Are Wraps & PPF Covered Under a Standard Auto Insurance Policy?

Customization in the automotive world is perhaps more prevalent than ever, with tons of owners wanting to personalize their vehicle in a multitude of ways. Two of the most basic ways that you can make your vehicle your own is by adding wraps or by adding a high-gloss paint protection film, more commonly called PPF. But as with any aftermarket upgrades, adding these to your vehicle begs the question — are they going to be covered under your standard auto insurance policy? We’re going to dive into the details to answer that very question for you today, so keep reading to learn more.

First of all, let’s cover the basics — what exactly are wraps and paint protection film? A vehicle wrap is a large vinyl decal applied over a car’s paint in order to dramatically change its appearance. They can be purely aesthetic, such as a simple color change or unique design, or they can even be functional, such as offering advertising for a business. Wraps can cover the entire vehicle or just specific sections, such as racing stripes.

PPF, on the other hand, is a transparent and durable film applied to high-impact areas, such as the hood, bumpers and side mirrors. Its purpose is to shield the paint from rock chips, scratches and UV damage. In other words, it’s not an aesthetic upgrade like a wrap, but rather reinforces your paint job. Both options are aftermarket upgrades, which means that insurance coverage can get tricky.

We’ve already talked about what’s covered under a standard auto insurance policy a few times in various blogs, but we’ll quickly recap it as a reminder. A standard auto insurance policy generally includes:

• Liability coverage, which covers damage you cause to others
• Collision coverage, which covers damage from accidents
• Comprehensive coverage, which covers non-collision events like theft, vandalism and weather

These are the three types of coverage that typically come with a standard auto insurance policy, however they are usually written with the assumption that your vehicle is in factory condition. In other words, aftermarket modifications like the ones we’re discussing might not be automatically covered by your policy.

So, if wraps and PPF aren’t covered under your standard policy, when are they covered?  There are two specific examples of when your wrap or your paint protection film will be covered. The first is by adding supplemental coverage to your policy. You can notify your insurance provider about any modifications, including these two, and they may allow you to add an endorsement or rider to your policy that will extend coverage to aftermarket upgrades.

The second is something you shouldn’t rely on, but we wanted to at least mention it so that you’re aware. Generally speaking, if someone else causes an accident and their insurance provider accepts liability, their property damage coverage may include the cost of replacing your wrap or PPF if it was part of the damaged area.

So, now that you have all the information, the first thing you need to do is call your insurance agent and have a conversation. Ask them if your policy covers aftermarket modifications or if you need to declare the wrap or PPF to ensure coverage. Make sure to ask how adding these modifications will affect your premium before determining if it’s worth covering, or if you’d rather take the risk of not having coverage for these items.

As always, you should also be keeping documentation whenever possible. Save your receipts and installation records for the modifications, take photographs of your vehicle before and after the modification and keep everything in a smart location that’s easy to remember so you have them if and when you need them.

Have any questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right here at Glover Family Independent Insurance! We’d be happy to discuss your aftermarket modifications and help find the right plan for you.