Insurance for offices and professional firms
Most firms start with professional liability and cyber, because the costly claims come from mistakes and breaches, not slips. General liability and property cover the office itself.
- Usually starts with
- Professional liability and cyber
- Often asked for by
- Corporate clients and landlords
About five minutes. Your certificate is ready the day you buy.
What goes wrong in an office
What happens most often to firms, and the policy that answers each one.
- Professional liability
01
A missed filing deadline
An extension isn’t filed on time, and your client owes penalties and interest. Professional liability can help pay for your defense and covered damages when a client says your mistake cost them money.
- Professional liability
02
Advice that doesn’t pan out
A client says your forecast or recommendation led them into a costly decision. Even when your work was sound, defending it costs money, and professional liability typically covers defense costs for covered claims.
- Cyber
03
A fake invoice from a real vendor
Someone gets into your email, waits for a payment to come due and sends your client new bank details. Cyber insurance can help with the breach response, and some policies cover the lost funds, often up to a smaller sublimit.
- Cyber
04
Ransomware on the shared drive
Client files are encrypted and a demand appears on every screen. Cyber insurance can help pay to recover your systems, notify clients and cover legal costs, subject to the policy’s terms.
- General liability
05
A visitor trips on a cable
A client catches a power cord on the way into the conference room and breaks a wrist. General liability typically covers their medical bills and your defense if they sue.
- Property
06
Laptops stolen overnight
Someone gets into the office and takes laptops and monitors. Property insurance can help replace the hardware. The client data on it is a cyber question.
The coverage firms carry
In the order most owners buy it. Quote them together and see every limit before you pay.
Numbers on the photo match the policies beside it.
- Most carry it01 Professional liability
Clients pay for your judgment. When one says it cost them money, this helps pay for your defense and covered damages.
$1M per claim - Most carry it02 Cyber
You hold client files, tax records or logins, and you send invoices by email. It helps after a breach, ransomware or a hacked inbox.
Up to $250K - Most carry it03 General liability
For injuries and damage at your office or a client’s. Office landlords usually require it.
$1M / $2M - Most carry it04 Property
Laptops, monitors, furniture and anything you built out in the space.
What you own - Once you hire05 Workers’ comp
Office work counts too. Most states require it once you have employees, and rules vary by state.
Set by state
Who will ask for proof
Your certificate is ready the day you buy, so you can send it as soon as someone asks.
Corporate clients
Vendor onboarding often asks for professional liability and cyber limits, plus general liability with the client named as an additional insured.
Office landlords and coworking spaces
Usually general liability at $1M per claim and $2M a year, with the landlord named as an additional insured.
Agencies and prime contractors
When you subcontract to a larger firm, it usually passes its own client’s insurance requirements down to you, often word for word.
Public-sector clients
Government contracts often list the policies and limits they require in the solicitation. Check them before you bid.
What moves your price
There’s no price on this page. Your quote is the real number, in about five minutes.
How much does business insurance cost?- 01Your profession and the services you offer
- 02Your revenue
- 03The size of your clients and contracts
- 04How much client data you hold
- 05Security like multi-factor sign-in and backups
- 06Your claims history
Keep claims small
Habits that make a claim less likely, and easier to settle when one happens.
Use engagement letters
Put the scope, deliverables and deadlines in writing for every client. Many professional claims start as an argument over what was promised.
Call before you pay a changed invoice
Confirm new bank details by phone, using a number you already have on file. An email alone isn’t enough.
Turn on multi-factor sign-in
Use it for email, file storage and accounting software. Insurers often ask about it on cyber applications.
Keep your retroactive date
When you renew or switch insurers, keep the same retroactive date so claims about past work stay covered.
Every kind of firm
Choose yours and the quote starts with it filled in.
Guides for firm owners
Longer answers to the questions below.
Do consultants need professional liability insurance?8 min readGeneral liability vs. professional liability9 min readEmail scams and wire fraud: what small businesses should know10 min readHow to read insurance requirements in a client contract10 min readErrors and omissions insurance for real estate agents8 min readPhotographer insurance: gear, venues and unhappy clients8 min readWhat decides the cost of professional liability insurance9 min read
Business insurance for sole proprietors8 min readQuestions from
firm owners
What insurance does a consulting or accounting firm need?
Most firms start with professional liability, since a mistake in your work is the claim most likely to cost real money. Cyber comes next if you hold client data or move money by email. General liability and property cover the office, and workers’ comp comes in once you hire.
I work from home. Do I still need general liability?
Often, yes. Homeowners policies may limit or exclude business liability, and many clients and coworking spaces ask for a certificate wherever you work. Check your homeowners policy and your contracts.
Does professional liability help if I did nothing wrong?
Usually, yes. It typically covers defense costs for covered claims, even ones that turn out to be groundless, and defense is often much of what a claim costs. Check whether defense costs count against your limit.
Why is professional liability claims-made?
Mistakes in professional work often surface months or years later. A claims-made policy covers claims made while it’s active, for work done after its retroactive date. Keep the same retroactive date when you renew so past work stays covered.
Does cyber insurance cover a payment sent to a scammer?
Sometimes. Money lost to email or invoice fraud is often covered only under a specific coverage, up to a sublimit, and some policies exclude it. Check your quote for social engineering or funds transfer coverage.
What limits will my clients ask for?
Each contract sets its own, usually in the insurance section of a master services agreement. Compare it with your declarations page before you sign. With Corgi, you can raise your limits the same day if a client needs more.
Get your firm covered before the next contract.
Quote Professional liability, cyber, general liability, property and workers’ comp together, and see every limit before you buy.