As the owner of a small business, you watch every dollar to make sure you’re getting the most for your money. General liability insurance is a necessity, but you certainly don’t want to pay more than you absolutely have to. No matter what business you’re in, we’ve conducted comprehensive research and compared quotes from several providers to come up with these top 5 companies for cheap liability insurance for small businesses.
- 5 cheapest general liability insurance for small businesses
- How to save money on general liability insurance
- How Much General Liability Insurance do I Need?
- How much does general liability insurance cost?
- Where to find cheap general liability insurance quotes online?
- What does General Liability Insurance Cover?
- What doesn’t General Liability Insurance Cover?
5 cheapest general liability insurance for small businesses
We compared quotes from 20+ providers of general liability insurance to recommend the cheapest 5 providers below. Each company is unique in its operation and risk profile. Providers may assess the risks differently. To get the cheapest quotes, you should compare quotes from at least 3 companies in the list below: Simply Business, NEXT, InsurePro, CoverWallet, and biBERK
- Simply Business: Getting cheap general liability insurance by comparing several quotes from low-cost carriers
- InsurePro: Getting cheap general liability insurance with short-term pay-per-day coverage
- NEXT: Getting cheap general liability insurance from a digital carrier
- biBERK: Getting cheap general liability insurance by managing the right coverage limits and deductibles
- Smart Financial: Getting cheap general liability insurance by working with experienced agents
Simply Business: Getting cheap general liability insurance by comparing several quotes from low-cost carriers
Simply Business is a digital broker that provides quotes from different carriers for you, so you can compare and choose the cheapest one for your business. Coverage can start within 24 hours. If you’re confused about what you need or have questions, you can speak to a licensed advisor, who can help you narrow down your options. There are no broker fees, and you do get a discount if you bundle two or more policies.
Simply Business is committed to helping you find the cheapest coverage for your business by working with several low-cost carriers. These carriers may not be very well-known, but they all have excellent financial ratings. Since they are not well-known, it may be difficult for you to try to get quotes from these carriers on your own.
Pros:
- Easy to get several quotes and compare them to find the cheapest one for you
- Fast and simply online quoting experience, it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes
- Many carriers offer low-cost coverage
- Carriers have excellent financial ratings
- Simply Business has a good consumer satisfaction rating on trustpilot
Cons:
- Some carriers may not be well-known, but they all have excellent financial strength ratings
- If you prefer a particular carrier that Simply Business doesn’t work with, you have to look elsewhere
- Simply Business doesn’t handle claims. You have to file a claim directly with the carrier
Below is a quote sample that we got from Simply Business for your reference. It is for a marketing consulting firm located in Los Angeles, California.
InsurePro: Getting cheap general liability insurance with short-term pay-per-day coverage
InsurePro has fast online quoting, with the added ability to change your policy instantly. Even better, you can get coverage for as long as you need it—as little as an hour. If you have a seasonal business, you can pause your annual policy in the months you’re not working. Most of the online reviews praise the company for how easy it is to get insurance and how affordable the quote was.
Pros:
- Fast and easy online quoting experience. You should be able to get a quote within 5-7 minutes
- One of the few providers offers short-term pay-per-day coverage. If you don’t need the long-term coverage that usually comes with an expensive annual policy, you can save a lot of money by getting a short-term policy for just a few days
- Coverage is provided by the top-rated carriers
Cons:
- A relatively new company without a long historical record yet
- Online quotes may not be available for some businesses in some niche industries
Next Insurance: Getting cheap general liability insurance from a digital carrier
You can get a quote, purchase insurance and get a certificate 100% online at Next. They also have workers compensation and professional liability insurance, so if your small business gets a little bigger, Next can offer you the policies you need. You’ll get a 10% discount if you bundle. They have a 4.7 out of 5 star rating, based on reviews from over 100,000 people.
Pros:
- Next is a digital broker, backed by some of the best venture capital firms and a reputable reinsurance company Munich Re
- The best digital experience you can find online: getting quotes, buying a policy, downloading the certificate of insurance, and managing the policy are all completely digital
- Very competitive rates. They often offer some of the cheapest rates we have seen
- Coverage and rates for contractors of all types are often the best and the cheapest
Cons:
- A relatively new company, founded in 2016. Do not have a long historical record yet
- Some bigger companies may not find quotes online
biBERK: Getting cheap general liability insurance by managing the right coverage limits and deductibles
Biberk claims they can save you 20% on your general liability insurance. They have easy online quoting and very positive reviews. You can do everything online, or you can call and talk to an expert. Since they’re a part of Berkshire Hathaway, they have excellent financial strength.
