Do I Need General Liability Insurance?

Most businesses need general liability insurance, but deciding when to get it depends on factors like your risk exposure, contract requirements and cash flow.

Our guide helps you figure out if general liability insurance makes sense for your situation.

Written by Angelique Palenzuela-Cruz

Updated: January 19, 2026

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You need general liability insurance when someone outside your business gets injured or their property gets damaged, and they decide to file a claim against you. This includes situations where you interact with customers in your space, work on client sites or handle property you don't own. The need becomes urgent when contracts or leases require proof of coverage before you can start work, and when paying legal defense costs out of pocket would strain your finances. Whether you need coverage now or can wait depends on your current operating conditions, upcoming business activities and financial ability to absorb claim costs.

Use this guide to assess whether your situation requires general liability coverage now or later.

Choose your next step:

TLDR Do You Need GL Answers (Fastest)
When businesses need general liability insurance (to see if your situation fits)
Whether general liability is required by law (to see if it's a legal requirement)
What businesses need coverage (to see if you business needs GL)
What businesses can wait
What happens when you don't have coverage
How to decide if coverage makes sense for your business
Comparing general liability to other coverage types
What to think about moving forward
What you should do next

When Do Businesses Need General Liability Insurance?

You need general liability insurance when your operations put you around customers, onto client property or into situations where you could damage someone else's belongings. You’ll likely need general liability insurance if two or more of these situations apply to your business:

You interact with the public in your space: Customers, clients or visitors entering your location create slip-and-fall or injury claim risk.
You work on client sites or in client homes: Accidents or damage can happen when you bring services to someone else's property.
You rent an office, storefront or use shared space: Landlords and co-working facilities can hold you responsible for damage claims.
A client, landlord or venue asks for proof of insurance: Many contracts require coverage before you can start work or sign a lease.
You bring tools or equipment onto someone else's property: Dropped tools, equipment malfunctions or accidental damage create liability exposure.
You hire subcontractors or have a small crew on-site: Your business can face claims for damage or injuries caused by people working under your direction.
You host events, attend markets or run pop-up operations: Temporary setups in public spaces create property damage and injury risks.
You handle or store client property: Items in your care can get damaged, lost or stolen during normal business operations.
If two or more situations match your business, you need general liability insurance as part of your baseline coverage.

Is General Liability Insurance Required By Law?

Legal requirements for general liability insurance come from three sources: state licensing laws, contractual obligations and facility permits. Each requirement type applies to different business situations:

What Businesses Typically Need General Liability Insurance?

You need general liability insurance if your business interacts with customers in your space or works on someone else's property. These business models face higher third-party claim exposure because accidents (customers slipping, equipment damaging property and visitors getting hurt near work areas) are more likely to happen during operations.

The table below shows common business models that typically need coverage. Your actual need depends on your specific operating conditions and contracts, regardless of whether your business appears here.


Customer-facing locations (retail, food service, salons, studios)	Customers enter your space throughout the day	High foot traffic, slippery or cluttered conditions	A customer slips on a wet floor in your café and claims medical costs, or someone trips over merchandise in your store
On-site services at client locations (cleaning, handyman, installers, technicians)	You work in homes or businesses where you can damage client property	Entering client homes, handling client belongings, working near valuable property	You damage a client's flooring while moving furniture, or you break electronics while installing equipment
Job-site and project work (contractors, trades, remodelers, builders)	Construction and renovation sites have injury and property damage exposure	Active work sites with public access, heavy equipment, structural work affecting neighboring properties	A visitor gets hurt near your work area, or your crew damages adjacent property during demolition
Mobile and pop-up operations (event vendors, food trucks, market sellers)	Temporary setups in public spaces you can't fully control	Frequent setup/teardown, unfamiliar venues, sharing space with other vendors	Your booth setup falls during an event and damages venue property, or equipment malfunctions and injures an attendee
Operations with higher third-party contact (delivery teams, small crews, moving services)	Your team enters client properties often	Employees entering homes or businesses, handling client property, working in tight spaces	A delivery worker breaks a client's window while unloading furniture, or moving crew members damage walls during a residential move

What Businesses Typically Don't Need General Liability Insurance?

Few businesses operate without any third-party claim risk. If your business meets these conditions, you may not need general liability insurance for now, but coverage can still protect you from unexpected costs.

