The short version
If you're self-employed, there's no legal wall between the business and you — a lawsuit against your work is a lawsuit against your savings, car, and home. General liability (GL) is the base layer: it covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury claims. For low-risk solo work (consulting, design, bookkeeping, IT), it costs roughly $25–$45/month in 2026 for the standard $1M per-occurrence / $2M aggregate limits — Thimble averages ~$22/month, Hiscox starts around $29/month, and sole proprietors as a group pay about 47% less than the small-business average. Trades and physical work cost more; construction sits at the top of the range.
The thing GL famously doesn't cover: mistakes in your professional work itself. That's professional liability (E&O) — and knowing which one your risk actually is saves you from buying the wrong policy.
What GL covers (and what it doesn't)
| Covered by general liability | NOT covered — needs a different policy |
|---|---|
| A client trips over your laptop bag at a meeting and breaks a wrist | Your advice or deliverable causes a client financial loss → professional liability (E&O) |
| You knock over a client's monitor (or their irrigation line) on site | Your own laptop/equipment is stolen or damaged → business property / BOP |
| Your ad copy accidentally uses a trademarked phrase and you're sued | A data breach exposes client info → cyber liability |
| Legal defense costs for covered claims — often the biggest real-world value | You crash your car driving to a job → commercial auto (personal policies often exclude business use) |
Rule of thumb: GL covers accidents around your work; E&O covers errors in your work. A photographer who breaks a venue's chandelier needs GL. A financial consultant whose model is wrong needs E&O. Many solos need both — Hiscox prices E&O from ~$22.50/month and discounts 5% for bundling, and one published 2026 example shows a combined GL+E&O package beating two separate carriers by 28%.
2026 pricing by provider and work type
- Thimble — cheapest for solos (~$22/month average, ~$287/year) and the only major option sold by the hour, day, or month. A single-event policy for a photographer or market vendor can run $5–$15. Ideal if clients only occasionally require coverage.
- Hiscox — GL from ~$29/month, strongest for consultants and professional services; instant certificates, detailed policy wording clients accept, and the 5% multi-policy discount.
- Next Insurance — competitive standalone GL (~$44/month in one published Q1 2026 comparison); fully digital, fast COIs.
- By work type: office-based ISO classes (consultants, accountants, IT) typically pay $25–$40/month. Personal trainers start around $30. Landscapers, cleaners, and contractors run meaningfully higher — physical work on other people's property is what GL underwriters price for.
Small business coverage in minutes
Hiscox quotes GL for hundreds of professions online, with certificates issued immediately — and bundles E&O at a 5% discount if your work involves advice or deliverables.
Get a GL quote →Affiliate link — see disclosure above.
Buying it in 15 minutes without overpaying
- Match the policy to your real risk. Advice-based work → E&O first, GL second (or skip GL if you never meet clients in person and contracts don't demand it). Physical/on-site work → GL first.
- Quote three: Thimble, Hiscox, Next. Each takes under 5 minutes. Same $1M/$2M limits so you're comparing apples to apples.
- Check contract requirements before choosing limits. $1M/$2M satisfies most standard contracts; some corporate clients require $2M/$4M or additional-insured endorsements — cheaper to buy right the first time.
- Consider a BOP if you have gear. A business owner's policy bundles GL with property coverage from ~$42/month and typically saves 10–15% versus separate policies — worthwhile once your equipment is worth more than a laptop.
- Revisit annually. Premiums key off revenue; growth changes your price, and switching carriers is trivial for solos.