Boston & Massachusetts Insurance FAQs Soo Hoo Insurance
Looking for answers about auto, home, or business insurance in Massachusetts? Soo Hoo Insurance helps Boston-area families and businesses understand coverage, costs, and policy options.
About Soo Hoo Insurance: Boston Insurance Agency Servicing Massachusetts
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Soo Hoo Insurance is an independent insurance agency founded in 1993 by Richard and Wanda Soo Hoo to serve Boston’s Asian community — families, restaurant owners, and small business owners who wanted an agency that understood their culture and language. Today, the agency is based in Boston and serves clients across Massachusetts, with a team that speaks English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
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Soo Hoo Insurance is a division of Sterling Insurance Group. In 2025, Sterling Insurance Group — the Martha's Vineyard based independent agency led by Libby and Rich Soo Hoo — acquired the Soo Hoo Insurance Agency in Boston. The Soo Hoo Insurance name, team, and Boston office remain in place, while clients now benefit from the combined resources, carriers, and back‑office support of the Sterling Insurance Group family.
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Two things clients tell us consistently: language and lived experience. Our team speaks English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, so clients can discuss their insurance in the language they’re most comfortable in. And because the agency was founded by and for the Asian community in Boston, our team tends to understand the realities behind the paperwork — multi‑generational households, family‑run restaurants, cash‑intensive small businesses, and homes that often double as the hub of the family.
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No. We are an independent insurance agency, which means we are licensed and educated to sell insurance policies on behalf of multiple insurance companies. Your insurance company is the actual provider of coverage and the party that pays claims in the event of a covered loss. Our role is to help you shop, compare, and service your policies.
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As an independent agency, we work with multiple insurance companies instead of just one. That means we can compare options across carriers, explain differences in coverage, and help you choose a policy that fits your situation — rather than fitting you into a single company’s product.
Restaurant Insurance in Boston & Massachusetts | Business Insurance FAQs
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Restaurant insurance — particularly for Chinese, Asian, and family‑owned restaurants — is one of our most requested lines, and a big reason clients have worked with Soo Hoo Insurance for over three decades. Every restaurant is different, so a licensed agent will review your menu, hours, delivery, liquor service, and lease to outline options across our carriers.
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Restaurant owners in Boston typically need general liability, property insurance, and workers’ compensation. Additional coverage like liquor liability, business interruption, and Employment Practices Liability, are common as well. Contact us to discuss further.
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The cost of restaurant insurance in Massachusetts depends on your size, revenue, number of employees, and type of food service. Risk mitigation features, claims experience and overall restaurant management experience play an important role in determining the cost of your insurance as well.
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Yes, Massachusetts requires most businesses with employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance, even if you only have one employee.
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Commercial general liability insurance protects your business from claims involving bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury that occur on your premises or as a result of your operations. For restaurants, this is one of the most important foundational coverages.
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Certain types of business insurance are required in Massachusetts. For example, workers’ compensation is mandatory if you have employees. Other coverages like general liability may not be legally required but are often required by landlords, lenders, or contracts.
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Soo Hoo Insurance recognizes that each business is unique and the needs of the owners of the business are unique as well. That's why a licensed and experienced agent will handle your account and work with you to determine a program of insurance that meets your standards and preferences for coverage.
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In addition to restaurants, we commonly write policies for small retail, service businesses, landlords, and contractors. Common coverages include property, general liability, liquor liability (where applicable), workers’ compensation, and commercial auto. A licensed agent can review your operation and explain what typically applies.
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Yes — and that’s one of the most common setups for our clients. Having one team that understands both sides of your life makes renewal reviews and coverage coordination easier. The policies themselves remain separate (personal vs. commercial), but the service experience is unified.
Home & Auto Insurance in Massachusetts | Coverage, Costs & Requirements
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You should carry enough homeowners insurance to fully rebuild your home at current construction costs, not market value. In Massachusetts, this often means reviewing your dwelling coverage annually to ensure it reflects rising material and labor costs.
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Homeowners insurance typically covers your home’s structure, personal belongings, liability protection, and additional living expenses if you cannot live in your home due to a covered loss such as fire, wind damage, or certain storms.
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Yes. Home, condo, and renters insurance for Massachusetts residents — especially in Greater Boston and surrounding communities — is one of our core lines. Because we are independent, we can compare options across carriers rather than being tied to a single company.