You're fully remote and don't host clients or visitors in your space (software developers, writers, virtual assistants)
You don't work on client sites or enter client homes (online consultants, digital marketers, e-commerce sellers)
You don't lease commercial space or participate in events (home-based businesses, freelance translators, bloggers)
You don't handle, store or work near client property or equipment (web designers, content creators, affiliate marketers)
No client contract requires proof of insurance (solopreneurs with informal arrangements, hobbyists turning professional)

If you expect any of these to change in the next three to six months, get quotes now so you're not scrambling when coverage becomes required. Even one change can trigger the need for coverage: a client asking for proof of insurance or signing a lease means you'll need general liability insurance no matter how many other conditions still apply.

What Happens When You Don't Have General Liability Insurance?

Without general liability insurance, you pay legal defense costs and claim settlements out of pocket. Even dismissed claims require legal representation, and a single incident can create unexpected expenses that strain your cash flow or force you to tap personal savings. Use the costs in the table below to determine if your business can absorb claim expenses or if it's better to have coverage now.


Slip and fall injury	$20,000–$50,000	Customer slips on wet floor in your store and breaks their arm, requiring medical treatment and lost wages	Retail stores, restaurants, salons, offices with customer foot traffic
Property damage at client site	$5,000–$30,000	Your employee accidentally breaks a client's window, damages flooring while moving equipment, or knocks over expensive equipment during a service call	Cleaning services, handymen, contractors, movers, delivery services, installers
Advertising injury (copyright, libel, slander)	$10,000–$100,000	Your marketing uses an image without permission, or a competitor sues claiming your ad damaged their reputation	Marketing agencies, content creators, media companies, any business running ad campaigns
Product liability	$50,000–$500,000+	A product you sold or manufactured injures a customer or damages their property after purchase	Manufacturers, retailers, food service businesses, anyone selling physical products
Completed operations failure	$25,000–$200,000	Work you finished months ago fails and causes injury or property damage (deck collapses, faulty installation causes water damage)	Contractors, builders, installers, HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers

How To Decide If General Liability Insurance Makes Sense For Your Business?

Whether you need general liability insurance depends on two factors: how likely your business is to face claims and whether you can afford to pay them out of pocket. A business with frequent customer contact but strong cash reserves has different needs than one with minimal exposure but tight finances. Work through each step to see if having coverage makes sense for your business:

1
Identify Your Risk Exposure
Start by counting your risk touchpoints. Review these five situations and track how many apply to your business:
- Customers or clients visit your physical location
- You or your employees work on client sites or in client homes
- You handle, store or transport client property
- You lease commercial space or participate in public events
- You use subcontractors or have employees working under your direction
Then, classify your exposure level based on your count. If one or no situation applies, you have low exposure. If two to three apply, exposure becomes moderate. If four to five apply, you have high exposure.
2
Assess Your Financial Capacity
Determine if you can absorb unexpected claim costs. Calculate your available buffer by adding up your cash reserves (savings not earmarked for operations), available credit (credit lines and business credit cards) and any emergency fund separate from operating capital.

Compare this amount to typical claim costs:
- Can you cover $5,000 to $10,000 without disrupting operations?
- Could you handle $15,000 to $30,000 if needed?
- What would happen to your business if you had to pay $40,000 to $50,000?
From this, peg your financial capacity as limited (can't cover $15,000 without significant strain), moderate (can cover $15,000 to $30,000 but it would be difficult) or strong (can cover $40,000 to $50,000 without disrupting operations). Keep in mind that severe claims involving product liability or completed operations failures can exceed $100,000.
3
Determine Your Urgency Level
Use your risk exposure and financial capacity to identify when you need coverage.

High urgency (buy coverage now): One claim could significantly disrupt your business operations and strain your cash flow. You fall in this category when:
- You have high exposure (four or five touchpoints) with limited or moderate financial capacity OR
- You have moderate exposure (two or three touchpoints) with limited financial capacity
Medium urgency (get quotes, decide within three to six months): You can likely absorb one claim, but multiple claims or a severe incident would create financial stress. You fall in this category when:
- You have high exposure (four or five touchpoints) with strong financial capacity OR
- You have moderate exposure (two or three touchpoints) with moderate financial capacity
Low urgency (coverage can wait): Your claim risk is minimal based on your current operations. You fall in this category when:
- You have low exposure (no or one touchpoint) with any financial capacity OR
- You have moderate exposure (to to three touchpoints) with strong financial capacity
Remember that contract requirements override this framework, so if a client, landlord or licensing board requires proof of insurance, you’ll need coverage immediately.

