What it is
Commercial general liability (CGL) covers bodily injury and property damage your business causes to other people — a customer who slips in your shop, damage you cause at a client's site, or a claim that your work harmed someone after the job was done.
What that looks like in practice
- A visitor trips over equipment at your location and is injured
- Your crew damages a client's property while working on a job
- A product or completed job you delivered causes injury or damage later
- An advertising-injury claim — libel, slander, or copyright in your marketing
Who needs it
Nearly every business — contractors, shops, offices, cleaners, salons, trades, and more. Beyond the risk itself, general liability is frequently required to do business: landlords require it on a lease, clients require it before they'll hire you, and many contracts won't move without a certificate naming them, commonly at $1,000,000 per occurrence.
It's often the ticket to the job. A lot of businesses buy general liability not because they expect a claim, but because they can't sign the lease or win the contract without it. We issue the certificates your clients and landlords ask for, usually same day.
What it doesn't cover
- Injuries to your own employees — that's workers' compensation
- Damage to your own building or equipment — that's commercial property
- Accidents involving your business vehicles — that's commercial auto
- Professional mistakes or bad advice — that's professional liability (E&O)
Many small businesses combine general liability and property into one Business Owner's Policy to save money and simplify.
What we do
As an independent agency we shop your general liability across carriers, match the limits to what your contracts actually require, and issue the certificates of insurance your clients and landlords need — so coverage never becomes the reason a deal stalls.
Let's get you covered.
Tell us what you need and we'll shop it across our carriers — or just ask a question first.