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margin clause

A margin clause is a nonstandard commercial property insurance provision stating that the most the insured can collect for a loss at a given location is a specified percentage of the values reported for that location on the insured's statement of values.

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margin clause

A margin clause is a nonstandard commercial property insurance provision stating that the most the insured can collect for a loss at a given location is a specified percentage of the values reported for that location on the insured's statement of values.


The maximum is normally stated as a percentage that is greater than 100 percent, such as 110 or 125 percent. A margin clause may be used alone or along with another nonstandard commercial property insurance provision: a per occurrence limitation of liability provision. A per location limitation of liability provision is even more restrictive than a margin clause. It establishes that the most the insured can collect for a commercial property loss at a given location is the amount reported for that location on the insured's statement of values. When the two provisions are used together, the margin clause increases the amount that the insured could otherwise collect. Both provisions are typically attached to policies with blanket limits, so that they essentially convert blanket limits to specific, per location limits.