Commercial general liability covers a business against third party claims for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury arising from its operations, premises and completed work. It is the base liability policy most commercial contracts require, and the one most additional insured endorsements attach to.
Updated September 2026.
Why brokers care
Because CGL is the default requirement, it is also the policy most often assumed rather than read. The limits on the certificate say little about the exclusions and endorsements that shape what actually responds, and classification matters: a policy rated for one operation may exclude another the client has since started performing. That mismatch is invisible on the certificate.
What to check
- That the classification on the policy matches what the client actually does
- The full endorsement schedule, not just the declarations
- Whether required additional insured and waiver endorsements attach to this policy
- Whether products and completed operations is included and at what limit
- Any exclusion that removes the exposure the contract is concerned with
Common mistake
Accepting the policy without checking the classification. A CGL rated for one operation may exclude another the client has since started performing, and nothing on the certificate reveals it.
Read it alongside the certificate review checklist.