If you’re starting or running a small business, having the right insurance coverage is crucial to protect your company from potential risks and liabilities. One of the most important types of policies small businesses need is liability insurance. But how much liability coverage should you get?
This complete guide examines the key considerations in determining adequate liability limits for small businesses. We compare liability insurance quotes across major providers and outline the typical costs. Read on for answers to frequently asked questions plus factors that impact your ideal liability insurance limits.
What is Business Liability Insurance?
Business liability insurance protects your company in the event you are legally liable for bodily injury, property damage, or other harms caused to a third party. It can shield your business assets in situations like:
- A customer slips and falls in your store, restaurant or office
- Your business accidentally damages a client’s property while providing a service at their home/office
- A vendor sues your business for “breach of contract” over a dispute
- Your company vehicle is involved in an at-fault accident
Without adequate liability coverage, all these examples could threaten the financial well-being of your small business if you’re found legally responsible.
Liability insurance policies cover the cost of potential legal fees and settlement payments up to the specified limit. Common liability insurance types that small businesses need include:
- Commercial General Liability (CGL) – Covers claims of bodily injury, property damage, personal injury and advertising injury
- Professional Liability – Protects professional advice and services (also called Errors & Omissions or E&O)
- Product Liability – Covers injury or damage caused by products you manufacture, sell or distribute
How Much Liability Insurance Do Small Businesses Need?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer for the ideal liability insurance limits your particular small business requires. The right amount for your specific company depends on a few key factors:
- Your industry and occupation – The level of risk for professional liability lawsuits varies significantly across sectors. For example, a marketing consulting agency has lower risks than a clinical health practice.
- Relevant state regulations – States often stipulate compulsory baseline dollar amounts for certain industries to carry, such as $1 million minimum for contractors, architects and engineers
- Your annual revenues – Larger companies have increased exposures and higher limits help cover higher potential legal settlements
- Types and severity of potential liability claims – Complex risks like a manufacturer defective product require higher protection than slip-and-fall accidents
Later in this guide, we provide specific commercial general liability (GCL) insurance benchmark recommendations based on your annual sales revenue. Yet every business situation is different, so connecting with an independent insurance broker to evaluate risks and exposures is key.
Average Cost of Liability Insurance for Small Businesses
The average price paid for a standard $1 million commercial general liability insurance policy ranges from about $500 to $3,000 per year according to 2021 insurer data. However, rates can vary more widely based on these factors:
Industry – Manufacturers average over $7,500 in annual premiums across a $25 million policy while lawyers may pay around $3,000 per year for $1 million in coverage limits.
Location – Costs in larger cities are typically double the premiums seen by businesses in rural areas, with as much as a 4x variation nationwide.
Experience – Years in business, past liability claims and safety track record significantly impacts rates too. For example, State Farm’s GLC premiums on $500k limits stretch from roughly $600 a year for preferred risks up to $4,800 annually for the highest risk tier businesses.
Coverage Limits – Naturally, higher insurance limits raise premium costs but offer superior protection. Roughly $2 million total coverage may run two times the base cost of a $1 million liability policy.
We compare sample liability insurance costs quotes from leading commercial insurers later in the article so you can benchmark potential annual premiums.
How Much is Typical Liability Insurance Limits by Revenue?
As a rough guide, the following commercial general liability coverage limits based on a company’s revenues are fairly typical amounts carried by small business owners across most states. However, legal/compliance risks for your particular industry and circumstances should be reviewed.
| Annual Revenue | Recommended General Liability Limits |
|---|---|
| Under $100,000 | $500,000 to $1 million |
| $100,000 – $250,000 | $1 million |
| $250,000 – $500,000 | $2 million |
| $500,000 – $1 million | $2 – $5 million |
| Over $1 million | $5+ million |
So once your small business reaches about a half million in sales, it becomes prudent to consider increasing primary liability protection to $2 million or more. Companies earning $1M+ yearly may need upwards of $5M on their underlying general liability policies, supplemented by added umbrella coverage.
