The lawsuit — and the certificate everyone asks for. One policy covers both.
General liability is the coverage behind two things almost every business runs into: a third-party claim — someone hurt, or their property damaged, and the lawsuit that follows — and the certificate of insurance a client, contract, or landlord demands before they'll work with you. A Liberty Mutual general liability policy answers both, at the limits your contracts require. Here's what it covers, what it doesn't, and how it compares to a BOP. From an independent agency that places Liberty Mutual every day.
The short answer
General liability (CGL) covers third-party claims against your business — bodily injury and property damage to others, products and completed operations, and personal and advertising injury like libel and slander — plus medical payments and legal defense. It's the policy behind every certificate of insurance a client or landlord requires, and Liberty Mutual can add them as an additional insured to satisfy a contract. The standard limit is $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate. It does not cover professional mistakes, your own property, employees, or autos. Backed by an A (Excellent) carrier, quoted against 40+.
Claims that come from everyone else.
General liability is a third-party policy — it responds when someone outside your business claims you hurt them, damaged their property, or wronged them. Here's the shape of it.
Bodily injury & property damage
Covers claims that your business caused someone else physical injury or damaged their property — the customer who slips in your store, or the damage you cause working at a client's site.
Products & completed operations
Covers claims arising from your finished work or the products you sell — the deck you built that later fails, the item that injures a customer. For contractors, it's the coverage that follows the work.
Personal & advertising injury
Covers offenses like libel, slander, wrongful eviction, and copyright infringement in your advertising — the non-physical claims a business can face from how it speaks and markets.
Medical payments
Pays smaller medical bills for someone injured on your premises without a finding of fault — a good-faith coverage that can settle a minor injury before it becomes a lawsuit.
Damage to rented premises
Covers fire damage to a space you rent. Worth knowing: on a standalone liability policy this is usually limited to fire — a BOP broadens it to more perils, which is one reason a BOP can be the better fit if you lease.
Legal defense
The policy pays to defend you against a covered claim — attorney fees, court costs, and investigation — generally in addition to your limits, so a defense doesn't eat the coverage you're counting on to pay a claim.
What general liability does not cover.
Half of using GL well is knowing where it stops — because the claims it doesn't answer are the ones businesses most often assume it does.
Professional mistakes
A claim that your advice, service, or work was wrong and cost someone money is a professional liability (errors & omissions) claim — GL won't respond. Advisors, consultants, and licensed professionals need E&O alongside it.
Your own property & income
GL covers other people's property, not yours. Your building, equipment, inventory, and lost income need commercial property — or a BOP that bundles property with liability.
Employee injuries
An employee hurt on the job is a workers' compensation claim, not a GL claim. Arkansas generally requires workers' comp once you have three or more employees.
Business vehicles
Accidents in vehicles you own or use for business belong on a commercial auto policy. GL stops at the bumper — the vehicle exposure is a separate line.
Certificates & additional insureds.
A per-occurrence limit of $1 million and a $2 million aggregate has become the standard, because that's what most contracts, general contractors, and public projects require. We set your limits to what your agreements actually demand.
Often, the contract requires it before the work does.
Plenty of businesses buy general liability not because the state makes them, but because someone they want to work with requires proof. A general contractor won't let you on the job, a landlord won't sign the lease, a client won't award the contract — until you hand over a certificate of insurance. We issue that ACORD certificate, and when the agreement calls for it, we add the other party as an additional insured by endorsement — Liberty Mutual's blanket additional-insured endorsements are built to satisfy common contract language.
Arkansas doesn't require general liability to hold a contractor license, but its state and public contracts do — $1M / $2M, with products and completed operations and contractual liability — and private clients ask for the same. One detail we get right so you don't find out the hard way: a certificate itself grants no coverage and doesn't change the policy — the endorsement does — so the certificate has to match what the contract actually requires.
Standalone, or bundled with property.
If your business is mostly a liability exposure, standalone general liability may be all you need. If you've got a building, equipment, inventory, or income to protect, a BOP that bundles property with liability is usually the better value.
Which one fits your business.
Standalone general liability fits the home-based business, the contractor working out of a truck, and the service business in leased space with little of its own property — the liability is the whole exposure, so that's the whole policy. A Businessowners Policy (BOP) makes more sense once there's property in the picture: it bundles commercial property and general liability, usually for less than buying them apart, and its liability side is actually broader than a standalone policy on coverages like damage to rented premises.
For contractors, Liberty Mutual's flexibility helps either way — we can dial the liability limits up to meet a contract while keeping property limits low, so you're covered for what you're exposed to without paying for what you're not. Which structure wins is a quick conversation about what your business actually owns and what your contracts require.
Built for businesses whose risk is liability.
