How much is general liability insurance?
General liability insurance costs $45 to $123 a month in 2026. What changes your price is below.
Insureon, which sells policies to more than 40,000 small businesses, puts the median at $45 a month, or $538 a year, for a $1 million per claim and $2 million total policy. MoneyGeek's 2026 report puts the average for businesses with 1 to 4 workers at $123 a month, or $1,474 a year. The median is what a typical buyer pays. The average is pulled up by risky trades.
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Is this price fair?
A fair price is $45.
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Middle of the range: $45
What you are paying for
How we calculate this
Prices are for the United States in 2026 from published cost guides, checked September 2026. This is an estimate, not a quote.
How much does general liability insurance cost by business type?
| Median, all small businesses | $45 a month, $538 a year (Insureon). |
|---|---|
| Average, 1 to 4 workers | $123 a month, $1,474 a year (MoneyGeek 2026). |
| Low risk office work, like bookkeeping | About $22 to $35 a month (BusinessInsuranceCost.com). |
| High risk contractors | About $150 to $400 a month. |
| Business owner's policy (liability plus property) | $83 a month, $990 a year (Insureon). |
| Midwest vs Northeast average | $109 vs $144 a month (MoneyGeek). |
What pushes a quote up
| Industry | Roofers and landscapers pay far more than bookkeepers. |
|---|---|
| Revenue | Many insurers price per $1,000 of sales. |
| Limits | $2 million per claim costs more than $1 million. |
| Claims history | Past claims raise the price. |
| State | The Northeast costs the most. |
General liability insurance cost by region
| Lower cost states | $35 to $100. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and most rural areas. |
|---|---|
| Average cost states | $45 to $123. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and most mid size cities. |
| Higher cost states | $60 to $160. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington, plus big metros such as Chicago, Denver and Washington DC. |
These rows are our estimate. We took the typical national range and adjusted it for local labor costs, which run about 20 percent lower in the cheapest states and about 30 percent higher in the dearest ones. Northeast states cost the most and the Midwest the least.
Median or average: which number is yours?
Two numbers show up everywhere, and both are real. Insureon's $45 a month is a median, the middle of what its customers actually pay. MoneyGeek's $123 a month is an average for businesses with 1 to 4 workers, and a few high risk trades pull that average up.
If you work at a desk, you will likely pay near the median or below. If you work on job sites, with ladders or heavy tools, expect to pay above the average.
How insurers set the price
BusinessInsuranceCost.com explains that most insurers price general liability per $1,000 of revenue, times a rate for your type of work. That is why a landscaper can pay many times what a bookkeeper pays at the same revenue.
How to judge the quote in your hand
- Ask for the per claim and total limits.
- Ask the deductible.
- Ask what work is excluded.
- Ask if it meets your lease or client contract.
- Ask if you can pay monthly without a fee.
Ways to pay less
- Bundle it into a business owner's policy if you have property.
- Pick a higher deductible you can afford.
- Get 3 quotes.
- Describe your work exactly so you are not put in a riskier class.
- Keep a clean claims record.
Before you decide
A worked example
Say a small cleaning company pays $60 a month. That is $720 a year. If one customer trips over a cord and sues, the policy pays the legal defense and any settlement up to the limit, minus the deductible. Without it, one claim could cost far more than years of premiums.
What it does not cover
General liability does not cover your own injured workers, your work vehicles or mistakes in professional advice. Those need workers comp, commercial auto and errors and omissions insurance.
See our errors and omissions insurance cost page.
This page is price information, not insurance or legal advice. Rules on required coverage differ by state and by contract.
About $45 at the median and $123 on average for small businesses. A $1 million per claim, $2 million total policy is the common one priced here. Often $150 to $400 a month. Liability plus property coverage in one, about $83 a month at the median. Related jobs people check next, with the usual 2026 price.Common questions
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