Shipping and Insuring Paintings?

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

This is the first time I've had a client who doesn't live within driving distance for delivery of a painting, so I've been researching shipping options. I know this had been mentioned elsewhere on the forum but those posts don't really answer my question.

For a local professional (albeit generic - i.e. non-art) mailing service, here are their prices to ship a 20x24" canvas that's framed:

Packaging $52.06 (includes material, labor, and tax)
Shipping 30.99
Insurance 18.81
Signature 4.99
Total 106.85

The insurance carrier for the professional mailing service wants to make sure that the painting is wrapped very well and is completely protected, since I want to insure it for its full value.

I had stipulated that the client would pay shipping costs, but he's not happy with this price and asked me to see whether there were any other options. I had originally thought that I could send the painting myself in the package that the frame came in, but I couldn't insure it for anywhere near its worth that way.

I don't do enough long-distance commissions to make it worth my while to buy special insurance to cover shipping on my own but I want to make certain that it gets there in one piece, and that I'm covered if it doesn't.

What do you all do about this?