General Liability Insurance
The foundation of business protection — and the policy your contracts will demand.
What is general liability insurance?
General liability (GL) is the foundational commercial policy: it protects your business when a third party — a customer, vendor, or member of the public — claims your operations injured them or damaged their property. A customer slips in your store, your crew damages a client's floor, a product you sold causes harm: GL pays the defense costs, settlements, and judgments.
Even careful businesses get sued, and defense costs alone can run tens of thousands of dollars before any verdict. Beyond protection, GL is a business enabler: landlords, general contractors, and enterprise clients routinely require a certificate of insurance with specific limits before they'll sign with you. We issue certificates same-day and structure limits to match your contract requirements.
What it covers
- Third-party bodily injury — a customer slip-and-fall at your premises or job site
- Third-party property damage caused by your operations or completed work
- Products liability — harm caused by products you make, sell, or distribute
- Personal and advertising injury — libel, slander, and copyright infringement in your advertising
- Legal defense costs for covered claims, even groundless ones
- Medical payments for minor third-party injuries, regardless of fault
What it doesn't cover
- Injuries to your own employees (that's workers' compensation)
- Damage to your own property (commercial property coverage)
- Professional mistakes and bad advice (professional liability / E&O)
- Auto accidents (commercial auto)
- Data breaches and cyber incidents (cyber liability)
Coverage components explained
1Each-Occurrence Limit
The maximum paid for any single claim — commonly $1 million. Contracts you sign will usually specify the minimum occurrence limit you must carry.
2General Aggregate Limit
The maximum paid across all claims in a policy year — commonly $2 million. Once exhausted, you're uninsured for the remainder of the term unless you carry excess coverage.
3Products & Completed Operations
Covers claims arising after your work is done or your product is sold — critical for contractors and manufacturers, since many claims surface months or years after the job.
4Damage to Premises Rented to You
Covers fire and certain damage to space you lease — the coverage your landlord's lease almost certainly requires.
5Additional Insured Endorsements
Extends your coverage to clients, landlords, or GCs as contracts require. Getting these endorsements right is routine for us and a frequent source of contract compliance problems for businesses who buy online.
When you need general liability coverage
- You interact with customers, visitors, or the public anywhere — your premises or theirs
- You're signing a commercial lease (landlords require GL with specific limits)
- You're bidding on contracts that require a certificate of insurance
- You make, sell, or distribute physical products
- You perform work at client locations — trades, services, installations
Frequently asked questions
How much general liability coverage do I need?
The market standard is $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate, and most contracts require at least that. Higher-risk operations or larger contracts may require $5M+, usually structured as $1M GL plus a commercial umbrella. We'll align your limits with the contracts you actually sign.
What does general liability cost?
It varies widely with industry, revenue, and payroll — an office-based consultant might pay $400–$900 a year, while a contractor might pay several thousand. Because we quote multiple carriers, you see the realistic range for your specific operation, not a generic average.
What's a certificate of insurance and how fast can I get one?
A COI is the one-page proof of coverage that clients, landlords, and GCs request. We issue them same-day — usually within the hour during business hours — including additional-insured wording when your contract requires it.
Does GL cover my work itself if I make a mistake?
GL covers damage your work causes to other property or people — not the cost of redoing faulty work itself, and not financial harm from professional errors. If clients could lose money from your advice or services, you also need professional liability (E&O). Many businesses need both.
Let's find the right general liability coverage for you
Answer a few questions and a licensed advisor will compare quotes across our carrier lineup — usually back to you within one business day.