Compare real prices from 18 top-rated carriers in about 10 minutes. General liability from $20.75 a month, instant proof of coverage, and a policy you can buy entirely online — no phone calls unless you want one.
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$20.75/ month to start
General liability, 10th percentile of policies sold Jul–Dec 2025.
Comparing quotes is free and does not affect your credit.
Every number on this page comes from real policies sold between July and December 2025 — not from a marketing department. Use it to sanity-check the quote you get, then compare carriers side by side.
| Coverage | What it pays for | Starts at | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability (GL) | Third-party bodily injury, property damage, advertising injury | $20.75/mo | Almost every business that meets customers, clients or job sites |
| Business owner's policy (BOP) | GL plus commercial property and business interruption in one policy | $33.75/mo | Storefronts, offices, salons and shops with equipment on site |
| Professional liability (E&O) | Claims that your advice, work or a missed deadline cost a client money | $25.83/mo | Consultants, designers, agents, coaches, IT and anyone paid for expertise |
| Workers' compensation | Medical bills and lost wages for employees injured on the job | $38.91/mo | Any business with employees — required in 49 states |
| Tools & equipment / inland marine | Gear that travels or sits off site: tools, cameras, laptops, inventory | $20.83/mo | Trades, photographers, mobile services, e-commerce stock |
| Cyber liability | Data breaches, ransomware, customer notification and fraud losses | Quoted | Anyone storing customer payment or personal data |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →
Add-ons such as commercial auto, employment practices liability and commercial flood are available depending on your state and trade. Limits vary by state and business type.
Pick your trade to see the published starting price and the coverages owners in your line of work usually add. Takes five seconds.
$20.83 / month to start
General liability — plus janitorial bond if a client asks for one.
Estimate only. Real quotes depend on your state, revenue, payroll, claims history and the carrier that wins your business.
| Business type | Starts at | What usually drives the price |
|---|---|---|
| Beauty & cosmetology | $20.83/mo | Chair rental, products used, whether you visit clients' homes |
| Cleaning services | $20.83/mo | Residential vs commercial, chemicals used, number of crews |
| E-commerce & online retail | $21.58/mo | Product liability exposure, sales volume, storage of stock |
| Landscaping & lawn care | $29.17/mo | Equipment value, chemical application, trailers and vehicles |
| Handyman | $41.67/mo | Height work, power tools, the types of repair you accept |
| Restaurant & food service | $60.80/mo | Kitchen fire risk, seating, delivery, alcohol service |
| General contractor | $68.75/mo | Subcontractors, project size, residential vs commercial sites |
A pressure-washing business pays far more than a bookkeeper, because the chance of damaging a client's property is higher. Underwriters price the work, not the title on your LLC.
Premiums, required coverages and available carriers vary by state. Average monthly costs run from roughly $83 in North Carolina to about $120 in Washington, and storm or litigation exposure can push a single trade well above that.
Workers' comp is priced per $100 of payroll. Liability limits and revenue affect the rest. Reporting accurate numbers gets you a fairer price than guessing low and correcting later.
Insurance names are confusing on purpose. Here is what each policy actually does, in the order most owners end up buying them.
The starting point for nearly every small business. If a customer slips in your shop, your ladder dents a client's wall, or a competitor claims your ad was misleading, this is the policy that responds.
Best for: cleaners, contractors, retailers, salons, anyone visiting client sites.
A bundle: general liability plus commercial property plus business interruption. One premium, one renewal date, and usually a lower total than buying each piece separately.
Best for: storefronts, salons, cafés, offices and shops with real equipment.
Pays medical bills and replaces part of a worker's lost wages after a job-related injury — and protects you from being sued by your own employee. In most states it is not optional.
Best for: any business with W-2 employees, including part-timers.
Covers the mistakes insurance buyers forget: a report with an error, a deadline missed, advice that lost a client money. General liability will not touch these claims.
Best for: consultants, designers, marketers, coaches, agents, IT providers.
Your truck gets broken into, a client's driveway swallows your tablet, a storm ruins stored inventory. Property cover replaces the gear you need to keep working.
Best for: trades, photographers, e-commerce sellers, mobile services.
You keep customer names, emails and card data. A single stolen laptop or phishing email can trigger notification costs, fines and lawsuits that ordinary liability excludes.
Best for: online sellers, agencies, clinics, any business holding personal data.
Find the line that sounds like you. This is the same logic an experienced broker uses in the first two minutes of a call.
