $2,000 per item / $20,000 aggregate: Tier 2: $5,000 per item / $30,000 aggregate Tier 3: $10,000 per item / $60,000 aggregate Tier 4: $15,000 per item / $75,000 aggregate	Tier 1: $18.17/month Tier 2: $19.75/month Tier 3: $37.50/month Tier 4: $47.33/month All tiers include a $250 deductible
Cyber Liability	The financial consequences of data hacks and other cybercrimes	Tier 1: $100,000 Tier 2: $250,000	Tier 1: $6.58/month Tier 2: $12.50/month
Professional Liability Insurance (errors and omissions or failure to deliver coverage)	Errors or mistakes in your services, like editing or usage errors, SD card corruptions, or breach of contract claims	One tier: $100,000 occurrence / $200,000 aggregate	$8.33/month $500 deductible
Additional Per-Occurrence Limits	Provides an additional $1 million for per-occurrence general liability coverage	$2 million per occurrence instead of $1 million	$6.42/month

Pro tip:

Learn more about what liability insurance covers.

In case you missed it, take note: Camera equipment coverage is not available on Event policies. It’s only available on Annual and Annual+ policies. All tiers also include a $250 deductible.

Pro tip:

Most of the information here also applies to our videography insurance policy.

Which is Cheaper: Event vs Annual Coverage?

What’s the better deal, getting insurance per event or paying for the full year? It depends on your needs. In general, if you work more than three gigs a year, an annual policy is cheaper and easier.

If you only have 1-3 events a year, a single event insurance policy may work better.

Here’s the math:

One event policy = $59
Three event policies = $177
Annual policies = $129

Annual policies offer more customization, since most optional coverages (including camera equipment coverage) aren’t available on event-only policies. Plus, annual policies allow you to book gigs faster with less hassle.

	Annual Coverage	Event Coverage
Camera and gear protection	With Annual+ or add-on to any annual plan	Not available
Cost structure	One premium for 12 months and predictable budgeting, or save 9% by paying upfront	Pay per event; lower cost upfront, but it adds up with frequency
Limits and add-ons	Multiple customization options	Only add-on option is for Additional Insureds

Smart Ways to Budget Your Photography Liability Insurance Without Sacrificing Coverage

You don’t have to cut corners to save money. Start with these strategies:

Match your limits and coverage types to contract and job requirements so you don’t pay for more than you need
Use contracts and liability waivers or photo release forms
Avoid claims by following all safety steps for things like lighting, ladders, and crowds
Bundle your gear, professional and general liability, and cyber liability protection with FFI

Frequently Asked Questions About How Much Photography Insurance Costs

Camera equipment insurance covers your gear from the most common risks that come with the territory.

What’s the Average Business Insurance Cost for Photographers??

Over 60% of FFI photographers pay less than $25/month for photography business insurance.

34.5% pay under $18/month
32.5% pay $18-$25/month
33% pay $25/month or more

Every photographer’s final costs depend on the type and level of additional coverages they choose. Camera equipment coverage is the most popular add-on option, and has several tiers available. This is a big contributor to the differences in the average FFI customer’s costs.

What Kind of Insurance Do I Need for Photography?

Professional photographers need at least general liability coverage to cover the most common types of accidents they could face, such as trip-and-fall incidents or unintentional property damage.

If you’ve invested a lot into your gear, you should also get camera

How Much Coverage Do I Need?

Cities, states, and venues may have liability insurance minimums, meaning you may have to have at least a certain amount of coverage to work there. This is similar to state minimums on your car insurance.

Many business liability policies have $1 million / $2 million limits, where the first number is the per-occurrence coverage limit, or how much your policy will pay for any one individual incident. The second number is the aggregate limit, or the total amount your policy will pay in one entire policy period.

This is typically enough coverage for most places, however there are some states that require $2 million general liability per-occurrence coverage (like New York). Some venues may also require this higher coverage limit. In that case, you’ll need to purchase additional coverage.

FFI conveniently offers the option to increase your limits during the checkout process. Or if you’re already an FFI customer, you can log into your dashboard to update your coverage any time. If you need even more coverage, please contact us for additional assistance!

Does a $1 Million Liability Policy Cover My Camera if it’s Stolen?

No. Unless you specifically have camera equipment insurance. Please note that mysterious disappearances are not covered, and most claims for theft will require a copy of a police report to process.

Picture of <span style="font-weight: 600; font-family: poppins; font-size:14px;">Written By:</span><br>Chris Van Leeuwen, CIC | VP of Agency Development

Written By:
Chris Van Leeuwen, CIC | VP of Agency Development

Chris Van Leeuwen is the VP of Agency Development for Full Frame Insurance. He has held the prestigious Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation since 1996.

Because he strongly believes in the importance of helping business owners understand their insurance coverage, Chris uses his wealth of experience to offer insights to small business owners across the country who are looking to navigate business liability insurance.