★ Commercial · Professional liability / E&O
When your work, not your premises, is the risk.
General liability covers slips and falls. Professional liability (E&O) covers the claim that your advice, design, or service cost a client money. If you sell expertise, this is the policy that protects it, and most B2B contracts require it before work starts.
Free quotes · No obligation · A licensed specialist answers, usually within one business day
★ What it covers
What it covers, in plain English.
Plain English, no fine-print games. Every policy has exclusions; here are the ones that actually matter for Professional Liability.
What it covers
- Negligence claimsA client says your mistake cost them money: a missed deadline, bad advice, a flawed design.
- Legal defenseEven frivolous suits need lawyers. Defense is the most-used part of most E&O policies.
- Settlements and judgmentsWhat you owe if the claim succeeds, up to your limits.
- Prior actsWith continuous claims-made coverage, work you did before this policy started can be covered back to your retroactive date.
- Subcontractor exposureClaims arising from work your subs performed under your contract, depending on the policy wording.
What it doesn’t cover
- Bodily injury and property damageThat is general liability's job. E&O covers financial loss from professional services.
- Intentional wrongdoing or fraudNo E&O policy covers deliberate misconduct.
- Fee disputes aloneA client refusing to pay is not a covered claim without an underlying negligence allegation.
- Employment claimsDiscrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination need EPLI.
- Known claims before the policy startedClaims-made policies exclude circumstances you already knew about.
All quotes are subject to carrier underwriting and final approval. Coverage availability, terms, and pricing vary by state and carrier. The lists above describe typical Professional Liability policies, not any specific carrier’s form.
Let coverage lapse and a claim filed during the gap has nowhere to go. Continuous coverage is the whole game with E&O.
★ Who needs it
If you sell expertise, this is your line.
The businesses that buy Professional Liability most, and the one-line reason each one does.
Consultants and advisors
Management, marketing, IT: your deliverable is advice, and advice gets second-guessed.
Agencies
Marketing, creative, and PR: missed launches and failed campaigns get expensive.
Real estate and financial professionals
E&O is practically mandatory here, and often required by the state.
Technology services
Developers, MSPs, SaaS consultants: one outage, one lawsuit.
Design professionals
Architects, engineers, designers: where errors carry big price tags.
★ What it costs
What sets your E&O premium.
Carriers price Professional Liability on exposure, not vibes. Here’s what moves your number, and what you can actually influence.
- Revenue and contract size: Bigger clients and bigger contracts mean bigger potential claims.
- Claims-made structure: Most E&O is claims-made. Your retroactive date and continuous coverage matter enormously.
- Limits and deductible: $1M/$1M is common for B2B; enterprise clients often demand $2M or more.
- Profession risk class: Financial advisors and engineers rate higher than graphic designers.
- Prior claims: One paid E&O claim can reshape your premium, or push you into surplus lines.
★ Straight answers
The E&O questions, answered straight.
The short version of what our licensed specialists explain on calls every week.
What is the difference between E&O and general liability?
What does 'claims-made' mean?
Why does my client require E&O before signing?
Does E&O cover breach of contract?
What limits should I carry?
I am a solo freelancer: do I really need this?
★ Often quoted together
Quoted alongside E&O.
Most businesses don’t buy one policy in isolation. These are the lines E&O buyers usually quote at the same time. One specialist quotes the whole package.
Cyber Liability
Pays breach response costs and covers liability when customer data is exposed.
Directors & Officers
Protects directors' and officers' personal assets from lawsuits over management decisions.
General Liability
The foundation policy: third-party injuries, property damage, and legal defense.
Get my quote
Get your Professional Liability quote. Two minutes.
Tell us about the business. A licensed specialist shops the carriers and comes back with real options.
- About 2 minutes, built for Professional Liability
- A licensed specialist follows up, usually within one business day
- No bait prices, no call centers, no selling your information
Free quotes. No obligation. Written through Patriot Independent Insurance Partners, licensed in TX, FL, GA, SC, AL, MS, NC, CA, and CO. Your information is never sold to lead brokers.