Standalone general liability tends to fit businesses that carry a real liability exposure but not much of their own property. Common fits:
Contractors & tradespeople
Carpenters, painters, remodelers, and specialty trades who need liability and the certificates their general contractors and clients demand.
Home-based businesses
Businesses run from home, where a homeowners policy won't cover the business liability and a full BOP may be more than the property calls for.
Service businesses
Cleaning, landscaping, janitorial, and similar service businesses working on client property, where third-party damage is the main exposure.
Consultants & advisors
Consultants and advisors who need GL for premises and general claims — paired with professional liability for the advice itself, since GL alone won't cover it.
Retail & office tenants
Shops and offices in leased space that need liability and a certificate for the landlord — often a good candidate to compare against a BOP.
Vendors & event businesses
Vendors, event operators, and pop-ups that a venue or organizer requires to carry liability and name them as additional insured.
Not sure GL is the right piece — or the only piece?
Most businesses need general liability plus something: workers' comp once they hire, professional liability if they advise, commercial auto if they drive, a commercial umbrella once the limits need to climb. The advantage of an independent agency is that we build the whole set together — so the certificate you hand a client is backed by a program that actually holds up, not just a single policy bought to check a box.
The base the rest of the program builds on.
Certificates, endorsements, and limits all in one place.
General liability is the layer contracts point to, so it generates the most paperwork — certificates, additional-insured endorsements, waivers of subrogation, primary-and-non-contributory wording. When one agency holds your GL alongside your workers' comp, auto, and umbrella, those requests get handled fast and correctly, the umbrella sits properly above the right underlying limit, and you're not chasing four companies for one certificate. That coordination is most of what makes commercial insurance painless.
Three things to get right on general liability.
First, set the limits to your contracts — if a job requires $1M / $2M, carrying less can cost you the work. Second, match the endorsements to the agreement — additional insured, primary-and-non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation are specific asks, and a generic certificate won't satisfy them. Third, add E&O if you give advice; GL is not professional liability, and the gap between them is where advisors get caught. We handle all three.
Backed by an A (Excellent) carrier.
On September 10, 2025, AM Best affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) for the members of Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc., stable outlook — the group behind the companies that write this coverage in Arkansas. A financial strength rating is an opinion about an insurer's ability to pay claims; it doesn't grade how a specific claim is handled and isn't a recommendation. The current rating is at ambest.com.
Where we earn it on general liability.
The quiet GL mistakes are limits set below what a contract requires, endorsements that don't match the agreement, and assuming GL covers professional work when it doesn't. We read your contracts, set the limits and endorsements to fit, issue certificates correctly, and flag when you need E&O, workers' comp, or auto alongside. We don't adjust your claim and can't overrule an adjuster — but we'll make sure the policy and its paperwork actually satisfy the people asking for them, and we'll move you to another of our 40-plus markets if Liberty Mutual isn't the best fit.
Driven by your trade and your limits.
General liability premiums turn on your type of business and its risk class, your revenue or payroll, your claims history, and the limits your contracts require — a roofing contractor and a bookkeeper are worlds apart. General liability is generally one of the more affordable business coverages relative to the exposure it covers, but the number is specific to you. This isn't a quote or a guarantee. Tell us what you do and we'll build the real figure with you, Liberty Mutual against 40-plus carriers.
The rest of the business program.
Liberty Mutual general liability questions.
What does general liability insurance cover?
General liability — often called commercial general liability, or CGL — covers third-party claims against your business. That means bodily injury and property damage to other people (a customer who slips in your shop, damage you cause at a client's property), including products and completed operations — claims tied to your work or products after the job is done.
It also covers personal and advertising injury, like libel, slander, and copyright infringement in your advertising, and includes medical payments for minor injuries on your premises regardless of fault, plus legal defense costs. What it protects is other people's claims against you — not your own property or your own mistakes in professional work.
Is general liability insurance required in Arkansas?
Not by state statute for general contractors — Arkansas, unlike many states, doesn't mandate general liability to hold a contractor license. But that rarely means you can skip it. Arkansas state and public contracts require commercial general liability with $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, including products and completed operations and contractual liability, and private clients, general contractors, and landlords almost always require proof of coverage before they'll hire you or lease to you.
Some professional licenses require it as well. In practice, $1 million / $2 million has become the standard because that's what contracts and clients ask for. This is general information, not legal advice.
What's the difference between general liability and professional liability?
This is the most important — and most misunderstood — distinction in small business insurance. General liability covers bodily injury and property damage to third parties: physical harm and physical damage. Professional liability, also called errors and omissions or E&O, covers claims that your professional advice, service, or work was wrong or negligent and caused someone a financial loss — no physical injury required.
