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Business insurance policies for NerdWallet shoppers
Here are some recent business insurance policies secured by NerdWallet shoppers through our partner Coverdash
$20.83/mo
This Painting Contractor business in Ohio secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
$22.92/mo
This Travel Agency business in Florida secured a Professional Liability policy from The Hartford
$28.42/mo
This Event Planning Services business in Arkansas secured a Business Owner's Policy policy from The Hartford
$43.58/mo
This Graphic Design Services business in Delaware secured a Cyber policy from Coalition
$37.33/mo
This Massage Parlor business in Utah secured a Workers' Compensation policy from AmTrust
$23.14/mo
This Retail business in Oregon secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
$20.83/mo
This Painting Contractor business in Ohio secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
$22.92/mo
This Travel Agency business in Florida secured a Professional Liability policy from The Hartford
$28.42/mo
This Event Planning Services business in Arkansas secured a Business Owner's Policy policy from The Hartford
$43.58/mo
This Graphic Design Services business in Delaware secured a Cyber policy from Coalition
$37.33/mo
This Massage Parlor business in Utah secured a Workers' Compensation policy from AmTrust
$23.14/mo
This Retail business in Oregon secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
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How we choose the best insurers for business consultants
What is business consultant insurance?
What kind of insurance do consultants need?
Does your homeowners insurance cover a home office?
How much does insurance for business consultants cost?
How to get insurance for your consulting business
Business Consultant Insurance: What You Need, Best Companies
Updated May 27, 2026
Expert verified
+ 1 more
Business consultants need insurance against lawsuits, either from their clients or other third parties. If you drive to client meetings or job sites, you’ll need to protect your vehicle too.
Our top recommendations for business consultant insurance are below. Get several quotes so you can compare prices.
Hiscox
Best for Professional liability insurance
Pros
- Can get a quote and purchase some policies online.
- Discounts of up to 5% available when you buy two or more Hiscox products, plus a 14-day money-back refund policy.
- Professional liability policies cover work done anywhere in the world.
Cons
- Far more complaints than expected filed with state regulators about both liability and property coverage.
- No coverage available in Alaska; business owner's policies are unavailable in several states.
Hiscox is a popular, well-regarded insurance company for consultants and other white-collar professionals. Most businesses can get a quote and buy a policy online. You can get general liability insurance if you need it too.
- General liability.
- Professional liability.
- Business owner's policy.
- Cyber insurance.
Hiscox is a popular, well-regarded insurance company for consultants and other white-collar professionals. Most businesses can get a quote and buy a policy online. You can get general liability insurance if you need it too.
- General liability.
- Professional liability.
- Business owner's policy.
- Cyber insurance.
Hiscox is a popular, well-regarded insurance company for consultants and other white-collar professionals. Most businesses can get a quote and buy a policy online. You can get general liability insurance if you need it too.
The Hartford
Best for Business owner's policy
Pros
- Fewer complaints than expected filed with state regulators about both liability and property insurance.
- You can add data breach, professional liability and business income for off-premises utility service coverage to The Hartford's business owner's policy.
- You can add an additional insured and request a certificate of insurance online.
Cons
- No coverage available in Alaska or Hawaii.
- Not all businesses can get a quote online.
The Hartford is another giant in the business insurance industry. The company sells a business owner’s policy that you can tack data breach coverage onto. You can also get professional liability and property coverage for home-based businesses. Most businesses can get a quote online, and some can complete the purchase without an agent.
- Business owner's policies.
- General liability insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Workers’ compensation insurance.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Business income insurance.
- Data breach insurance.
- Commercial umbrella insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Employment practices liability insurance.
- Liquor liability insurance.
The Hartford is another giant in the business insurance industry. The company sells a business owner’s policy that you can tack data breach coverage onto. You can also get professional liability and property coverage for home-based businesses. Most businesses can get a quote online, and some can complete the purchase without an agent.
- Business owner's policies.
- General liability insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Workers’ compensation insurance.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Business income insurance.
- Data breach insurance.
- Commercial umbrella insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Employment practices liability insurance.
- Liquor liability insurance.
The Hartford is another giant in the business insurance industry. The company sells a business owner’s policy that you can tack data breach coverage onto. You can also get professional liability and property coverage for home-based businesses. Most businesses can get a quote online, and some can complete the purchase without an agent.
BiBERK
Best for Getting coverage online
Pros
- Simple online application lets business owners get coverage quickly.
- Superior financial strength.
- Can download a copy of your Certificate of Insurance anytime.
Cons
- State regulators received far more complaints from biBERK commercial liability and commercial property customers from 2022-24 than we’d expect, given its market share.
- Limited availability by state.
- Adding an additional insured may take several days.
BiBERK is Berkshire Hathaway’s online insurance brand. The company sells professional liability insurance online in all 50 states, plus workers’ comp in all the states where you can buy private insurance. General liability insurance and BOPs are only available in about 30 states each, though.
- General liability insurance (28 states).
- BOP (28 states).
