Updated: November 9, 2025

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Best Business Insurance for Manufacturing Plants: Key Takeaways
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Manufacturing businesses need several types of business insurance, including workers' compensation, general liability, product liability and equipment breakdown coverage to protect production operations.

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The Hartford is the best business insurance provider for manufacturers, earning a MoneyGeek score of 4.78 for competitive rates, comprehensive coverage options and reliable service.

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The Hartford offers the cheapest business insurance for manufacturing facilities at $39 monthly, with general liability coverage starting at just $21 monthly or $248 annually.

Best Business Insurance for Manufacturing Companies

Finding the right business insurance protects your manufacturing company from financial risks tied to equipment breakdowns, product liability and workplace injuries. The Hartford ranks as the best insurer for manufacturers with a MoneyGeek score of 4.78 out of 5, earning top marks for competitive rates, quality customer service and comprehensive coverage options. NEXT and biBERK also offer strong protection tailored to manufacturing operations and production facilities.

The Hartford4.78$39
NEXT Insurance4.74$41
biBERK4.60$42
Nationwide4.60$44
Simply Business4.50$45
Progressive Commercial4.40$45
Hiscox4.30$47
Thimble4.30$145
Chubb4.30$53
Coverdash4.20$50

Note: We based all scores on a manufacturing business with two employees across professional liability, general liability, workers' comp and BOP policies.

Get Matched to the Best Manufacturing Insurer for You

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEST BUSINESS INSURANCE
The Hartford

1. The Hartford: Best and Cheapest Overall for Manufacturing Businesses

*on The Hartford
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  • Top scores for claims handling and customer service nationwide

  • A+ financial strength rating from AM Best

  • Most affordable professional liability coverage among insurers

  • Specialized equipment breakdown and business interruption coverage for factories

  • Save up to 10% bundling policies with workers' comp

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  • Digital tools rank 10th, lowest among competitors

  • Business insurance unavailable in Alaska and Hawaii, BOPs unavailable in Michigan

  • Higher costs for general liability and workers' compensation

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

For manufacturing companies and production facilities, The Hartford delivers comprehensive protection at competitive rates. Its rates rank first for professional liability insurance at $53 monthly and second for the other three common coverage types. It earned top national rankings for claims processing and customer service.

The Hartford specializes in manufacturing risks with equipment breakdown coverage protecting against motor failures and power surges, plus return-to-work programs that get injured employees back to production lines faster. With over 200 years insuring industrial operations and an A+ financial strength rating from AM Best, The Hartford provides the stability manufacturers need.

Cheapest Business Insurance for Manufacturing Businesses

The Hartford offers manufacturing business insurance at $39 monthly ($472 annually) with the most affordable professional liability coverage and ranks second for other coverage types. For manufacturers prioritizing the cheapest general liability insurance, Nationwide leads at $20 monthly ($241 annually). NEXT Insurance provides the lowest workers' comp rates at $28 monthly, while biBERK offers the most budget-friendly business owner's policies at $28 monthly for production facilities.

The Hartford$39$472
NEXT Insurance$41$486
biBERK$42$509
Nationwide$44$532
Simply Business$45$536
Progressive Commercial$45$536
Hiscox$47$566
Coverdash$50$603
Chubb$53$634
Thimble$145$1,743

What Does Manufacturing Business Insurance Cost?

In general, manufacturing business insurance costs are the following for the four most popular coverage types:

  • General Liability: $65 on average per month, ranging from $56 to $96, depending on the state
  • Workers' Comp: $59 on average per month, ranging from $50 to $69, depending on the state
  • Professional Liability (E&O): $60 on average per month, ranging from $52 to $69, depending on the state
  • BOP Insurance: $38 on average per month, ranging from $33 to $45, depending on the state
General Liability$65$782
Professional Liability (E&O)$60$716
Workers' Comp$59$708
BOP$38$454

What Type of Insurance Is Best for a Manufacturing Businesses?