Pros:
- A part of Berkshire Hathaway family, with excellent financial strength and reputation
- Excellent digital experience
- Also offer low-cost coverage for other policies that small businesses may need such as workers comp insurance and commercial auto insurance
- Very competitive rates
- Easy to adjust coverage limits and deductibles to lower your rates as much as you want
Cons:
- Since their cheap rate may come with lower coverage limits and deductibles, you should pay attention to these when you compare their quotes with others
- Are not available in all 50 states and DC yet
Smart Financial: Getting cheap general liability insurance by working with experienced agents
Smart Financial is another small business insurance brokerage. However, they believe that small business insurance is more nuanced than straightforward. And that is the reason why they believe small businesses shouldn’t buy insurance on their own, but should be helped and guided by an experienced agent.
They work with an intensive network of insurance agents who are very knowledgeable and experienced in their respective industries. Smart Financial specializes in doing a great job of matching a small business with the most knowledgeable and experienced agent in that industry.
Pros:
- Extensive network of knowledgeable and experienced agents in virtually all segments of small businesses
- Their agents have access to 100+ carriers, making it easy for them to help small business get several quotes and compare them to find the cheapest one
Cons:
- Limited digital experience
- You have to work with an agent. If you don’t like working with an agent, you have to look elsewhere
How to save money on general liability insurance
No one wants to pay more than they need to for general liability insurance. Here are some strategies to save you money.
Shop around.
Different companies are more friendly towards certain businesses, certain locations, etc. There’s a lot that goes into a general liability quote for a small business, so get quotes from at least three or four carriers before you settle on one.
>>MORE: Cheapest General Liability Insurance for Contractors
Bundle your policies
If you’re just shopping for general liability insurance, this might not apply to you. However, as your business grows, you might need more insurance. If you get it all from the carrier, you’ll usually get a 5-10% discount.
>>MORE: The 6 Best General Liability Insurance Providers for General Contractors
Pay in full
You can sometimes score a discount if you pay in full, as opposed to paying by the month.
Manage risks effectively
You can install security or fire alarms to help promote safety. You can also make sure walkways are clear, spills are cleaned up immediately, areas are well-lit, etc. If you have to make a claim your rates will go up, sometimes by a lot, so make it a point to ensure a safe workplace.
>>MORE: The 5 Best Providers of Business Insurance for General Contractors
Choose a higher deductible or a lower coverage limits
Lowering the coverage limit or increasing the deductible will decrease the premiums. You can choose to do that to lower the rate. However, you just need to make sure you can cover the cost of the deductible if you need to.
How Much General Liability Insurance do I Need?
It depends on your business, how much risk there is, and what you’re comfortable with. Insureon estimates that the most popular general liability policy has a $1 million dollar occurrence limit and a $2 million dollar aggregate limit. The first number is the most an insurer will pay per claim, and the second is over the lifetime of the policy. Keep in mind the policy renews every year.
How much does general liability insurance cost?
The average cost of a $1M/$2M general liability insurance policy for small businesses is $42 per month or $504 per year. Most small businesses pay between $300 to $5,000 a year for their general liability insurance policies.
This is a wide range since general liability insurance varies significantly depending on several factors. One of the most important factors is the industry your business is in. Construction and contracting firms such as handyman or roofers often pay the most while accounting or IT consulting firms pay the least for general liability insurance.
These are just the averages. Two similar firms in the same industry with the same size and location will still get different quotes from the same carrier. Obviously different carriers will give the same firm different quotes. Make sure you get and compare at least 3 quotes before making your final decision. Work with a broker like Simply Business or InsurePro or Smart Financial is a good way to get and compare several quotes.
Where to get cheap general liability insurance quotes online?
The good news is that general liability insurance is probably the most popular policy for small businesses. All small businesses should have this policy. As a result, many insurance companies offer this policy and more and more companies offer general liability insurance online.
It is relatively easy to get a general liability insurance quote online. In order to find the cheapest quote for your business, you have to make sure you get at least 3 quotes from several providers. Below are our recommendations to get general liability insurance quotes online:
- Simply Business: A brokerage firm offers several quotes online so that you can compare them easily
- InsurePro: A provider offers cheap short-term pay-per-day quotes
- NEXT: A digital carrier offers cheap general liability insurance quotes for small businesses, especially those in contracting industry
What does General Liability Insurance Cover?
General liability insurance covers:
- Third-party injuries
- Property damage (that you cause)
- Slander and other personal injury
- Defense costs
- Medical costs
What doesn’t General Liability Insurance Cover?
General liability doesn’t cover injuries to your employees (that’s workers compensation insurance), damage to your own property (that’s commercial property insurance) or anything you do to intentionally cause someone harm.
General liability insurance isn’t required usually, unless you’re a contractor, but if rent or lease a location, your landlord may require you to have it. It’s a good idea to have some level of general liability insurance, since accidents can and do happen. Furthermore, people can sue you just about any reason. Anyone who deals with customers should have general liability insurance.
>>MORE: How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost?
Last Thoughts
As a small business owner, you don’t want to leave yourself without general liability insurance just in case something happens. You can save yourself some money by shopping around, comparing companies and promoting a safe workplace. An accident may still happen, but at least you’ll have insurance to protect you when if it does.
