Duckpin Bowling Alley Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your duckpin bowling alley is essential.
Duckpin bowling alleys need to be protected against things like slip and fall accidents, negligence, and property damage.
For example, a customer falls over a too-slippery section of the floor while trying to bowl, or a customer contracts food poisoning from your concessions stand.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Duckpin Bowling Alley
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for duckpin bowling alleys.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
There are several other common insurance policies that duckpin bowling alleys tend to carry in addition to general liability. Some of these include:
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Commercial property insurance
- Liquor liability insurance
- Commercial umbrella insurance
These policies, along with the rest of your business coverage, can generally be bought from one of two types of vendors:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — Includes options such as Hiscox, Nationwide, and The Hartford.
- Online insurers — Includes options such as Tivly and Next.
Many small businesses tend to favor online insurers because they are able to offer extremely personalized and high-quality policies at cheaper prices than traditional insurers.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, duckpin bowling alleys in America spend between $500 - $1,100 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a duckpin bowling alley to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Duckpin Bowling Alley
Example 1: While entering your restroom, a customer slips on some wet flooring, breaks an arm in the resulting fall, and decides to sue your bowling alley. General liability insurance would cover your legal defense costs.
Example 2: The other bowling alley in town sues your business for slander and libel. While you disagree with both claims, you know you need an attorney to protect your interests. General liability insurance would pay for your legal defense costs.
Example 3: While sweeping the floor, one of your employees trips and falls on a customer’s bag of expensive camera equipment. The customer asks you to replace the broken equipment. General liability insurance would pay to replace the customer’s damaged property.
Other Types of Coverage Duckpin Bowling Alleys Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Most states require businesses to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their part-time and full-time employees. This coverage protects your employees if they become injured at work or fall ill after a work-related accident. It not only covers an employee’s medical bills and lost wages if they need time to recover but also any disability or death benefits stemming from a work-related accident.
Commercial Property Insurance
You made a major investment to establish your duckpin bowling alley. In the event of a fire, theft, or natural disaster, commercial property insurance would cover the cost of repairing or replacing your business-related property. This includes structural damage to your building as well as the business equipment and supplies you store there.
Liquor Liability Insurance
If you sell alcoholic beverages, liquor liability insurance would cover damages resulting from injuries related to the alcohol you sell. This coverage also would pay for your legal fees to defend your business from related lawsuits.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
While your general liability insurance policy covers most claims, some accidents or lawsuits may be so catastrophic that they threaten to exhaust the limits of your primary coverage. Commercial umbrella insurance protects you from paying out-of-pocket for any legal fees and awarded damages that exceed your primary policy.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your duckpin bowling alley:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Duckpin Bowling Alley Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes, it is generally recommended that your duckpin bowling alley acquires appropriate business insurance before it begins to operate. Failing to do so will unnecessarily open it up to liabilities that could threaten its financial stability.
Additionally, it is important to check whether your bowling alley is subject to any legal obligation to carry specific insurance policies (e.g., workers’ compensation), as this is quite common.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your duckpin bowling alley insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.