General liability insurance costs $45 to $55 a month at the median in 2026
Insureon says the median policy its small business customers bought cost $45 a month, or about $538 a year. Progressive Commercial says its new customers in 2025 paid a median of $55 a month. Yearly premiums at Insureon run from about $250 to over $3,000.
What small businesses pay for general liability, by insurer and business type
| Insureon, all small businesses (median) | $45 a month, about $538 a year |
|---|---|
| Insureon, $2 million per claim limits | $46 a month |
| Insureon, home based businesses | $42 a month |
| Insureon, contractors | $83 a month, $990 a year |
| Insureon, coffee shop example | $47 a month |
| Insureon, IT consultant example | $32 a month |
| Progressive, new customers 2025 (median) | $55 a month |
| Progressive, new customers 2025 (average) | $79 a month |
Insureon also says 22 percent of its customers pay less than $30 a month and 41 percent pay $30 to $60. Sources: Insureon, general liability insurance cost (median of policies sold to Insureon customers, Mar 30, 2026); Insureon, small business insurance costs (median of policies bought by Insureon customers, Feb 6, 2026); Insureon, contractor business insurance costs (Aug 10, 2026); Insureon, business insurance costs for home based businesses (Jul 1, 2026); Progressive Commercial, general liability insurance cost (2025 new customers).
What changes your price
- Your work. Insureon says your industry has the biggest effect. A contractor's median is $83 a month, almost twice the all business median.
- Foot traffic. Businesses open to the public pay more, because more people can get hurt on site.
- Limits and deductible. Most Insureon buyers pick $1 million per claim and $2 million total.
- Revenue and staff. More sales and more workers mean more chances of a claim.
- Location. Insureon names population density, health care costs and property values.
Why two insurers give different numbers
Insureon is a broker. It sells policies from many insurance companies, and its median covers all of them. Progressive Commercial reports only its own new customers from 2025. Their buyers are not the same mix of businesses, so their medians differ by $10. Both are real prices paid, not estimates.
If you work from home or at a desk, the Insureon numbers suggest you will pay near or under $45. If you work on job sites, the contractor median of $83 is the better guide.
How to judge the quote in your hand
- Ask for the per claim and total limits in writing.
- Ask the deductible.
- Ask what work is excluded.
- Check the policy meets your lease or client contract.
Ways to pay less
- Bundle it with property coverage in a business owner's policy if you have a space or equipment. Insureon's median BOP is $83 a month.
- Describe your work exactly, so you are not put in a riskier class.
- Get quotes from more than one insurer.
How we got these numbers
Every number on this page comes from an insurer's own page, from what its customers really paid. We use the median when the insurer gives one. The median is the middle price: half of buyers paid less and half paid more. An average can be pulled up by a few very expensive policies, so we show it only as a second number. Where two insurers give a median, the range above runs from the lower one to the higher one. We do not add our own guesses, and this page has no calculator because no insurer publishes how each choice moves the price. All numbers were checked on September 26, 2026.
Common questions
How much is general liability insurance a month?
The median is $45 a month at Insureon and $55 a month at Progressive Commercial.
How much is general liability insurance for a contractor?
Insureon says contractors pay a median of $83 a month, or $990 a year.
How much is a $1 million liability policy?
Insureon's median for $1 million per claim and $2 million total is $45 a month.
Is the average or the median my price?
The median is closer to what most buyers pay. Progressive's average is $79 because a few costly policies pull it up.