Business insurance
Business insurance for Long Island companies
A local brokerage on Route 109 that puts together the right mix of policies for your shop, crew or office, and keeps the paperwork your landlord and clients ask for in order.
How the pieces of business insurance fit together.
There is no single policy called “business insurance.” Most small businesses carry a few policies that each do one job. The right mix depends on what you do, who works for you, what you own and what your contracts say. A deli in Lindenhurst, a landscaping crew in Smithtown and an accounting office in Huntington each need something different.
For many shops, offices and restaurants, the starting point is a business owner’s policy (BOP), which bundles property and liability coverage in one package. Businesses that don’t fit a BOP, including many contractors, often buy commercial general liability (CGL) on its own, with separate commercial property coverage if they need it. If you have employees, New York requires most employers to carry workers compensation. Vehicles titled to the business, or used mainly for work, generally need a commercial auto policy.
Then there is proof. Landlords, general contractors and many clients on Long Island ask for a certificate of insurance before you sign a lease or start a job, and many want to be named as an additional insured on your liability policy. We help you set up coverage that meets those requests and send certificates to the people who need them. If a requirement doesn’t make sense, we explain it before you sign.
Who it’s for
Long Island businesses we work with.
Contractors and trades
Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, landscapers, painters and general contractors who need liability limits, certificates and additional insured wording that satisfy the job.
Retail shops
Storefronts on main streets and in strip centers from Babylon to Riverhead, where the lease usually spells out the insurance you must carry.
Restaurants, delis and cafes
Food businesses with equipment, inventory and steady foot traffic, and often a mix of full-time and part-time staff.
Professional offices
Accounting, real estate, medical billing and other offices that need property and liability coverage, and sometimes professional liability.
Service businesses
Cleaning companies, salons, auto repair shops and others that work on customer property or at customer locations.
New businesses
Owners setting up an LLC, signing a first lease or hiring a first employee who want to start with the coverage they actually need.
What’s covered
Coverage we can help you put in place.
Not every business needs every policy. We start with what your business does and what your lease and contracts require, then fill in from there.
- Business owner’s policy (BOP)
- Property and general liability bundled together for small, lower-risk businesses, usually with business income coverage included.
- Commercial general liability
- Covers claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else, plus personal and advertising injury.
- Workers compensation
- Pays medical care and lost wages for employees hurt on the job. Required for most New York employers.
- Commercial property
- Covers your building, if you own it, and your equipment, furniture, inventory and improvements against covered causes of loss.
- Commercial auto
- Liability and physical damage coverage for vans, pickups and other vehicles your business owns or uses for work.
- Umbrella and excess liability
- Extra liability limits that sit above your general liability, auto and employer’s liability policies when a contract or your exposure calls for more.
- Professional liability
- Also called errors and omissions. Covers claims that your advice or professional service caused a client a financial loss.
- Inland marine and tools
- Covers tools, equipment and materials that travel to job sites or sit in a truck, which a standard property policy may not fully cover.
New York & Long Island
What Long Island businesses run into.
Business insurance in Suffolk County often starts with someone else’s requirements. A shopping center lease in Huntington or Smithtown may spell out liability limits, additional insured wording and a waiver of subrogation. A general contractor in Islip or Brookhaven may not let your crew on site until a compliant certificate is in their file.
New York adds its own rules. Most employers must carry workers compensation, and contractors face the state’s Labor Law, often called the Scaffold Law, which is one reason owners and general contractors ask subcontractors for higher limits. We read the requirements with you so the coverage you buy matches what you signed.
- Certificates of insurance for landlords, general contractors and clients
- Additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements when a contract calls for them
- Workers comp for New York employers, plus the related disability and Paid Family Leave requirement
- Coverage for businesses in Suffolk, Nassau and throughout New York State
How it works
Getting covered with All Suffolk Brokerage.
- Tell us about the business
What you do, where you operate, your payroll, revenue and vehicles, and any lease or contract requirements you have been handed.
- We map out the coverage
We explain which policies fit your business and which ones a landlord, client or New York law requires.
- We compare carriers available to us
We shop your business with the carriers that write your type of work and walk you through the quotes, including what each one covers and excludes.
- Bind, certify and review
Once you choose, we bind coverage, send certificates where they need to go, and review the program with you at renewal.
What business insurance is required in New York?
New York requires most employers to carry workers compensation and disability and Paid Family Leave coverage, and vehicles registered to the business need auto liability coverage. General liability is not required by state law for most businesses, but landlords, general contractors and many clients require it in their contracts. Some licenses and permits also ask for proof of insurance.
How much does business insurance cost on Long Island?
It depends on what your business does, your revenue and payroll, your location, your claims history, the limits you choose and the insurer. A small office and a roofing contractor can pay very different amounts for the same limits. We compare the carriers available to us and explain what drives your price.
What is a certificate of insurance?
A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary showing the policies you carry, the limits and the policy dates. Landlords, general contractors and clients ask for one before you start work or sign a lease. A certificate is proof of coverage, but it does not change your policy. Additional insured status has to be added by endorsement.
What does it mean to name someone as an additional insured?
An additional insured is a person or company added to your liability policy, often a landlord or general contractor, so they have some protection under your policy for claims arising from your work or operations. The exact protection depends on the endorsement used. We match the endorsement to what your lease or contract asks for.
Do I need a BOP or separate policies?
If your business is small and fits an insurer’s eligibility rules, a BOP is often a simple and cost-effective way to get property and liability together. Contractors and higher-risk businesses may not qualify, or may need terms a BOP does not offer. We look at both and tell you which makes more sense.
Do you only insure businesses in Suffolk County?
No. Our office is in West Babylon and many of our clients are in Suffolk County, but we place business coverage for companies in Nassau County and throughout New York State. Most of the process can be handled by phone and email.
Related coverage
You may also need
Get a business insurance quote from a local broker.
Tell us what you need covered. We’ll compare what’s available to you, explain how the options differ, and take care of the paperwork.