A manufacturing company's insurance needs start with workers' compensation, which is legally required in nearly every state, along with general liability and product liability coverage to protect against the substantial risks of production operations. Beyond these, manufacturers should consider commercial property insurance to protect facilities and equipment, plus equipment breakdown coverage to guard against costly machinery failures that can halt production for weeks.

How to Get the Best Cheap Business Insurance for Your Manufacturing Company

Finding the best and cheapest business insurance for your manufacturing company starts with getting business insurance quotes from multiple carriers, comparing coverage options and understanding which policies protect your specific production risks.

  1. 1
    Decide on Coverage Needs Before Buying

    Walk through your production floor and identify what could halt operations: a hydraulic press failure, a forklift accident injuring an employee or contaminated product batches triggering recalls. Talk with other manufacturers about their costliest claims and consult agents specializing in industrial operations to catch coverage gaps specific to your manufacturing processes.

  2. 2
    Research Costs

    Know what factories with similar square footage, machinery value and employee counts pay for coverage before shopping. Research typical premiums for your manufacturing sector, whether food processing, metal fabrication or electronics assembly, then identify insurers experienced with your production risks. This baseline prevents overpaying and strengthens your negotiating position.

  3. 3
    Look Into Company Reputations and Coverage Options

    Read reviews from manufacturers about how insurers handled equipment breakdown claims or production shutdowns. Check manufacturing association forums where factory owners discuss which carriers paid quickly for machinery repairs versus those that delayed payments. Verify each insurer covers your specific equipment types and production hazards.

  4. 4
    Compare Multiple Quotes Through Different Means

    Request quotes from at least three insurers specializing in manufacturing operations through independent agents, carrier websites and industry association programs. Independent agents access specialty policies for high-risk production equipment that standard insurers won't cover, while direct contact with carriers can unlock discounts for ISO certifications or automated safety systems.

  5. 5
    Reassess Annually

    Your manufacturing facility changes with new CNC machines, additional production shifts and expanded warehouse space. Review coverage before renewal and compare fresh quotes to confirm your limits match current equipment values, employee counts and inventory levels while capturing any rate decreases available for improved safety records.

Best Insurance for Manufacturing Business: Bottom Line

Manufacturing operations face substantial risks from production line accidents to equipment failures, making workers' compensation, general liability, product liability and equipment breakdown coverage essential for protecting your facility. The Hartford leads as the best provider for manufacturers with competitive rates starting at $39 monthly and a MoneyGeek score of 4.78 for reliable service and comprehensive coverage options.

Manufacturing Business Insurance Chart

Small Business Manufacturing Insurance: FAQ

We answer frequently asked questions about Manufacturing business insurance:

Who offers the best manufacturing business insurance overall?

Who has the cheapest business insurance for manufacturing firms?

What business insurance is required for manufacturing organizations?

How much does manufacturing business insurance cost?

How We Chose the Best Manufacturing Business Insurance

We selected the best business insurer for manufacturing companies based on the following criteria:

  • Affordability (50% of score): The lower a company's costs compared to the competition based on our base profile for four core coverage types, the better the company performs.
  • Customer service (30% of score): We scored providers on overall customer satisfaction using industry studies, customer review forum ratings and public forum sentiment analysis from sites like Reddit.
  • Coverage (15% of score): We scored business insurance providers for this category based on the flexibility, payment and actual coverage options.
  • Financial stability (5% of score): Using financial stability industry ratings from companies like AM Best and Moody's, we created an overall rating to judge how likely companies are to pay out claims compared to the competition.

All pricing in this article is based on the following base profile to represent the vast majority of small businesses in all states:

  • Three-person business with two employees
  • Coverage: $1 million per occurrence and $2 million total per year for all but BOP, which includes the same coverage plus $5,000 of business property coverage
  • $150,000 in payroll
  • $300,000 annual revenue

About Mark Fitzpatrick


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Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.


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