Commercial general liability
General liability insurance for Long Island businesses
Commercial general liability covers claims that your business injured someone or damaged their property. We place it for contractors, shops and offices, and handle the certificates your clients ask for.
What commercial general liability insurance does.
Commercial general liability (CGL) responds when someone outside your business says you caused them harm. A customer slips on a wet floor. A ladder falls and dents a client’s car. A pipe you installed leaks after the job is done. CGL can pay for a legal defense and for damages you are legally responsible for, up to your limits. Claims against small businesses can be costly to defend, even when they turn out to have little merit.
Most CGL policies are written on an occurrence form, which covers injuries or damage that happen during the policy period, even if the claim is made years later. Some are written on a claims-made form instead, which works differently, so it is worth knowing which one you have. Claims-made forms are more common for professional liability than for general liability.
Limits are usually shown as each occurrence / general aggregate. A $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limit is common, but it is not a legal requirement. The right limit depends on your work and your contracts. CGL does not cover injuries to your own employees, which is what workers compensation is for. Smaller businesses may get CGL as part of a business owner’s policy.
Who it’s for
Who needs general liability insurance.
Contractors and subcontractors
General contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers and other trades whose contracts require specific limits and endorsements.
Landscapers and property services
Lawn care, tree work, snow removal, cleaning and handyman businesses working on other people’s property.
Retail and restaurants
Businesses with customers on the premises every day, and the slip, trip and fall exposure that comes with them.
Product sellers and makers
Businesses that make, sell or distribute products and want protection if a product causes injury or damage.
Businesses that don’t fit a BOP
Companies whose size, revenue or type of work puts them outside BOP eligibility and need standalone liability coverage.
Anyone signing a lease or contract
If a landlord, general contractor or client has sent you insurance requirements, CGL is usually at the top of the list.
What’s covered
What a CGL policy typically includes.
Forms vary by insurer, and exclusions matter as much as coverages. These are the main parts of a typical CGL policy and the endorsements contractors ask about most.
- Bodily injury and property damage
- Covers claims that your business operations caused injury to someone or damage to their property.
- Personal and advertising injury
- Covers certain claims such as libel, slander and some advertising-related claims, subject to the policy’s terms.
- Products-completed operations
- Covers injury or damage caused by your products or by work you have finished, usually with its own aggregate limit.
- Medical payments
- Pays limited medical bills for someone hurt on your premises or by your operations, regardless of fault, usually with a small limit.
- Damage to rented premises
- Covers damage you cause to space you rent, such as a fire you are responsible for, up to a separate limit.
- Additional insured endorsements
- Extend some coverage to a landlord, general contractor or owner for claims arising from your work. The specific form used matters.
- Waiver of subrogation
- Gives up your insurer’s right to recover from a party you have agreed not to pursue. Many contracts require it.
- Primary and non-contributory wording
- Makes your policy respond before the other party’s insurance. Often required alongside additional insured status.
New York & Long Island
General liability for New York contractors.
New York contractors work under rules that differ from most states. Sections 240 and 241 of the New York Labor Law, often called the Scaffold Law, can make property owners and general contractors responsible for certain injuries to workers, particularly falls from height and falling objects, even when they were not directly at fault. That is a big reason owners and general contractors in Suffolk and Nassau ask subcontractors for higher limits, additional insured status, primary and non-contributory wording and a waiver of subrogation.
Some liability policies written for New York contractors also include exclusions or limits related to these claims. Two quotes with the same limits can respond very differently. We read the forms and compare them with your contract’s insurance section. For questions about the contract itself, talk with your attorney.
- Certificates of insurance sent to general contractors, owners and property managers
- Additional insured endorsements for ongoing and completed operations
- Per-project aggregate and umbrella options when a contract calls for them
- Review of exclusions that can affect contractors working in New York
How it works
Getting covered with All Suffolk Brokerage.
- Send us your requirements
Tell us about your work, revenue or payroll and claims history, and send any insurance requirements from your contracts or lease.
- We compare the forms, not just the price
We shop the carriers available to us and check limits, exclusions and endorsements against what you need.
- Choose and bind
We walk you through the differences between quotes, then bind the policy you choose.
- Certificates on request
We issue certificates and add additional insureds as your jobs and leases require, and review your coverage at renewal.
What does general liability insurance cover?
Commercial general liability typically covers claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else, personal and advertising injury, injury or damage from your products and completed work, and limited medical payments. It usually pays for your legal defense as well. It does not cover your own employees’ injuries, your vehicles or your professional advice.
Is general liability insurance required in New York?
New York does not require most businesses to carry general liability by state law. In practice, landlords, general contractors, clients and some licensing offices require it. If you work in construction or sign a commercial lease, you will almost always be asked for proof of coverage.
What limits do I need?
A $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limit is common, and many contracts ask for at least that. Some general contractors and owners require higher limits, which are often met by adding an umbrella or excess policy. Check your contract’s insurance section and send it to us so we can match it.
What is an additional insured?
An additional insured is a person or company added to your policy by endorsement, such as a landlord or general contractor, so they have some coverage for claims arising from your work. Endorsements differ in scope. Some cover ongoing work only, and others also cover completed work. We match the endorsement to your contract.
What is a waiver of subrogation?
Normally, after paying a claim, your insurer may try to recover the money from whoever caused the loss. A waiver of subrogation gives up that right against a specific party, such as the general contractor or owner you work for. Many construction contracts and leases require one, and it is added to your policy by endorsement.
Does general liability cover my own work if it’s faulty?
Generally, no. CGL is designed to cover injury and damage to others, not the cost of fixing or redoing your own faulty work. It may cover damage that your faulty work causes to other property, depending on the policy terms and the facts of the claim.
Get a commercial general liability 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.