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Yes. Multi-family homes are common in the neighborhoods we serve, and we regularly help owners of 2-4 unit properties review homeowners and dwelling fire (landlord) options with our carriers.
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Renters Insurance is typically one of the least expensive policies a household can carry, and it can help protect your personal belongings and provide personal liability coverage. Your landlord’s policy generally covers the building, not your personal belongings. A licensed agent can walk through what limits tend to make sense for your situation.
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Yes. Through Sterling Insurance Group, we serve secondary homeowners across Cape Cod, MV, and Nantucket, where coastal properties have their own underwriting considerations like wind deductibles, distance to coast, and flood. A licensed agent can review the property and outline options.
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Massachusetts requires all drivers to carry the following mandatory coverages:
Bodily Injury to Others
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto
Damage to Someone Else’s Property
However, it is recommended to purchase optional coverages such as collision and comprehensive coverage as well as higher limits of property damage and bodily injury coverage.
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PIP covers medical expenses, lost wages, and certain related costs for you and your passengers after an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. In Massachusetts, the minimum required PIP coverage is $8,000 per person.
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While Massachusetts sets minimum required limits, many drivers choose higher coverage—such as $250,000/$500,000 Bodily Injury limits and higher Property Damage limits—to better protect their assets in the event of a serious accident.
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Yes. We regularly help clients who are new to Massachusetts, new to driving in the U.S., or adding a new driver to a household policy. A licensed agent can walk through the state’s required coverages and optional coverages in your preferred language.
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Yes, bundling policies like home and auto or combining multiple business coverages can often reduce costs and simplify management.
Working With Soo Hoo Insurance | Languages, Locations & Client Support
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Our team speaks English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. When you call or visit, you are welcome to ask for a language-matched team member and we will do our best to connect you with the right person.
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Our Boston office is located at 123 Beach Street, Boston, MA 02111 in the Leather District near Chinatown.
Through Sterling Insurance Group, we also have an office on Martha’s Vineyard located at 31 Beach Rd, Unit 203, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
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Massachusetts is our home market. If you have a second home, a rental property, or a business in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, or California, please ask us — through our carrier relationships at Sterling Insurance Group, a licensed agent can confirm what options may be available, subject to each carrier’s underwriting guidelines.
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No. Most of our clients are busy running restaurants, small businesses, or households, so we are set up to do most of the work by phone, email, text, and secure e‑signature. You are always welcome to stop by the Boston office during business hours if you’d rather meet in person.
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During regular business hours, please call the office. After hours, text us at 617-338-8168 and a member of our team is on call to help. See claims for more detail.
Insurance Quotes in Massachusetts | Pricing, Coverage Changes & Certificates
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Most home and auto insurance quotes can be prepared within one business day after submitting your information. More complex homes and businesses may take longer depending on coverage needs.
Please call us or click here to get a personalized quote today.
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No. Insurance coverage cannot be bound, changed, or confirmed via this website, email, text, or voicemail. To place, change, or cancel coverage, please speak directly with a licensed Soo Hoo Insurance agent.
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Yes. Please give our office a call or request a Certificate of Insurance here and our team will prepare it in accordance with the coverage that is in force on your policy.
How to file an Insurance Claim in Massachusetts | Claims Help & Support
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During regular business hours, please call our office if you need help filing your claim. After hours, text us at 617-338-8168 and a member of the team will be in touch. You can also file a claim directly with your insurance company.
Click here to file a claim online.
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This is one of the most common questions we get and the honest answer is that the end decision on every claim is made by the insurance company and the assigned claims adjuster, based on the coverage you purchased, the facts of the loss, and any third parties involved. We can review your policy with you in detail and, based on experience, provide an indication of whether a given loss might be covered but the final determination rests with the carrier.
Privacy, Communications, & Compliance
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Our full privacy practices and compensation disclosures are available on our Privacy Policy page. In short, we use your information to service your insurance and do not sell it.
Click here for more info.
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Yes, we may send SMS messages related to servicing your policies. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP, or reply HELP for assistance. For support, please contact us at 617-338-8168 or ask@soohooinsurance.com
Important Notice: The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not a proposal of insurance or a guarantee of coverage. Every property and policy is different. Coverage is always subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and underwriting of the actual insurance policy issued by the carrier. Insurance coverage cannot be bound, changed, or confirmed via this website, email, or voicemail. To discuss your specific situation or to request changes to your policies, please speak directly with a licensed Soo Hoo Insurance Agency agent.
Don’t see your question? Call us at 617-338-8168.