General liability (GL) insurance is the foundation of nearly every business insurance program. It protects your company when a third party — a customer, vendor, or member of the public — claims your business caused them bodily injury or property damage, or when your advertising harms a competitor. A single slip-and-fall or a damaged client property can generate a claim large enough to threaten a small business's survival. In Washington and Florida, GL isn't legally mandated by the state, but it's routinely required by commercial leases, client contracts, and professional licensing boards — which means in practice, most businesses can't operate without it.
What general liability covers
| Covered claim | Example | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party bodily injury | A customer slips on your wet floor and is injured | Medical costs & legal defense |
| Third-party property damage | Your employee damages a client's property on a job | Repair/replacement & defense |
| Products & completed operations | A product or finished job causes harm later | Post-sale liability |
| Personal & advertising injury | Libel, slander, or copyright in your marketing | Defense & damages |
| Medical payments | Minor injuries, paid without a lawsuit | Goodwill, no-fault |
What GL does not cover is just as important: it excludes injuries to your own employees (that's workers' compensation), damage to your own property (commercial property), professional mistakes (professional liability/E&O), and auto accidents (commercial auto). A complete program layers these together — often starting with a Business Owners Policy.
What general liability costs
GL is priced on your industry risk, revenue, payroll, location, and coverage limits. Low-risk professional and office businesses pay the least; contractors and businesses with heavy public foot traffic pay more.
Illustrative annual GL premium by business type
Choosing your limits
The most common GL limit is $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, which many contracts and leases specify by name. Higher-risk operations or larger contracts may require more, which is efficiently added through a commercial umbrella. We match your limits to your actual contractual obligations so you're neither underinsured nor paying for coverage a client will never ask about.
Certificates of insurance
Clients, landlords, and general contractors will ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) as proof you're covered — often before you can start work or sign a lease. Maru issues COIs quickly, frequently the same day, and can add additional insureds as your contracts require. For many of our WA and FL business clients, fast, reliable certificates are the difference between winning and losing a job.
Why buy general liability through Maru
We match your GL to the specific requirements in your contracts and leases, bundle it with property into a cost-effective Business Owners Policy where eligible, and layer on workers' comp, commercial auto, and professional liability to close every gap. And when a client needs a certificate today, we turn it around fast.
Frequently asked questions
Is general liability insurance required in Washington or Florida?
How much does general liability insurance cost?
What's the difference between general liability and professional liability?
Can I get a certificate of insurance quickly?
What's a Business Owners Policy and should I get one instead?
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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