Excess general liability
Extends your general liability limit once it is exhausted.
Business Insurance
Commercial umbrella limits above your limits.
Most businesses buy an umbrella because a contract demanded it. Most keep it because one serious claim would have exhausted the primary policy.
A commercial umbrella extends the liability limits on the policies you already hold — general liability, commercial auto and employers liability — in increments of a million dollars. Because it only pays after the underlying policy is exhausted, the cost is a fraction of buying the same limit on the primary.
Scheduled underlying policies and contract requirements
An umbrella sits above named underlying policies at stated minimum limits. If a primary policy is changed, cancelled or falls below those limits, the umbrella can be left sitting over a gap — which is a good reason to place the whole programme through one agency.
Large commercial contracts, public work and many leases require total limits an ordinary general liability policy cannot reach. Pricing the umbrella before a contract lands is considerably easier than arranging one against a deadline.
What it covers
The parts of a commercial umbrella insurance policy
Excess commercial auto
Sits above the auto liability limit, which serious accidents reach quickly.
Excess employers liability
Above the employers liability section of workers compensation.
Contract compliance
Meets the total limits public work and large contracts specify.
Working with us
What we do differently
We are an independent agency, so we place your commercial umbrella insurance across several carriers rather than fitting you to one company's product. That means a genuine comparison, and someone to call who is not a call centre.
- Keep underlying limits at or above what the umbrella requires
- Tell us before changing a primary policy — the umbrella depends on it
- Price it ahead of a contract requirement rather than against a deadline
Common questions
Commercial Umbrella Insurance, answered
How does a commercial umbrella work?
It pays after the underlying policy limit is exhausted, extending your total cover in increments of a million dollars. Because it only ever responds in the tail of a claim, it costs far less than the same limit on the primary policy.
Do I have to have my other policies with you?
Not necessarily, but the umbrella schedules specific underlying policies at stated minimum limits. Holding them together makes it much easier to keep those limits aligned at renewal.
Is it the same as excess liability?
Similar but not identical. Excess liability follows the underlying policy terms exactly; an umbrella can be slightly broader in places. The distinction is worth checking on any quote.
Related cover
Often arranged alongside this
General Liability Insurance
Commercial general liability covers claims brought against your business by other people. It is also the policy almost every client contract and commercial lease requires you to hold.
Read moreCommercial Auto Insurance
A personal auto policy can exclude a claim that happened while the vehicle was being used for business. Commercial auto closes that gap for owned, hired and employee-owned vehicles.
Read moreBusiness Insurance
A shop, a contractor and a software firm face entirely different risks. We place commercial cover across multiple carriers rather than fitting you to one company's template.
Read moreReady for a commercial umbrella insurance quote?
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