General Liability Insurance
General liability covers claims brought against your business by someone else — bodily injury to a third party, damage you cause to someone else's property, and personal and advertising injury. It's the coverage nearly every lease, contract, and license requirement is asking for when it asks for proof of insurance.
When It Comes Up
A customer trips in your shop. Your crew backs a ladder into a client's window. A finished job causes damage months later, which falls under products and completed operations.
What It Doesn't Do
It doesn't cover damage to your own work, injuries to your own employees (that's workers' compensation), vehicles (that's commercial auto), or claims arising from professional advice (that's professional liability).
The Part That Decides Whether You Get Paid
On contract work, the argument is rarely about the limit. It's about endorsements — additional insured for ongoing operations (CG 20 10) and for completed operations (CG 20 37), primary and non-contributory wording, and waiver of subrogation. Carrying one without the other leaves completed work uncovered.
Who Usually Needs It
Anyone with a lease, a contract, a license requirement, or customers who come to their location.
Questions People Ask
How much general liability do I need?
Your license may set a floor, and a contract can ask for more. In Texas, TDLR requires $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 products and completed operations aggregate for an electrical contractor license. For anything above that, read the contract's insurance exhibit.
Does general liability cover my employees getting hurt?
No. Employee injuries fall under workers' compensation. General liability responds to claims from third parties.