Preview any coverage

Make this coverage review specific to your business

An additional layer must be coordinated with the underlying policies.

Prepare these details

Underlying policies, limits, activities and contract requirements.

Ask before accepting a proposal

Where does the layer attach, and does its wording follow the underlying policy?

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Hypothetical situation

A liability allegation may exceed the underlying limit.

Ask which wording, conditions and notification requirements would apply. A scenario does not establish coverage or guarantee an outcome.

Home / Business Insurance / Knowledge base / Umbrella / Excess Liability
Liability

Umbrella / Excess Liability (Umbrella)

Adds limit above your CGL, auto and employers’ liability once the underlying limit is exhausted.

20%
What could a lower premium mean for you?Illustrative example: $2,400 → $1,920 per year is $480 less. Not an available offer. Try your own numbers →
Your next step starts hereNo obligation to buy

Choose your insurance type and continue to the contact options. This step does not submit an application.

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Explore another layer of liability.Review your underlying policy limits
Excess cover needs alignment.Discuss attachment points and exclusions
Live examples
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From Insurance Genie

Recent business insurance purchases

Explore recent policy purchases shared through our participating insurance professionals.

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Who needs it

The usual trigger is a contract demanding a limit higher than you carry — typically a jump from $2M to $5M.

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What it does not cover

It does not broaden coverage. If the underlying policy excludes it, the umbrella generally excludes it too.

Canadian wording

Where the Canadian form differs.

Comparable. The Canadian content gap is the cost question: what it actually costs to move from $2M to $5M, which almost nobody publishes.

Also calledExcess liability, umbrella

At a glance

Canonical nameUmbrella / Excess Liability
AbbreviationUmbrella
How it is boughtStandalone, sits above underlying policies
CategoryLiability
Typical limitsRange only, with the basis stated — Canada publishes no commercial tariff

Limits are written to the exposure and to what your contracts demand, not to a rule of thumb. Any page quoting a single “standard” limit for a class of business is quoting one broker’s habit.

Know what you need. Now get it priced.

One request, and someone licensed to place this coverage picks it up.

Is this the wording my policy actually uses?
Not necessarily. Canada has no single mandated commercial wording the way the US has ISO. The IBC form is the reference; many Canadian insurers write their own manuscript wordings derived from a mix of IBC and ISO. Where we describe the IBC form we say so, and the only authority on your coverage is your own policy document.
How much does this cost?
We publish ranges with the basis stated, never a single figure. Commercial premiums are driven by class, revenue, payroll, claims history, limits and the market cycle. A page quoting one number for a whole class of business is quoting a habit, not a market.
My contract demands this. How fast can I get it?
For most standard coverages, same day to a few days. Bonds and specialty lines take longer because they are underwritten individually. If you have a deadline, say so at the start of the request rather than at the end.
Does Insurance Genie sell this?
No. InsuranceGenie.ca is not a brokerage or an insurer. We explain the coverage and connect you with an appropriately licensed organization that can quote and place it, and we name them before your details are shared.

Be prepared

Claims scenarios: what happens next?

Hypothetical situations to help you prepare questions—not actual client claims or promises of coverage.

A shop employee assisting a customer after a slip

A customer alleges an injury

Scenario: Someone alleges an injury arose from the business operations.

What happens next: Preserve incident records and notify the insurer. Declared activities, liability wording and the facts determine whether a policy responds.

Illustration: equipment is damaged

Equipment is damaged

Scenario: Equipment used by the business is damaged or stolen.

What happens next: Document ownership, location and cause. Ask the insurer to review the insured property, exclusions, valuation and deductible.

Illustration: operations are interrupted

Operations are interrupted

Scenario: Damage prevents the business from operating normally.

What happens next: Keep revenue and expense records. Business interruption depends on the insured trigger, selected coverage and applicable terms.

Actual outcomes depend on the facts and applicable wording. Read claims guidance · Ask about the next step