General liability
The foundation policy for any business with a premises, customers, contracts or a certificate request: third-party bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury.
General liability- Home
- Business insurance
- Business owner's policy
Business owner's policy
Business owner's policy (BOP)
General liability, commercial property and business income in one package, built for small and mid-size businesses with a premises and low-hazard operations.
Who needs it
Who this is for
The right starting point for most small businesses, and the quickest way to satisfy a lease.
- Professional offices: consultants, agencies, accountants, designers
- Studios, galleries and small production offices
- Retail shops and showrooms
- Restaurants and food service, on eligible forms
- Small contractors and service businesses that qualify
What it covers
Coverage parts, and what to watch on each
Summaries only. The policy wording governs, and every carrier's form is different.
| Coverage | What it does | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | Third-party bodily injury, property damage and personal and advertising injury. | Same exclusions as a standalone policy: no professional errors, autos, employees or cyber. |
| Commercial property | Building, if you own it, and business personal property at replacement cost. | Property that leaves the premises needs inland marine. |
| Business income and extra expense | Lost income and added expense while covered damage is repaired, often for up to 12 months without a dollar limit. | Only after covered physical loss. Check the waiting period. |
| Equipment breakdown | Often included or available for servers, HVAC and other systems. | Confirm it is on the policy, not just available. |
| Optional endorsements | Hired and non-owned auto, cyber, employee dishonesty, professional liability for some classes. | Endorsements have sublimits. For a real exposure, a standalone policy is usually stronger. |
| Eligibility | Carriers set rules by industry, size and revenue. | Higher-hazard operations go to a commercial package policy instead. |
The hard part
What it does not cover
- Professional liability, except as a limited endorsement
- Vehicles titled to the business
- Workers' compensation
- Flood and earthquake
- Significant cyber exposure beyond a sublimit
A BOP is efficient when your business fits the box. When it does not, a commercial package policy gives the same coverages with more room.
How to get it
From first call to bound coverage
- 01Check eligibilityIndustry, size and location decide whether a BOP fits.
- 02Value the contentsReplacement cost for everything in the premises.
- 03Add what is missingHired and non-owned auto, cyber and professional liability as needed.
- 04Quote online or callThe business quote link handles most BOP classes in minutes.
Questions
Common questions
Does a BOP cost less than buying the policies separately?
Usually, for businesses that qualify. The package is priced as a unit and carriers compete on it. The saving should never be the reason to accept a lower property limit.
What is not in a BOP?
Vehicles, employees' injuries, professional errors and most cyber exposure. Each has its own policy or endorsement.
Can I get a BOP for a production company?
Sometimes, for the office and contents. Production exposures such as equipment, third-party property and on-set liability are better on a production package. We often pair the two.
How quickly can I get a certificate for my lease?
A BOP on a clean submission can often bind the same or next business day, and the certificate follows immediately.
Does it include business interruption?
Most BOPs include business income and extra expense, which is what business interruption usually means. Confirm the period and any waiting period.
Related
Often placed alongside
Commercial property
Coverage for the building you own or the space you lease, and the equipment, furniture, inventory and improvements inside it.
Commercial propertyCyber insurance
Breach response, business interruption, extortion and third-party liability for businesses that hold client data, run on cloud systems or get paid online.
Cyber insuranceStart with the quote form, or a call.
The online application takes a few minutes for standard business lines. For production, media and professional liability, call or email and we will tell you what we need.