Excess Liability Insurance
When a single claim exceeds your primary policy limits, excess liability is what steps in. It stacks above your underlying coverage and keeps a large loss from becoming a catastrophic one.
Your underlying limits only go so far. Excess liability is what sits above them.
Excess liability coverage sits directly above one or more underlying policies — adding limits without changing the terms or conditions of what's below. If a claim exhausts your primary policy, excess kicks in to cover the rest.
It's often confused with umbrella insurance, but there's a key difference: a true umbrella can broaden coverage and drop down to cover gaps, while excess liability simply stacks limits above a specific underlying policy. Both have their place in a well-structured program.
Excess liability is commonly required by contracts, landlords, and project owners who need to see limits higher than a standard CGL or commercial auto policy can provide. It's also the right tool for high-limit towers on large or complex commercial risks.
What this coverage does for you
- Stacks additional limits above your primary CGL, auto, or employers liability
- Often required by contract — especially on large construction or service agreements
- Follows the form of the underlying policy — same terms and conditions
- Typically more affordable per limit dollar than increasing primary coverage
- Can be layered — multiple excess policies stacked for very high total limits
- Available for general liability, commercial auto, and employers liability
What excess liability covers.
Excess liability mirrors the underlying policy it sits above — when that policy is exhausted, excess takes over.
Excess Over CGL
The most common structure — additional limits above your Commercial General Liability policy. Activated when a bodily injury, property damage, or personal injury claim exhausts your primary CGL limits.
Excess Over Commercial Auto
Additional limits above your commercial auto liability policy. Important for fleet operations, transportation companies, and businesses with significant auto exposure.
Excess Over Employers Liability
Sits above the employers liability portion of your workers' compensation policy. Relevant for businesses in high-hazard industries or those with significant payroll exposure.
High-Limit Towers
For accounts requiring very high total limits, multiple excess policies can be layered — each one sitting above the last. We build towers across multiple carriers to achieve the limits your contracts require.
Contract Requirement Compliance
Many project owners, general contractors, and commercial landlords require minimum total liability limits that exceed standard primary policy maximums. Excess liability closes that gap efficiently.
Defense Cost Coverage
Depending on the policy form, excess coverage may include defense costs in addition to or within the limits. We review policy language carefully to make sure your program is structured correctly.
Common questions.
An umbrella policy can both add limits above underlying coverage and drop down to cover gaps — it often broadens coverage in ways the underlying policy doesn't. Excess liability simply adds limits above a specific underlying policy with the same terms. Umbrella is generally more flexible; excess is cleaner and often less expensive for accounts that just need more limits.
It depends on your contracts, industry, and risk profile. Review your largest contracts — most will specify minimum total liability limits. For construction, those often run $5M–$10M or higher. For professional services, $2M–$5M is common. We'll help you identify the right limit based on your actual exposures.
Yes. Excess liability and umbrella are separate products. Some programs use a true umbrella, some use pure excess, and some stack both. We'll recommend the right structure based on your underlying policies, contract requirements, and budget.
Generally yes — excess follows the form of the underlying policy, meaning it covers the same things and has the same exclusions. It simply activates when the primary limits are exhausted. Unlike umbrella, it typically doesn't fill gaps or add new coverages.
Excess liability is generally more affordable per limit dollar than primary coverage, because the probability of claims reaching excess layers is lower. Pricing depends on the underlying policy type, your industry, total limits needed, and claims history.
Need more limits above your current program?
Tell us about your underlying policies and contract requirements — we'll structure the right excess program across the carriers best suited for your risk.