Commercial Umbrella & Excess Liability
Additional limits above your general liability, auto, and employer's liability policies.
Who Needs It
- Contractors whose project owners require $5M–$10M
- Businesses with fleets, public foot traffic, or large contracts
- Anyone whose assets exceed their primary limits
What It Covers
- Excess limits over scheduled underlying policies
- Drop-down coverage where the umbrella is broader than underlying (true umbrella forms)
- Defense costs above underlying exhaustion
What It Does Not Cover
- Anything not covered by an underlying policy on a follow-form excess
- Professional liability, pollution, and cyber unless specifically included
- Auto if the underlying auto limit is below the required attachment
Texas Notes
Houston industrial and petrochemical-adjacent contracts routinely require $5M–$10M; Texas juries make the umbrella the policy that actually pays in a serious auto loss.
Florida Notes
Florida's verdict environment makes $2M–$5M umbrellas common even for small businesses with vehicles.
Commercial Umbrella & Excess Liability Questions We Hear Most
Umbrella or excess?
A true umbrella can drop down and cover some things underlying policies don't. A follow-form excess mirrors the underlying exactly. Contracts usually accept either; coverage differs.
What underlying limits are required?
Typically $1M/$2M GL, $1M auto CSL, $500K/$500K/$500K employer's liability. Lower underlying limits leave a gap the umbrella will not fill.
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