A consultant who gives bad advice, an accountant who makes an error, a designer who misses a deadline — those are E&O claims, and a general liability policy will not respond to them. Many businesses need both, and confusing the two is how a business ends up uncovered for the exact claim it was most likely to face.
Does general liability cover my employees, my own property, or my vehicles?
No — and knowing what it doesn't cover is as important as knowing what it does. General liability does not cover your employees' work injuries (that's workers' compensation, which Arkansas generally requires once you have three or more employees), your own building, equipment, or lost income (that's commercial property, or a BOP that bundles property with liability), or vehicles you use for business (that's commercial auto).
Those are separate policies. The value of placing them through one independent agency is that we build the whole program together, so a claim doesn't fall in the gap between what each policy covers.
Can you add my client or landlord as an additional insured and send a certificate?
Yes — that's routine, and often the reason a business buys general liability in the first place. When a contract, client, or landlord requires proof of coverage, we issue an ACORD certificate of insurance listing your coverages and limits, and when the contract requires it, we add the other party as an additional insured by endorsement. Liberty Mutual offers blanket additional insured endorsements that are built to satisfy common contract requirements.
Keep in mind a certificate itself confers no coverage rights and doesn't amend the policy — the endorsement does the work — which is exactly the kind of detail we make sure is right so your certificate actually matches what the contract demands.
Should I get standalone general liability or a BOP?
It depends on whether you have property to insure. If your business is mainly a liability exposure — a home-based business, a contractor working out of a truck, a service business in leased space with little of its own property — standalone general liability may be all you need.
If you have a building, significant equipment, inventory, or business income to protect, a Businessowners Policy (BOP) bundles property and general liability together and is usually less expensive than buying them separately. We'll look at your actual exposures and tell you honestly which one fits — and for contractors, Liberty Mutual lets us tailor the liability limits up while keeping property limits low.
How do I get a general liability quote?
Start at our commercial quote form or call (479) 286-1066. Tell us what your business does, your annual revenue or payroll, and any coverage limits your contracts require, and we'll confirm the appetite fit, set the limits to what your clients demand, and quote Liberty Mutual against 40-plus other carriers.
If you'll need certificates or additional insureds for a contract, tell us up front and we'll make sure the policy is built to produce them correctly.
If our coverage explainers are useful, mark Cribb Insurance as a preferred source so more Northwest Arkansas business owners can find our local, plain-English guides.
Liberty Mutual is one of 40+ carriers we represent.
Which means we can tell you honestly whether Liberty Mutual is the right home for your liability coverage — or whether one of our other markets fits better. Tell us what you do and what your contracts require, and we'll set the limits, add the endorsements, issue the certificates, and flag the other lines you need. If a different carrier fits your business better, we'll say so.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc. is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arkansas. We are not Liberty Mutual, and this page is not endorsed, sponsored, reviewed, or approved by Liberty Mutual. "Liberty Mutual" is a service mark or trademark of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, used here nominatively to identify products we are appointed to place. Liberty Mutual's Arkansas commercial general liability policies are issued by Liberty Mutual-affiliated underwriting companies.
This page describes commercial general liability (CGL) coverage in general, industry-standard terms for informational purposes only. It is not a policy, not an offer of insurance, and not a guarantee of coverage, availability, eligibility, or price. Coverage A (bodily injury and property damage, including premises/operations and products/completed operations), Coverage B (personal and advertising injury), Coverage C (medical payments), damage to premises rented to you, supplementary payments and defense, limits and aggregates, and endorsements (including additional insured and industry-specific coverages) are set by the carrier, vary by class and by state and over time, are subject to the carrier's underwriting appetite and eligibility, and are confirmed at quote and subject to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy actually issued. General liability does not cover professional liability / errors and omissions, workers' compensation, commercial auto, or the insured's own property or income — those are separate policies. If anything on this page conflicts with the issued policy, the policy controls.
A certificate of insurance is issued for information only, confers no rights on the certificate holder, and does not amend, extend, or alter the coverage of the policy; additional insured status is provided only by the applicable policy endorsement and subject to its terms. Statements about Arkansas — including that general liability is not required by state statute to hold a general contractor license, that Arkansas state and public contracts and many private contracts require it (commonly $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), that certain professional licenses may require it, and that workers' compensation is generally required at three or more employees — are general information, not legal advice, and are subject to change; requirements vary by contract and circumstance and should be confirmed with the appropriate authority or a qualified professional. Eligibility depends on the carrier's appetite and underwriting and is confirmed at quote.
Financial strength ratings are opinions of an insurer's ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations, are subject to change, are not recommendations to purchase, hold or terminate any policy, and do not address an insurer's claims-handling practices; current ratings are at ambest.com. The A (Excellent) rating referenced applies to the members of Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. Cost is determined by the carrier at quote and is not a figure this page represents or guarantees.
Last reviewed July 2026.