Top Liability Insurance Providers for Small Businesses
Now that you know how much liability coverage limits your small business may need, where should you buy a competitively priced policy? Here we compare premium estimates from 5 top commercial insurance carriers offering liability protection nationwide. Rates are based on sample profiles of a 10-employee professional services consulting firm earning $500,000 in annual revenues.
| Insurance Company | Sample Annual Premium |
|---|---|
| The Hartford | $1,830 |
| Nationwide | $1,240 |
| Travelers | $3,100 |
| Progressive Commercial | $1,450 |
| Next Insurance | $732 |
As shown, annual premiums at $1M coverage limits may span over $2,300 across leading national providers for an average risk small business. An independent broker can shop your unique specifications to find the optimal mix of price, financial stability ratings, and customer service.
5 Common Questions About Liability Insurance for Small Businesses
Most new entrepreneurs and small business owners have several questions running through their minds on the liability insurance front. Here we provide answers to some frequently asked questions:
1. Is liability insurance required by law?
Unlike compulsory auto insurance, there is no federal mandate requiring liability coverage nation-wide. However, states set various industry-specific regulations to carry commercial liability policies:
- Contractors in CA, TX, FL and many other states need minimum $500k to $1M limits
- Professional services like healthcare, legal and accounting require coverage
- Alcohol servers often must show proof of liquor or dram shop liability coverage
Check with your state regulators to understand compulsory vs. prudent recommended insurance guidelines for your particular business type and location.
2. Should I raise my policy limits or buy umbrella insurance?
As your small business evolves from startup to growing enterprise, re-evaluating liability exposures is wise. Higher revenues equal bigger risks.
Raising liability policy limits directly on your underlying insurance contract increases their duty to cover and defend claims. However, expanding from say $500k up to $3M on a primary commercial general liability (CGL) policy raises rates exponentially.
A more affordable way to hedge risks once crossing $1 million in annual sales is adding an umbrella insurance policy. This supplements any underlying liability contracts for key insureds across multiple policies. It also lets businesses efficiently scale higher total limits like $5M or even $10M+ in total coverage.
Umbrella insurance costs roughly $650 per $1 million in additional limits, on average, making it an economical way to hedge your risks.
3. Does general liability insurance cover professional services?
Standard commercial general liability (CGL) forms do not include coverage of harms because of errors, omissions or negligence with professional services delivered to clients. That requires dedicated Professional Liability Insurance as lawyers, IT consultants, CPAs, and healthcare providers carry.
However, modern Business Owners Policies (BOPs) bundle GCL with coverage extensions for common professional liability risks under certain limits. For higher risk services, separate E&O policies are still needed.
4. Do I need product liability coverage?
If your small business deals in manufacturing, distributing or retailing any type of product, then a Product Liability Insurance policy is a must. Even simple products we don’t consider ‘risky’ like apparel, toys or jewelry carry product defect risks the market does not forgive.
Without insurance backing, a defective product lawsuit, recall or safety incident could severely disrupt your business finances or worse. Ensure your product exposures either fall under your GL policy forms or acquire dedicated product liability if needed.
5. Can I buy liability insurance instantly online?
Yes! Digital insurance agencies like Next Insurance or CoverWallet allow instant online applications for fast quotes and policy bind.
You can electronically sign and securely pay in under 10 minutes via these modern online insurance platforms purpose-built for smaller business owners. They consolidate easy quoting, buying and account management in one experience – including integrations with leading small business software platforms.
Independent agents at any scale also utilize online portals for fast commercial liability insurance quotes now as well. The entire application and fulfillment process can be completed paperlessly online.
Summarizing Liability Insurance Recommendations for Your Small Business
The ideal amount of general liability insurance limits depends first upon your sector’s legal environment and revenue scale driving accident likelihood. Startups should consider $500k minimums while larger firms earning up to $1 million yearly need about $2M in coverage. Beyond a million in sales, multilayered liability policies with umbrella insurance is prudent.
Average costs span from $600 per year for preferred risks up to $7,500+ in liability premiums for manufacturers. Leading commercial insurers charge anywhere from $1,200 to $3,100 for sample $1M policies for average risk sectors. Core protections every small business needs are commercial general liability plus added umbrella insurance limits activated once major claims against your company becomes possible.
Independent agents can best assess your complete risk profile, exhibit exposures, and craft optimal insurance programs balancing risks versus expenses. Reaching minimum compulsory state or industry regulations is fine yet investing to deflect enterprise risks is ideal long term strategy. Solicit a liability insurance review periodically as your business grows or enters new markets raising the stakes through evolving revenues.