Commercial umbrella provides excess liability limits over your underlying general liability, commercial auto, and employers liability coverage. It raises your total available limit for large claims and can also fill certain gaps. It is liability only and does not extend property coverage.
How an umbrella works
The umbrella sits above your primary liability policies. If a covered claim exhausts the underlying limit, the umbrella continues paying up to its own limit, often in increments of a million dollars. To do this, carriers require you to carry stated minimum limits on the underlying policies, which is why the umbrella and the primary policies have to be coordinated rather than bought in isolation.
Why it is cheaper than it looks
Large liability claims are rare, so the cost per million of umbrella limit is low compared to raising the limit on each underlying policy. That makes the umbrella the most cost-effective way to add meaningful protection against a catastrophic claim, the auto accident with serious injuries, the lawsuit that goes beyond the primary limit. For the businesses most exposed to large claims, it is one of the best values in the program.
Who needs one and how much
Any business with real liability exposure should consider one: those with vehicles, premises the public visits, employees, or contracts that demand high limits. Many leases and client contracts now require umbrella limits outright. The right amount reflects your assets, your exposure, and your contracts. We size it so a single bad claim does not reach past insurance and into the business itself.
How we handle it
We confirm your underlying limits meet the umbrella's requirements so there is no gap between the layers. We match the umbrella limit to your contracts and your exposure, not a round number. We make sure the umbrella sits over the right policies, including auto and employers liability. And we keep the layers aligned as your business and its contracts change.