Sole owner, no employees, work from homeGeneral liability is usually enough, plus professional liability if clients pay you for advice or creative work. No workers' comp in most states.
Sole owner with one or more employeesWorkers' comp becomes mandatory in 49 states. Add general liability for client and site requirements. BOP if you also own equipment.
You rent a storefront or sign a commercial leaseYour landlord will require general liability and a certificate naming them. A BOP covers the build-out, fixtures and stock too.
You sell physical products onlineGeneral liability with product liability included, tools and equipment for inventory, and cyber if you store customer data.
You work on other people's propertyGeneral liability with an adequate per-occurrence limit is non-negotiable. Many property managers ask for $1M/$2M plus additional insured status.
You are bidding on a contract or government jobExpect a minimum limit and a certificate of insurance before the bid is accepted. Coverage can often be bound the same day.
You drive to jobs in your own vehiclePersonal auto policies usually exclude business use. Ask about commercial auto or a business-use endorsement.
You give advice, designs or professional servicesProfessional liability (E&O) is the policy that responds when the complaint is about your work rather than an accident.
Free to compare. You only pay if you decide to buy a policy.
Over 400 business types are covered. These are the ones owners search for most — each with the coverage mix that usually fits.
GL for damage in a client's home, plus a bond if a property manager asks.
From $20.83/mo →GL with limits that satisfy landlords, plus tools and equipment cover.
From $41.67/mo →GL, equipment cover and commercial auto for truck and trailer.
From $29.17/mo →GL, workers' comp for crews and builders risk on larger jobs.
From $68.75/mo →BOP for kitchen and property, workers' comp, liquor liability if you serve.
From $60.80/mo →Product liability inside GL, stock cover, cyber for customer data.
From $21.58/mo →GL for slips and product reactions, property for your chair and kit.
From $20.83/mo →E&O for advice and missed deadlines, GL if you visit client offices.
From $25.83/mo →GL for on-location shoots, equipment cover for cameras and lighting.
From $20.83/mo →BOP for premises, stock and lost income; workers' comp for staff.
From $33.75/mo →E&O for professional errors, GL for open houses and client meetings.
Quoted →GL, commercial auto and cargo cover for goods in transit.
Quoted →You can buy business insurance from a local agent, straight from one carrier, or by comparing several at once. The coverage can be identical — the price and the effort rarely are.
| Comparing online | Local agent | One carrier direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to a price | About 10 minutes, self-serve | One to three days of phone tag | 10–20 minutes on one quote |
| Number of quotes | Multiple carriers side by side | Whatever the agency represents | Exactly one |
| Price transparency | You see each premium before choosing | Varies by agency | No benchmark to compare against |
| Certificate of insurance | Download instantly in your account | Usually same day | Usually same day |
| Best if… | You know roughly what you need | Your risks are unusual or complex | You already trust that brand |
Clients, landlords and general contractors do not wait. Once you buy, your certificate of insurance is in your account and can be forwarded the same day.
Policies are written by rated, licensed carriers — not sold as a membership or a discount card. You get a policy number, declarations page and a claims process.
Hire your first employee, add a second van, move to a bigger unit — endorsements can be requested online without restarting the whole process.
No paperwork in the mail, no waiting for an underwriter to call you back. Three steps, one sitting.
Your trade, state, revenue, payroll and a few details about how you work. About ten minutes — and you can stop and come back if you get interrupted.
Quotes from up to 18 carriers appear side by side with limits, deductibles and monthly cost. Adjust limits or add coverages and watch the price change.
Pay monthly or annually, get your documents immediately, and send your certificate to whoever asked for it. Manage everything from your account later.
Only one coverage is widely mandated. The rest are required by contracts, leases and licenses, which in practice means you still need them.
Required in every state except Texas for most employers with employees. The headcount threshold varies: some states require cover from the first employee, others from the third or fourth. Construction trades often face stricter rules and higher penalties.
Even in Texas, going without means giving up the legal protections the policy provides.
Rarely mandated by statute, almost always required by contract. Commercial leases, vendor agreements and general contractor packages routinely demand $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate and a certificate naming the other party as additional insured.
If you cannot produce a certificate, you usually lose the job or the lease.
Sometimes required to hold a license or to join a network — real estate brokerages, insurance agencies, healthcare practices and some municipal contracts all ask for it. Limits are often $1M per claim.
For consultants, it is the coverage a client's procurement team asks about first.
If your vehicle is registered for business use, your personal auto policy may exclude claims that happen while working. If you have a lease, the landlord's policy covers the building — not your build-out, fixtures or stock.
