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General Liability Insurance

Protect your business when a customer is hurt, property is damaged, or your work leads to a third party claim. We compare carriers and explain the forms behind every quote.

We shop the market for you, no broker fees

  • NEXT

    Small business liability

  • Hiscox

    Professional and service businesses

  • The Hartford

    Small commercial packages

  • Chubb

    Middle market liability

  • Travelers

    Commercial liability

  • Markel

    Specialty business risks

  • AmTrust

    Small commercial liability

  • Great American

    Specialty casualty

Built for businesses that work with people, property, or products

  • Contractors and trades
  • Restaurants and retailers
  • Property owners and managers
  • Manufacturers and wholesalers

What changes your premium

There is no flat rate for this coverage. These are the inputs a carrier prices against, and they are the same things the quote form asks you for.

  • Your class of business and what you actually do day to day
  • Annual revenue, and payroll where the line rates on it
  • How many people work for you, including subcontractors
  • Where you operate, down to the ZIP and the building
  • The limits and deductible you choose
  • Your claims history over the last three to five years

How it works

  1. 10 minute form

    A few questions about your business or home.

  2. We shop the market

    We compare carriers and read the forms line by line.

  3. Pick the best policy

    We explain what is covered, what is not, and what it costs.

Text us. We're by your side.

13:19
506

Menlo Agent

  1. Today, 9:41 AM
  2. Our lease for a second location starts September 1. Does our current policy cover it?
  3. Not automatically. Send me the address, square footage, operations, contents value, and move in date. I will ask the carrier to add it before you take possession.
  4. Sending the lease details now.
  5. Received. The location was added effective September 1. Your updated policy is ready.

    View updated policy

    menloinsurance.com

What this policy covers

Third-party bodily injury

Injuries to customers, vendors, or visitors tied to your operations or premises.

Third-party property damage

Damage your operations cause to property that belongs to someone else.

A crew you sent to a client site knocks over a sprinkler riser and floods two floors. The building owner comes to you for a repair bill in the six figures plus the tenants' losses. That is the claim this coverage is built for.

Products and completed operations

Claims that arise after a job is finished or a product you sold causes harm.

Personal and advertising injury

Libel, slander, and certain advertising-related claims.

A competitor claims your new campaign copied their tagline and sues. The defense costs run into tens of thousands before anyone decides who was right, and defense is the part most owners forget to price.

Why do I need general liability insurance?

Because a claim you did not cause on purpose is still yours to answer. A customer trips in your shop, a crew damages a client's floor, a competitor says your campaign copied theirs. This is the policy that responds, and it pays to DEFEND you as well as to settle, which is the half most owners have never priced.

Frequently asked questions

What does general liability insurance cover?

It covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury tied to your operations, including products and completed operations.

How much does general liability insurance cost in California?

Cost depends on your class of business, revenue or payroll, limits, location, and claims history. We quote it against your actual operation rather than a flat rate.

Is general liability insurance required?

It is rarely required by state law, but leases, clients, and contracts routinely require it, often at 1 million dollars per occurrence and 2 million dollars aggregate.

What limits do I need?

A common contract requirement is 1 million per occurrence and 2 million aggregate. Some landlords and projects ask for higher limits or an umbrella on top.

How is general liability different from professional liability?

General liability covers physical injury and property damage. Professional liability covers financial harm caused by your advice or services.

Does general liability cover an employee who gets hurt?

No. Injuries to your own employees are the job of workers' compensation, and general liability specifically excludes them. In California the obligation starts the moment you have an employee, and contractors carry it regardless.

Does general liability cover a mistake in my work or my advice?

No. General liability answers bodily injury and property damage. A claim that the work itself was wrong, that a design failed, or that your advice cost the client money is a professional liability claim.

Does general liability cover my own building, tools or inventory?

No. It covers damage you do to other people's property, not your own. Your building, equipment, stock and tenant improvements sit on a commercial property policy or inside a business owner's policy.

Does general liability cover an accident in a company vehicle?

No. Anything involving an owned, hired or non-owned vehicle is commercial auto. This is one of the most common gaps we find, usually on a business that started using a personal truck for work.

Build your liability coverage with a licensed broker

Tell us what your business does. We will shop the market and walk you through the options in plain English.

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