How to Rent Geophysical Equipment
Rent Geophysical Equipment with Confidence — We’ll Walk You Through It
New to renting from us? You’re in the right place. K.D. Jones Instrument Corp / Geophysical Equipment Rental LLC has spent over 35 years helping geophysicists, engineers, and field crews get the right instruments into the field — fast. Before your equipment ships, there are a few steps to complete. The most important: a valid Certificate of Insurance (COI) must be on file. This page walks you through everything.
Before your equipment ships, here’s what you need to know:
- A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is required — no exceptions
- The COI must be emailed directly by your insurance agent (not forwarded by you)
- Both K.D. Jones Instrument Corp and Geophysical Equipment Rental LLC must be named
- Both entities must appear as Additional Insured on the Liability COI and Loss Payee on the Inland Marine COI
- Coverage must reflect new replacement value — not actual cash value
Geophysical Equipment Renter Checklist
How the Rental Process Works
Here is exactly what to expect from start to finish:
Step 1: Request the equipment you need
Browse our inventory and submit a rental request, or call or email Nate directly at 262-442-6745 or nate@kdjonesinstruments.com. We carry GPR systems, resistivity meters, seismographs, magnetometers, EM instruments, pipe and cable locators, and more. Not sure which instrument fits your application? We’ll help you figure it out. We work on a first-come, first-served basis, so availability may be limited depending on the schedule of other rentals.
Step 2: Obtain a Certificate of Insurance from your agent
Before any equipment ships, you’ll need to provide a valid Certificate of Insurance (COI). This is the step that most commonly causes delays, so we’ve dedicated an entire section below to explaining exactly what’s needed and how to make it simple for your agent.
Step 3: Complete the credit card authorization form
Once your COI is approved, we’ll send you a credit card authorization form to complete and sign. This form secures your rental and confirms your agreement to our terms and conditions. Please note: even after completing the authorization form, you’re still welcome to pay by check or payment link at the time of invoice.
The form must be completely filled out. Call or text 262-442-6745 to provide your CCV number — do not include it on the form itself. Signatures are required for both the credit card authorization and the acknowledgment of our terms and conditions. Return the completed form to nate@kdjonesinstruments.com.
Step 4: Provide your billing and shipping information
After receiving your COI and completed credit card authorization form, we’ll follow up by email to collect the details below. Having this information ready in advance will help keep things moving quickly.
Click here to view necessary billing and shipping details.
Billing
• Company Name:
• Billing Contact Name:
• Street Address:
• Suite:
• City, State, Zip:
• Phone Number:
• Contact Email:
• Email address(es) to send invoices to:
Shipping
• Shipping Contact and Address (if different from billing)
o Company Name:
o Contact Name:
o Street Address:
o Suite:
o City, State, Zip:
o Phone Number:
o Contact Email:
o Email address(es) to send tracking to:
Shipping Details
• Requested Delivery Date:
• FedEx or UPS Account Number:
• Associated Account Zip Code:
• Preferred method of shipping: (Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight, or other)
• Declared value? (If yes, how much per shipping box?)
• PO and/or Reference #:
• Approximate Return Date:
Once we have everything above, we’ll get your equipment prepped and on its way.
The Insurance Requirement — What It Is and Why It’s Required
To rent from us, every customer must provide a valid Certificate of Insurance (COI) before equipment ships. This isn’t a bureaucratic hurdle — it’s a practical protection for both parties. Geophysical instruments represent significant value, and the COI confirms that you have coverage in place if something unexpected happens during the rental period.
Click on each section to learn more.
1) What type of coverage is required?
You need what’s commonly called an Inland Marine Policy — a type of property insurance that covers equipment and tools while they’re in transit or temporarily off-premises. This is standard coverage for organizations that rent or borrow equipment.
2) Who must be named on the policy?
Both of the following legal entities must be listed on your certificate:
- K.D. Jones Instrument Corp
- Geophysical Equipment Rental LLC
Each must be designated as both:
- Additional Insured (on your liability policy)
- Loss Payee (on your inland marine / equipment coverage)
If either entity is missing, or only one role is listed instead of both, the certificate will not meet our requirements and your rental will be delayed.
3) Copy-Ready Wording for Your Insurance Agent
You can copy and paste the text below directly into an email to your insurance agent. It gives them everything they need to issue the certificate correctly on the first try.
“Please issue a Certificate of Insurance for an upcoming equipment rental. The certificate must include the following:
1. Inland Marine coverage (equipment/property coverage) reflecting the full new replacement value of the rented equipment.
2. The following two entities must each be listed as both Additional Insured on the Liability Insurance Policy and Loss Payee on the Inland Marine Policy:
- K.D. Jones Instrument Corp, 13129 Green Bay Rd, Mequon, WI 53097
- Geophysical Equipment Rental LLC, 13129 Green Bay Rd, Mequon, WI 53097
Please send the completed certificate directly to: nate@kdjonesinstruments.com
Thank you.”
4) Common Mistakes That Cause Delays
Most rental delays come down to one of the following issues with the COI. Reviewing this list before submitting can save you several days:
Certificate sent by the renter instead of the agent — For the certificate to be valid, it must be sent directly from your insurance agent to nate@kdjonesinstruments.com.
Missing inland marine coverage — General liability alone is not sufficient. The certificate must include inland marine or equivalent property coverage for the rented equipment.
Coverage limit is too low — The coverage amount must reflect the full replacement value of the specific instruments you’re renting. If the limit listed is lower than the replacement value of the equipment, we’ll need a corrected certificate.
Actual cash value listed instead of new replacement value — Some policies automatically default to actual cash value (ACV) for equipment older than five years. This is not acceptable. Because used geophysical instruments are rarely available for purchase on the secondary market, replacing lost or damaged equipment almost always requires buying new. Your policy must cover new replacement value regardless of the age of the instrument.
Only one entity is named — Both K.D. Jones Instrument Corp and Geophysical Equipment Rental LLC must appear on the certificate. Naming only one is a common mistake.
Additional Insured or Loss Payee designation is missing — Both entities must be listed in both roles. A certificate that lists them as Additional Insured only, or Loss Payee only, will need to be corrected.
Expired dates — All coverage dates must be current and must extend through your anticipated rental return date.
5) Contact Us and Next Steps
Our team is available 24/7, including weekends and holidays. If you have a question at any point in the process, reach out — we’re here to help.
Rentals and customer service — Nate Steinbrecher
Phone: 262-442-6745
Email: nate@kdjonesinstruments.com
Sales, quotes, and technical support — Art
Phone: 262-442-6327
Email: art@kdjonesinstruments.com
Email certificates of insurance to:
nate@kdjonesinstruments.com
Return and ship all equipment to:
K.D. Jones Instrument Corp
13129 Green Bay Rd
Mequon, WI 53097
A note on weekend deliveries: We do not accept weekend or holiday deliveries. Equipment left outside overnight or over a weekend is at risk of theft or damage, and we want every return to be properly received and documented.
A note on weekend billing: If your equipment ships on a Friday and is in transit over the weekend, we do not charge rent for Saturday or Sunday. For example, if we ship on Friday for Monday delivery, you’re charged for Friday and Monday only — not the weekend days in between. The same applies on your return shipment.
Ready to Get Started?
Request your rental today and our team will confirm availability, answer any questions, and walk you through the COI process. With over 35 years of experience supporting geophysicists, engineers, and field crews, we’ll make sure you