Contents & Stock Claims
Business Contents and Stock Insurance Claim Ireland
When fire, flood or theft wipes out your stock, equipment and fit-out, the figure on the cheque depends entirely on how the claim is prepared. We value your loss properly, document it fully, and negotiate it on your behalf, not the insurer’s.
CBI Regulated · No Win, No Fee · Trevor Kelly MSCSI MRICS
What Is Covered
What commercial contents insurance actually covers
Most commercial policies separate the building from everything inside it. The contents and stock side of your policy is meant to cover the working assets of your business: the trading stock on your shelves, the plant and equipment that keeps you running, your furniture and fixtures, and the improvements you made to a premises you rent.
The difficulty is that contents claims are rarely simple. A single incident can damage hundreds of separate items, each with its own age, value and replacement cost. Getting the full entitlement means listing it correctly, valuing it on the right basis, and standing over every figure when the insurer pushes back.
- Trading stock raw materials, finished goods, seasonal lines and work in progress
- Plant & equipment machinery, tools, kitchen and production kit
- Furniture & fixtures shelving, counters, seating and shopfittings
- Tenant’s improvements the fit-out you paid for in a rented unit
Valuation
Valuing stock and equipment for a claim
How your contents are valued is the single biggest factor in what you recover. Most policies are written on a new-for-old basis, meaning damaged items are replaced with equivalent new ones. Some, however, settle on an indemnity basis, where the insurer pays the current second-hand value after wear and tear. Knowing which basis applies, and arguing it correctly, can change the figure significantly.
Stock brings its own complications. Seasonal stock held for a peak trading period is easy for an insurer to undervalue if it is assessed at a quiet time of year. Work in progress, part-finished goods that carry both material and labour cost, is routinely missed altogether. We build the valuation from your records, not from the insurer’s assumptions.
- New-for-old vs indemnity establishing the correct settlement basis
- Seasonal stock valued at its true trading worth, not an off-peak figure
- Work in progress material and labour already invested captured in full
- Replacement cost based on current supplier pricing, not historic cost
How It Works
How we manage a contents and stock claim end to end
From the first site visit to the final settlement, we carry the claim for you so you can focus on getting back to trading.
We attend the premises, assess the damage, review your policy and explain what you are entitled to claim, at no cost and no obligation.
We build a detailed schedule of every damaged item, valued on the correct basis using your records and current replacement pricing.
We compile the proof of ownership, document the loss in full and lodge a properly evidenced claim with your insurer.
We deal directly with the insurer’s loss adjuster, challenge unfair depreciation and negotiate toward the best settlement available under your policy.
Common Disputes
Depreciation, proof and policy wording
These are the three areas where contents and stock claims are most often reduced. Understanding them before you submit a figure is what protects your settlement.
Insurers commonly reduce a contents payout by applying heavy depreciation, arguing an item was old or worn. A contents claim also stands or falls on documentation: invoices, stock records, asset registers and supplier records. Where paperwork was lost in the same event, there are still legitimate ways to evidence ownership and value. And because policy wording draws a line between the building and its contents, items such as fitted equipment or tenant’s improvements can fall through the gap. We read the wording before we prepare a figure.
- Depreciation disputes heavy deductions challenged with real replacement pricing
- Proof of ownership a file the insurer cannot easily dismiss
- Contents vs building split each loss allocated to the correct section of the policy
- Malicious damage see our commercial malicious damage claim service
What We Cover
Every part of a contents and stock loss
A single incident rarely touches just one category. We assess and value every element of the loss together, so nothing is left out of the figure you submit.
- Stock loss damaged, destroyed or contaminated trading stock, valued from your records
- Plant & equipment machinery, production kit, kitchen and trade tools, repair or replacement
- IT & electronics computers, point of sale and servers, including data recovery where covered
- Business interruption lost income while you cannot trade, see our business interruption insurance claim service
Why Choose Us
Why business owners choose us for contents claims
We are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland under Reg. No: C423441, led by Trevor Kelly MSCSI MRICS. Your claim is handled by qualified professionals who answer to a regulator.
The insurer appoints a loss adjuster to protect their position. We act only for you, the policyholder, to present and value your loss in full. There is no charge unless your claim is settled: our fee is a percentage of the final settlement, typically 10% plus VAT, agreed with you in advance with no surprises. No win, no fee.
- Regulated & accountable CBI regulated, Reg. No: C423441, led by Trevor Kelly MSCSI MRICS
- On your side our commercial loss assessor service acts only for you
- No win, no fee no charge unless your claim is settled, agreed in advance
Client Feedback
Trusted by business owners across Ireland
A flood destroyed most of our shop stock overnight. The insurer’s first figure was a fraction of what it cost us to restock. They rebuilt the claim from our purchase records and the final settlement was far closer to the truth.
After a fire in our kitchen the adjuster wanted to knock huge depreciation off our equipment. They challenged every deduction with proper replacement pricing and dealt with the insurer so I could keep the business running.
Common Questions
Your questions, answered
We work on a no win, no fee basis, so there is nothing to pay up front. Our fee is a percentage of the final settlement, typically 10% plus VAT, agreed with you in advance before any work begins. If the claim is not settled, you do not pay our fee.
Make the premises safe, then photograph and video the damage before anything is cleared or thrown away. Keep damaged stock and equipment where possible, and gather any invoices, stock records and supplier paperwork you can. Then call us for a free site visit so the loss is documented properly from the start.
It depends on the wording of your policy. Some contents cover is new-for-old, replacing items with equivalent new ones; some settles on an indemnity basis after wear and tear. We read the wording first, establish the correct basis, and challenge unfair depreciation deductions with real replacement pricing.
It is common for paperwork to be destroyed in the same fire or flood as the stock. There are still legitimate ways to evidence ownership and value, such as supplier statements, bank and card records, accounts, photographs and reorder histories. We help you rebuild a proof of ownership file the insurer cannot easily dismiss.
It varies with the size and complexity of the loss and how quickly information is available. A straightforward stock claim can move faster than one involving disputed valuation or a contents versus building split. We keep the claim moving, push for interim payments where possible, and cannot guarantee a specific timeframe or settlement amount.
Yes. We manage the claim end to end, from the first valuation to dealing directly with the insurer’s loss adjuster and negotiating the settlement. You stay informed throughout, but we carry the paperwork and the back and forth so you can focus on getting back to trading.
Yes. We regularly take on claims that are already under way, including ones where an offer is already on the table. We can review your policy and the figure you have been offered before you accept anything. We are based in Rush, Co. Dublin and act for business owners across Ireland nationwide.
across Ireland since 2009
Central Bank of Ireland regulated. RICS/SCSI accredited. No win, no fee.
Lost your stock or equipment?
Find out what your claim is really worth
Talk to us before you accept any figure from the insurer. The first assessment is free, with no obligation, and there is no win, no fee.
