What Is a BOP? The Business Owners Policy Explained
July 10, 2026
What a businessowners policy (BOP) bundles, who qualifies for one, what it excludes, how it compares to separate policies, and what drives its annual cost.
Read guideBusiness Owner's Policy
Combine core property and liability protection in one practical policy for an eligible small business. We help you choose limits and options that reflect how you actually operate.
We shop the market for you, no broker fees
Eight relevant markets are shown for comparison. Availability depends on the risk and location, and a logo does not imply a direct appointment.
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Small business packages
The Hartford
Business owner policies
Travelers
Property and liability packages
Chubb
Package coverage
Hiscox
Small business packages
AmTrust
Small commercial packages
Society Insurance
Business owner policies
Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Commercial packages
A strong fit for many established small businesses
- Retail stores
- Professional offices
- Restaurants and cafes
- Service businesses
What changes your premium
These details help insurers assess your business and price the coverage. Terms and available options vary by insurer.
- Your class of business and your actual operations
- The number of employees and your annual revenue
- Whether you own, lease or run the business from home
- The building's construction, age, square footage and sprinklers
- The property values you insure, building and contents separately
- The liability limits and the property deductible you pick
- How long you have been in business
- Your loss history
How it works
10 minute form
A few questions about your business or home.
We shop the market
We compare carriers and read the forms line by line.
Quote and bind
We pick the best policy and get you covered.
What this policy can cover
General liability
Third-party injury and property damage claims from your operations.
Commercial property
Your building, equipment, inventory, and tenant improvements.
Business income
Lost earnings and extra expense while a covered loss shuts you down.
A kitchen fire closes a cafe for eleven weeks. The building repair is one bill. Payroll, rent and the revenue that never arrived over those eleven weeks is a second one, easily larger than the first, and it is the half most owners have never priced.
Bundled savings
Packaging these together usually costs less than buying them separately.
Why buy a package instead of two policies?
Because a business with a location has two problems at once: what it can owe other people, and what it would cost to replace everything inside the door. A business owner's policy prices those together, and it adds the income you lose while the doors are shut, which no liability policy touches.
What each half of this policy covers
The liability half typically covers
- Bodily injury to other people
A customer, vendor or passerby is hurt because of your premises or your operations, and the policy responds to the claim and the defense.
- Damage to other people's property
Your work or your operations damage property that belongs to someone else.
- Products and completed work
Something you sold or a job you finished causes harm after you have left the site.
- Personal and advertising injury
Libel, slander and certain advertising offenses, including the cost of defending them.
The property half typically covers
- Your building or your leased space
The structure if you own it, and the improvements you paid for if you lease. Tenant improvements are the item most often left uninsured.
- The contents of that space
Equipment, furniture, stock and the tools of the trade, up to the business personal property amount on the policy.
- Income from your business
Earnings you lose and the extra expense you take on while a covered loss shuts you down. This is often called business interruption or business income coverage.
Businesses this coverage may fit
The first-time owner
You just signed a lease and the landlord wants a certificate. A BOP is usually the cleanest way to satisfy the lease and cover your own contents in one policy instead of two.
The business that outgrew a bare liability policy
You bought general liability years ago for a contract and have since accumulated equipment, stock and a build-out. The liability policy has never covered any of it.
The professional services firm
A BOP covers the office and the liability. It does not cover a claim that your advice was wrong, which for a services firm is the exposure that actually ends companies.
The owner with staff and a vehicle
A BOP handles the shop and the liability, and then stops. Employees mean workers' compensation and a truck means commercial auto. We place all three together so nothing falls between them.
How your limits and deductibles get set
Start with your contract requirements and potential losses. Then compare the cost of higher limits with what you could afford to pay yourself.
- 01
Start with the contract
Check the insurance limits and endorsements required by your lease, client agreements or project contract.
- 02
Then size the exposure
Consider property values, the work you do, possible injury claims and legal defense costs.
- 03
Then price the step up
Where available, compare more than one limit and deductible. A lower premium may leave you paying more after a loss.
- 04
Then review it at renewal
Review changes in revenue, payroll, property values and operations before renewing your coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What does a business owner's policy cover?
A BOP bundles general liability with commercial property and business income coverage in one policy built for eligible small businesses.
Who qualifies for a BOP?
BOPs are designed for smaller, lower-hazard businesses within set size and class limits. Larger or specialized operations usually need a commercial package policy instead.
What is not included in a BOP?
A BOP does not include workers' compensation, commercial auto, or professional liability. Those are added as separate policies.
BOP or general liability, which do I need?
General liability covers only liability. A BOP adds property and business income, so most businesses with a location or equipment benefit from the bundle.
How much does a BOP cost?
Cost reflects your property values, liability limits, class of business, and location. We size the limits to how you actually operate before quoting.
How is a BOP different from general liability?
General liability is one coverage. A BOP is a package that starts with that same liability coverage and adds property and business income, priced as a bundle. If you have anything at the location worth replacing, the bundle is usually the better buy.
Does a BOP include workers' compensation?
No. Employee injuries are never inside a BOP. That is a separate policy, and in California it is required once you have an employee.
Does a BOP cover my vehicles?
No. Owned, hired and non-owned vehicles sit on a commercial auto policy. Some carriers will endorse hired and non-owned liability onto the package, which is not the same as insuring the truck itself.
Does a BOP cover errors in my professional work?
No. Claims about the quality of your advice or services are professional liability, and they are excluded from the liability half of a BOP.
What if my business is too big or too hazardous for a BOP?
Then it moves to a commercial package policy, where property and liability are still written together but the eligibility limits and the form are broader. If standard carriers decline the class outright, the excess and surplus market is the next stop.
See whether a business owner's policy fits
Share a few details about your business and property. We will compare eligible package options and explain the tradeoffs.