What are exclusions?

Exclusions are specific types of losses, events, or circumstances that are explicitly not covered by your insurance policy, even if they seem related to covered events.

What you need to know

Exclusions define what your policy won’t pay for. Common exclusions include flood, earthquake, mold, employee injuries (covered by workers’ comp instead), and intentional acts.

Why it matters for restaurant owners

Reading exclusions is as important as reading coverages—they define the gaps in your protection. Never assume something is covered without verifying it’s not excluded. For critical exposures that are excluded (like flood or equipment breakdown), purchase separate coverage.

Be especially careful with wear and tear exclusions (gradual deterioration isn’t covered), pollution exclusions (can affect grease cleanup), and cyber exclusions on property policies.