Your general liability, commercial auto, and employer's liability policies each have a limit. A single serious claim — a catastrophic auto accident in a company vehicle, a customer badly injured on your premises — can exceed that limit and expose everything the business owns. Commercial umbrella insurance sits above those underlying policies and adds an extra layer, typically $1 million to $10 million, that kicks in when a primary limit is exhausted. Maru helps Washington and Florida businesses add this catastrophic-loss protection efficiently.
How a commercial umbrella works
| Underlying policy | Example primary limit | With a $2M umbrella |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | $1,000,000 | Up to $3,000,000 total |
| Commercial auto liability | $1,000,000 | Up to $3,000,000 total |
| Employer's liability | $500,000 | Up to $2,500,000 total |
The umbrella extends the liability limits of the policies it sits over. Carriers require you to maintain minimum underlying limits — we'll set those correctly so the umbrella responds when you need it.
Who should carry one
Any business with meaningful assets, a physical location customers visit, vehicles on the road, or employees is a candidate. It's frequently required too — commercial leases, municipal contracts, and larger clients often demand $2M–$5M in total liability before they'll sign. Rather than buying up every primary policy, an umbrella is the cost-effective way to hit those contractual limits across all of them at once.
Washington and Florida considerations
Florida's litigation climate and severe-accident exposure make higher total limits especially prudent, and many Florida contracts specify them outright. In Washington, contractors, trades, and businesses with company vehicles are common umbrella candidates. We coordinate your underlying general liability, auto, and employer's liability so the umbrella locks neatly on top — and issue certificates showing the full limit whenever a client or landlord requires proof.
Frequently asked questions
How is a commercial umbrella different from general liability?
Why is umbrella coverage so inexpensive?
Is a commercial umbrella required?
What underlying limits do I need to qualify?
Licensed independent insurance agent · WA & FL
Written and reviewed by a licensed Maru advisor. Maru Insurance is an independent agency (License #22261820) representing multiple A-rated carriers across Washington and Florida.
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