Business Insurance on Long Island, Built Around Your Business — Not a Generic Quote
Independent commercial coverage for small businesses across Suffolk County, Nassau County, and New York City — from a broker who accesses multiple carriers and matches your specific risk profile to the right underwriter.
What Type of Business Are You Insuring?
Every industry carries a different risk profile, and commercial carriers underwrite accordingly. Whether you're constructing an apartment, running a restaurant, operating a fleet of service vehicles, or running a professional services practice, the coverage structure that fits your operation isn't the same as the one that fits your neighbor's.
Below are the industries and business types we regularly write on Long Island. If you don't see yours listed, call us — we work with a broad market.
Contractors & Construction
General contractors and trade contractors face a distinct set of exposures — Scaffold Law liability under New York's Labor Law §240/§241, NYC DOB certificate compliance, and subcontractor risk management. This coverage category has its own dedicated section.
Construction Insurance
Construction insurance in New York operates under rules most commercial agencies aren't equipped to handle. We built a separate specialty practice around it — GCs, trade contractors, certificates, and compliance.
Restaurant & Food Service
From fast casual to full-service dining, restaurant operations carry a layered risk profile: liquor liability, equipment breakdown, employee injuries, and property exposure all in one building. We write restaurant insurance as a dedicated coverage program.
Auto Service & Repair Shops
Garages, body shops, and dealerships need coverage that addresses vehicles in your care, custody, and control — not just your own property and liability. We write auto service and repair shop insurance for Long Island operators.
Coverage Types We Write for Long Island Businesses
Understanding your coverage by type — not just by policy name — is how you catch gaps before a claim exposes them. These are the core commercial lines we place for business insurance clients across Suffolk County and Nassau County.
Restaurants carry a specific combination of risks — liquor liability, equipment breakdown, food spoilage, and more. We write coverage for food service operations across Long Island.
Restaurant Insurance
Business Owners Policy (BOP)
Bundles general liability and commercial property into one policy. The right starting point for most small businesses, and often the most cost-effective structure for qualifying operations.
General Liability Insurance
Covers bodily injury and property damage claims arising from your business operations. Required by most commercial leases and client contracts — and the baseline for nearly every commercial account we write.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
New York State requires workers' compensation coverage for any business with one or more employees — no exceptions. We place workers' comp across multiple carriers and can often improve on what you're currently paying.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Personal auto policies don't cover vehicles used for business purposes. If your operation depends on a fleet — or even a single work vehicle — commercial auto coverage is a separate, required policy.
Commercial Property Insurance
Covers your building, equipment, inventory, and business personal property against fire, theft, and covered losses. Often bundled into a BOP for small businesses, written as a standalone policy for larger or more complex operations.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
Extends the liability limits on your underlying policies — GL, commercial auto, and employers liability — when a single claim exceeds those limits. For businesses with significant exposure or contract requirements, umbrella coverage is rarely optional.
Why Small Business Owners on Long Island Work With an Independent Broker
There's a practical reason to use an independent agency for commercial coverage, and it has nothing to do with loyalty or relationships. It has to do with underwriting.
Commercial carriers specialize. One carrier may aggressively price restaurant accounts; another is built for professional services; a third has the best appetite for contractors. A captive agent can only offer you one company's view of your risk. We access multiple carriers and submit your account to the underwriters most likely to want it — which produces better pricing and better coverage terms than a one-carrier quote process.
34 years placing commercial accounts on Long Island
Access to Travelers, Nationwide, The Hartford, Kingstone, and additional commercial markets
Full coverage review across GL, property, auto, workers' comp, and umbrella
We identify gaps and coverage-to-contract mismatches before a loss does
Plain explanations of what's legally required versus what's genuinely protective
One of the most common questions we get from small business owners is some version of: "What do I actually need?" New York law mandates workers' compensation for any business with employees, and most commercial leases require general liability at specified limits. Beyond that, what's necessary depends on your industry, your contracts, your payroll, your property exposure, and how your clients require you to be insured.
We start the conversation there — with what's required — and then walk through what's genuinely protective given how your business actually operates. We're not going to sell you coverage your business doesn't need. We are going to make sure you understand what you're declining if you choose not to carry it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Business Insurance on Long Island
What commercial insurance does New York State legally require for my business?
New York requires workers' compensation coverage for any business with one or more employees. If your business owns or operates vehicles, commercial auto insurance is also required by state law. Beyond those mandates, most other coverage requirements come from your lease, your client contracts, or industry licensing requirements — not state law directly. We help you sort through all of it.
What's the difference between a Business Owners Policy and buying general liability and property separately?
A Business Owners Policy (BOP) bundles general liability and commercial property into a single package policy, typically at a lower combined cost than purchasing them separately. BOPs are available to qualifying small businesses. Larger operations, or businesses with more complex property or liability exposures, are often better served by standalone policies tailored to their specific risk profile.
Can I get commercial insurance if my business is home-based?
Yes, but your homeowners policy almost certainly does not cover business-related liability or business property stored at your home. Home-based businesses typically need at minimum a general liability policy, and depending on what you do, additional coverage for professional liability, business equipment, or commercial auto may apply.
How does an independent broker find me a better commercial rate than going direct to a carrier?
Independent brokers submit your account to multiple carriers simultaneously. Because commercial underwriters specialize by industry, matching your business type to the right carrier's appetite produces more competitive pricing and better coverage terms than a single-carrier quote. Going direct to one carrier means you only see that carrier's view of your risk.
Does E. A. Funk & Associates write commercial insurance outside of Suffolk County?
Yes. While our office is based in Centereach and we write a significant volume of small business insurance in Suffolk County, we also serve businesses in Nassau County and New York City. If your business operates across multiple locations or boroughs, we can structure coverage accordingly.
Get a Commercial Insurance Review for Your Long Island Business
If you're starting a new business, renewing an existing policy, or just not confident that what you have actually matches what you need, a conversation costs nothing. We've been placing commercial coverage for Long Island businesses since 1992 — and we can usually tell you within one call whether your current program has gaps worth addressing.