Partner program for boat dealers
An insurance partner for boat dealers and yacht brokers
Boat buyers often need proof of insurance before financing is final or before the boat leaves your lot. Kaufman Insurance Group gives them a licensed agent who compares boat insurance from multiple companies, explains the choices in plain words, and sends proof of coverage once they buy a policy.
- Fishing boats, pontoons, ski boats, sailboats, and jet skis
- Help with the trailer, motor, electronics, and gear
- Proof of insurance sent to you or the lender after purchase
Personal & Commercial · Quick Quotes – Good Rates · Great Companies
As an independent agency, we compare boat and watercraft insurance from the companies we work with, so your customers are not limited to one company’s price or rules. Which companies can quote a customer depends on what they want to insure, where they live, and each company’s own rules.
These logos show some of the insurance companies Kaufman Insurance Group may be able to quote as an independent agency. Showing a logo does not mean the company endorses us. Which companies can offer you coverage depends on the type of insurance, where you live, and each company’s own rules.
What your customers need
What boat buyers need insured
Ohio does not require boat insurance for most boats, but nearly every lender does, and so do many marinas and storage yards. A buyer who finances a boat will usually need physical damage coverage, which pays to repair or replace the boat, plus liability coverage, which pays if they injure someone or damage another boat or a dock.
Boats raise questions a car buyer never thinks about. Where will the boat be used: inland lakes, rivers, the Great Lakes, or coastal water? That area is called the navigation territory, and it affects which companies will quote. Will the boat come out of the water for winter? Some policies have a lay-up period, which is the part of the year the boat is expected to be stored and not used.
The trailer, the outboard or inboard motor, electronics, and fishing gear all need to be accounted for. Buyers moving up to a bigger boat or their first performance boat may also be asked about boating experience or a safety course. An agent who asks the right questions early keeps surprises from showing up at delivery or after a claim.
First-time boat owners
They need someone to explain liability, physical damage, and what the lender will require before the boat goes home.
Buyers trading up
A larger or faster boat can change which companies will write it and what coverage makes sense.
Jet ski and personal watercraft buyers
Personal watercraft are usually insured on their own policy, and many buyers want the trailer included.
Buyers who keep the boat at a marina
The marina may ask for liability coverage and proof before assigning a slip for the season.
How we help your customers
How Kaufman helps your boat buyers
We keep the insurance conversation off your sales floor. Your buyer works with a licensed agent who understands boats and the lender’s requirements.
Quick quotes
We work to get your buyer a quote quickly so the sale keeps its momentum. Timing depends on the boat, the buyer’s experience, and each company’s review.
Multiple companies compared
We compare boat and watercraft insurance from the companies we work with, including companies that focus on recreational coverage.
Proof of insurance handled
After the buyer buys a policy, we send proof of coverage to your finance office or the lender with the correct lienholder listed.
Coverage that fits the boat
Agreed value or actual cash value, navigation area, towing help on the water, the trailer, and gear. We explain each choice in plain language.
What you get as a partner
What your dealership gets
Your team sells boats and sets up deliveries. We take the insurance questions so they do not end up on your desk.
A licensed agency your team can trust
Your salespeople get one place to send buyers, and buyers get an agent who knows boats, trailers, and personal watercraft.
Fewer deliveries waiting on insurance
When the insurance starts early, fewer deliveries wait on a missing binder. A binder is temporary proof of coverage issued before the full policy documents arrive.
A direct contact
Your finance and delivery staff get a direct way to reach our team about a specific buyer.
Co-branded materials and a personal referral page
Kaufman provides co-branded materials to partners. We can also create a personal referral page through ReferralCarrot with your business name, address, and a short message for your customers. The page has a custom link you can share on your website, in emails, or in printed materials.
Want a simple way to hand boat buyers to a licensed agent? Book a 15-minute call.
How referrals work
How it works for your dealership
Three steps, and your staff never has to explain coverage.
Fill out the referral form
Fill out our referral form for your buyer, or send them to your personal referral page to fill it out. Either way, the referral is tracked back to you.
We get your buyer quoted
Once the form is in, we contact your buyer and compare options. You or your buyer can also call or text us anytime at (330) 486-8404.
We send proof of insurance
Once your buyer chooses a policy, we send proof of insurance as quickly as we can.
Please share a customer’s name and contact details only after they agree to hear from us. Unless you hold an insurance license, leave questions about coverage, limits, and price to our licensed agents.
We follow state and federal rules on insurance referrals. You can read more on our partner program page.
Common questions
Questions from boat dealers
Does homeowners insurance cover a boat?
A homeowners policy may give very limited coverage for a small boat, often with low limits and little or no liability on the water. Most boats need their own policy, and lenders usually require one.
What is agreed value coverage?
Agreed value means the boat’s value is set when the policy starts, and that amount is what the policy pays after a covered total loss, minus the deductible. Actual cash value pays what the boat was worth at the time of loss, after depreciation, which is usually less.
Can the trailer be insured too?
Often, yes. Many boat policies can include the trailer, or it can be covered another way. We explain the options for each buyer.
Do you work with yacht brokers and used boat sellers?
Yes. Brokers, consignment sellers, and used boat dealers can send buyers to us after the buyer agrees to be contacted.
Will my staff need to explain insurance to customers?
No. Your team only needs to fill out the referral form or point the customer to your personal referral page. Unless someone on your staff holds an insurance license, questions about coverage, limits, and price should come to our licensed agents.
Is the partner program open outside Ohio?
Our partner program is open to businesses in Ohio now, with North Carolina coming soon and more states on the way. Options for a given boat depend on where it is used and stored and on each company’s rules.
Coverage your customers can ask about
Coverage your boat buyers can ask us about
Boat and jet ski insurance
Coverage for fishing boats, pontoons, sailboats, and personal watercraft.
Explore boat insuranceRV insurance
For buyers who tow their boat behind a camper or stay at the lake in an RV.
Explore RV insurancePersonal umbrella insurance
Extra liability protection on top of boat, home, and auto policies.
Explore umbrella insuranceMarina partners
How marinas help slip holders and storage customers get covered.
See the marina partner pagePowersports dealer partners
For dealers who also sell motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, or golf carts.
See the powersports partner pageAll partner programs
See every type of business we work with, how referrals work, and how we follow the rules on referrals.
Back to the partner programKeep boat deliveries moving
Book a 15-minute call to set up a referral process for your dealership, or call the office when a buyer needs a boat insurance quote.
Prefer to talk? Call (330) 486-8404 or send us a message.