Do I Need General Liability Insurance for My Business: Bottom Line

Deciding to get general liability insurance is more about timing than a simple yes-or-no. Most businesses will eventually need it as they grow, sign contracts or increase customer interaction. The real question is whether your current situation makes coverage urgent now, advisable within months or something you can wait on while watching your business conditions.

If you need coverage now or soon, learn what coverage limits contracts require and what policies fit your budget. If coverage can wait, understand your state and industry requirements so you're ready when conditions change.

Do I Need General Liability Insurance: TLDR FAQ

Find quick answers to questions on whether you need general liability insurance:

When do businesses need general liability insurance?

You may need it when your operations put you around customers, onto client property or into situations where you could damage someone else's belongings. Coverage becomes more likely if two or more of these apply: customer visits to your location, working on client sites, leasing commercial space, handling client property, or using subcontractors.

Is general liability insurance legally required?

Not for most businesses, but it becomes mandatory through three sources: state licensing laws (contractors, certain professionals), contractual obligations (leases, client contracts requiring proof of insurance) and facility permits (childcare centers, elder care facilities).

What types of businesses typically need coverage?

Customer-facing locations (retail, restaurants, salons), on-site service providers (cleaners, handymen, installers), contractors and builders, mobile operations (food trucks, event vendors) and businesses with delivery or moving teams are common examples. Generally, any business that interacts with customers in their space or works on client property needs coverage.

What could happen if you don't have coverage?

You'll pay legal defense costs and settlements out of pocket. Common claims usually cost $5,000 to $50,000 for property damage and slip-and-falls, $50,000 to $500,000+ for product liability, and $25,000 to $200,000 for completed work failures.

How do I decide if I need it now or can wait?

Evaluate how often your business could face claims (based on customer interaction, client site work and property handling) and whether you can absorb $15,000 to $50,000 in unexpected costs without disrupting operations. If you foresee frequent claim opportunities and have limited cash reserves, you need coverage now. Businesses with fewer touchpoints or strong financial buffers have more flexibility in their timeline.

General Liability Insurance Needs: Next Steps

Whether you need general liability insurance now or later, start with these resources to understand requirements, coverage options and costs:

What Is General Liability Insurance?: Review what GL covers, common exclusions and how claims work
General Liability Insurance Requirements: Find out when GL is legally required and what contract limits you might need to meet
How Much General Liability Insurance Do I Need?: Understand how GL limits work and determine appropriate amounts based on your business size, contracts and industry risks

If you want to explore costs and carrier options

General Liability Insurance Cost: See average premiums by industry and business size to set realistic budget expectations
Cheap General Liability Insurance: Find affordable coverage options without sacrificing essential protection
Best General Liability Insurance for Small Business: Compare top-rated providers based on pricing, customer service and coverage options

If you want an in-depth comparison between general liability and other coverage types

General Liability vs. Professional Liability: Understand the difference between third-party injury claims and professional mistakes coverage
General Liability vs. BOP Insurance: See when bundling liability with property coverage makes financial sense

About Angelique Palenzuela-Cruz

Angelique Palenzuela-Cruz is a Content Writer at MoneyGeek specializing in business insurance, with a primary focus on three core coverage types: general liability, workers’ compensation and professional liability insurance. She creates in-depth content that helps small business owners understand policy terms, coverage options and state-by-state considerations so they can make informed insurance decisions.

With five years of experience in personal finance journalism, Angelique has covered a wide range of insurance and lending topics, including mortgages, HELOCs, home equity loans, and personal insurance products such as auto, homeowners, health and pet insurance. Her research-driven approach is informed by her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, which shapes how she presents complex financial information in clear, accessible language for everyday readers making coverage decisions.

At MoneyGeek, she is committed to ensuring her content meets rigorous accuracy and quality standards, with every article developed under editorial review to help business owners better understand their coverage options.

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