Add another layer of liability protection above eligible underlying policies. We coordinate limits and policy requirements so the layers are designed to work together.
Eight relevant markets are shown for comparison. Availability depends on the risk and location, and a logo does not imply a direct appointment.
Commercial umbrella
Umbrella and excess liability
Small commercial umbrella
Specialty excess liability
Excess casualty
Excess and surplus casualty
Commercial umbrella
Commercial excess liability
These details help insurers assess your business and price the coverage. Terms and available options vary by insurer.
A few questions about your business or home.
We compare carriers and read the forms line by line.
We pick the best policy and get you covered.
Additional limits above your general liability, auto, and employers liability.
A contract requires five million dollars of liability and your general liability policy carries one.
The layer that responds when a serious claim exceeds your primary limits.
The higher limits that leases, lenders, and clients often require.
It generally follows the terms of the underlying policies it sits above.
July 10, 2026
Umbrella vs excess liability compared. How each adds limits above your primary policies, what follow form means, when umbrellas drop down, and which fits.
Read guideIt adds a layer of liability limits above your general liability, commercial auto, and employers liability policies and responds when a claim exceeds those limits.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Both raise your limits. An umbrella can be slightly broader, while excess strictly follows the underlying form.
It depends on your assets, contracts, and risk. Limits commonly range from 1 million to 5 million dollars or more, layered above your primary policies.
Landlords, lenders, and clients often require higher combined limits than a primary policy provides, and an umbrella is the efficient way to reach them.
Not unless professional liability is specifically scheduled. An umbrella extends the policies beneath it, and E&O is usually separate.
Generally no. An umbrella follows the form of the policies beneath it. If general liability excludes it, the umbrella usually excludes it too. The fix is the right underlying coverage, not more limit on top of a gap.
It can sit over employers' liability, which is Part Two of a workers' compensation policy, but not over the statutory benefits themselves.
Not quite. Excess adds limit over one specific policy and nothing more. An umbrella sits over several underlying policies and can be slightly broader. Which one you want depends on what the contract demands.
Let us review your primary policies and contracts, then build an umbrella option around the exposure.
