General Liability Insurance in Texas for Contractors & Businesses

General liability insurance for Texas businesses — the foundational policy required by most commercial leases, vendor agreements, and client contracts.

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Benefits

What general liability includes.

Bodily injury defense and settlement
Third-party property damage
Personal and advertising injury
Products and completed operations
Same-day certificates of insurance
Additional insured endorsements

What general liability actually pays for

General liability responds when a third party — a customer, a vendor, a passerby — is injured or has property damaged in connection with your business. It covers the medical bills, the legal defense, and any settlement or judgment up to your limit. It also covers products and completed operations, meaning claims arising after a job is finished, and personal and advertising injury such as libel, slander, or copyright infringement in your marketing. It does not cover injuries to your own employees; that is workers compensation.

Why Texas contracts demand it

In practice, general liability is less about risk tolerance and more about eligibility. Commercial landlords require it before handing over keys. General contractors will not let a sub on site without it. Corporate clients, municipalities, and most vendor portals require a certificate naming them as additional insured, frequently at $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate. Losing a contract because the certificate was not ready is a far more common outcome than a catastrophic claim, and we issue certificates same day.

Limits, aggregates, and umbrellas

The standard structure is $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 general aggregate — the most the policy will pay across the whole policy year. Businesses working with larger clients are often asked for $5M or more, which is built by adding a commercial umbrella over the general liability, commercial auto, and employer's liability policies. An umbrella is usually far cheaper per dollar of coverage than raising the primary limit.

Pricing

What drives your premium in Texas.

Industry class code and hazard grade
Annual revenue and payroll
Subcontractor usage and their coverage
Prior claims and loss runs
Required limits and additional insured counts
Location and square footage

Frequently Asked

General Liability questions, answered.

Is general liability insurance required in Texas?

Not by state law, but effectively yes in practice. Most landlords, general contractors, vendors, and corporate clients require proof of general liability before signing, commonly at $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate.

How fast can I get a certificate of insurance?

Same day in most cases. Once your policy is bound, we issue certificates and additional insured endorsements directly, usually within a few hours of your request.

Does general liability cover my employees' injuries?

No. Employee injuries fall under workers compensation and employer's liability. General liability responds only to third parties such as customers, vendors, and members of the public.

What is the difference between per occurrence and aggregate limits?

Per occurrence is the maximum paid for any single claim. The aggregate is the maximum the policy will pay across the entire policy year. A $1M/$2M policy pays up to $1M per claim and $2M total for the year.

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