Both gaps are cheap to close before a loss and expensive to discover after one.
Requirements change and differ by industry, entity type and headcount. This page is general information, not legal advice — confirm your state's rule before you rely on it.
None of these involve cutting coverage you actually need. They involve buying the same protection more intelligently.
Renewal quotes are rarely the cheapest available. Owners who compare at renewal routinely find a better price for the same limits.
Paying for $5M when your lease asks for $1M is wasted premium. Paying for $500K when it asks for $1M gets your bid rejected.
A BOP usually costs less than the same cover bought as two separate policies, and you get one renewal date to manage.
Understating payroll lowers the quote and triggers a surprise audit bill later. Accurate numbers price your risk correctly from day one.
If you could comfortably cover the first $1,000 of a claim, a higher deductible lowers your premium every month.
Monthly billing usually carries installment fees. If you can pay upfront, the annual total is often lower.
Sold the second van? Stopped doing installs? Tell your carrier. Paying for exposure that no longer exists is the most common waste.
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General liability starts around $20.75 a month, a BOP around $33.75, professional liability around $25.83 and workers' comp around $38.91. These are the lowest tenth of prices actually paid between July and December 2025, so most owners pay somewhat more.
Your real price depends on your trade, state, revenue, payroll, claims history and the limits you choose. The fastest way to a real number is a ten-minute quote.
Only workers' compensation is broadly mandated — in every state except Texas, for most employers with employees. General liability and professional liability are usually required by contracts, leases and licenses rather than by statute.
In practice that distinction rarely helps: if a client or landlord requires a certificate before you can start, the coverage is effectively mandatory for you.
For a low-risk solo business, a general liability policy with a $1M/$2M limit and a higher deductible is the least expensive real policy. Avoid anything sold as "business insurance" that is not a licensed insurance policy — it will not satisfy a lease or a client contract.
Cheap is only useful if the certificate is accepted. Check the required limit before you shop.
General liability pays for third-party injury and property damage — someone gets hurt or something gets broken. A BOP is general liability plus property and business interruption in one package. E&O / professional liability pays when a client says your work, advice or a missed deadline cost them money.
Most service businesses need GL plus E&O. Businesses with a premises and equipment usually do better with a BOP.
Generally no — but the rules are not uniform. Some states require coverage for LLC members, corporate officers, or construction businesses even without employees. Several states also let sole proprietors buy in voluntarily, which can be worth it if you do physical work.
If you are about to hire your first employee, arrange cover before their first day, not after.
About ten minutes to complete a quote and, for most standard trades, the same session to buy. Policy documents and your certificate of insurance are available immediately in your online account.
Unusual risks — height work, hazardous materials, very large payroll — may need a day or two while an underwriter reviews the details.
Yes. Once a policy is bound, the certificate is generated from your account and can be downloaded or emailed to a client, landlord or general contractor the same day. You can usually add an additional insured endorsement if their contract requires it.
Roofing, tree work, demolition, security and anything involving hazardous materials narrow the field of carriers willing to quote. You will usually see fewer options and higher premiums, and some states may have no online option at all.
Fill in the quote accurately — misdescribing high-risk work to get a lower price can void a claim exactly when you need it.
Yes. Monthly billing is available, and it may involve a down payment plus installment fees. Paying the annual premium upfront is often slightly cheaper overall, so compare both totals before you choose.
Claims are handled by the carrier that issued your policy, usually with a dedicated claims handler. You report what happened, upload photos and receipts, and track progress while it is reviewed.
Report early and document everything — delay and missing paperwork are the two most common reasons claims slow down.
Only if product liability is included. General liability for e-commerce businesses usually does include it, but the wording matters — check that the policy covers products you sell, distribute or manufacture, and confirm whether there is a US-only territory limitation.
Yes. Endorsements for new employees, vehicles, locations or higher limits can be requested online, and cancellation follows the terms in your policy with any unused premium refunded on a pro-rata or short-rate basis.
No. This is an independent comparison guide. We are not an insurer, broker or agency, and we do not sell policies, issue quotes or handle claims. When you request a quote through a link on this page, you go to a licensed producer's secure quote form.
We may earn a commission if you buy a policy after clicking through, at no extra cost to you. That never changes the prices or the carrier ratings shown here.
One form. Up to 18 carriers. A price you can accept or walk away from — with no obligation and no impact on your credit.
Quotes are provided by licensed insurance producers. Coverage, limits and availability vary by state and business type.