- Workers’ comp.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance (21 states).
- Umbrella insurance (28 states).
BiBERK is Berkshire Hathaway’s online insurance brand. The company sells professional liability insurance online in all 50 states, plus workers’ comp in all the states where you can buy private insurance. General liability insurance and BOPs are only available in about 30 states each, though.
- General liability insurance (28 states).
- BOP (28 states).
- Workers’ comp.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance (21 states).
- Umbrella insurance (28 states).
BiBERK is Berkshire Hathaway’s online insurance brand. The company sells professional liability insurance online in all 50 states, plus workers’ comp in all the states where you can buy private insurance. General liability insurance and BOPs are only available in about 30 states each, though.
Progressive
Best for Commercial auto insurance
Pros
- Fewer than expected commercial auto insurance complaints filed with state regulators based on its market share.
- Specialized insurance products for truckers, including owner-operators, motor carriers and driver carriers.
- 24/7 roadside assistance available as an add-on service, provided by a third party.
Cons
- More complaints than expected about commercial liability and commercial property insurance.
- Other types of insurance might be underwritten by other insurance companies, not Progressive.
Progressive is our top commercial auto insurance company. If you drive for work, get a quote from Progressive to compare its costs. You may be able to save money by buying general liability insurance from Progressive Commercial or switching your personal auto policy to Progressive.
- Commercial auto insurance. (Underwritten by Progressive)
- General liability insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- BOP. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Professional liability insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Workers’ comp. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Cyber insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Employee health insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
Progressive is our top commercial auto insurance company. If you drive for work, get a quote from Progressive to compare its costs. You may be able to save money by buying general liability insurance from Progressive Commercial or switching your personal auto policy to Progressive.
- Commercial auto insurance. (Underwritten by Progressive)
- General liability insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- BOP. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Professional liability insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Workers’ comp. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Cyber insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
- Employee health insurance. (Available for purchase through Progressive’s website, but may be underwritten by other insurers)
Progressive is our top commercial auto insurance company. If you drive for work, get a quote from Progressive to compare its costs. You may be able to save money by buying general liability insurance from Progressive Commercial or switching your personal auto policy to Progressive.
Travelers
Best for Medium to large consulting companies
Pros
- Offers many types of commercial insurance, including specialized coverage like key person insurance and surety bonds.
- You can access your certificate of insurance and track your claims through an online portal.
- Fewer complaints than expected about liability coverage and property coverage.
Cons
- You can’t get a quote or purchase a policy online.
Travelers is one of our top-rated insurance companies, but it tends to focus on larger businesses with more specialized risk profiles. If you run a consulting business with several dozen employees or operate in a technical industry, like agriculture or renewable energy, it may be a good option. Travelers sells policies through independent insurance agents.
- General liability insurance.
- BOP.
- Business income and extra expense coverage.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Workers’ comp.
- Cyber insurance.
- Management liability insurance.
- Employment practices liability insurance.
- Umbrella insurance.
- Equipment breakdown insurance.
- Specialized coverage for industries like agriculture and energy.
Travelers is one of our top-rated insurance companies, but it tends to focus on larger businesses with more specialized risk profiles. If you run a consulting business with several dozen employees or operate in a technical industry, like agriculture or renewable energy, it may be a good option. Travelers sells policies through independent insurance agents.
- General liability insurance.
- BOP.
- Business income and extra expense coverage.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Workers’ comp.
- Cyber insurance.
- Management liability insurance.
- Employment practices liability insurance.
- Umbrella insurance.
- Equipment breakdown insurance.
- Specialized coverage for industries like agriculture and energy.
Travelers is one of our top-rated insurance companies, but it tends to focus on larger businesses with more specialized risk profiles. If you run a consulting business with several dozen employees or operate in a technical industry, like agriculture or renewable energy, it may be a good option. Travelers sells policies through independent insurance agents.
How we choose the best insurers for business consultants
NerdWallet’s editorial team chooses the best business insurance companies based on many factors. For business consultants, we focused on insurers that:
- Receive relatively few general liability complaints and commercial property complaints to state insurance regulators based on their size.
- Are financially strong according to credit rating agencies, meaning they have the ability to pay claims.
- Make it easy to get a quote and buy a policy.
- Have an “appetite” for consultants, or are more likely to insure them.
We used data from Coverdash, an online insurance agency, to understand insurer appetite. Every insurance company specializes in certain industries and policy types. If an insurer doesn’t have appetite for your business, you might not be able to get a policy from them, even if your application is otherwise strong.
For instance, Chubb is one of our highest rated carriers. But in our dataset, it didn’t underwrite any policies for single-employee companies or industries with “consulting” in their title. And when I tried to get a quote from Chubb as a “marketing consultant,” the insurer said it couldn’t offer me coverage. I’ve gotten quotes from about 10 companies, and Chubb is the only one this has happened with.
What is business consultant insurance?
Business insurance protects you and your consulting company from lawsuits and other risks. It can pay for costs related to incidents like:
- A client says you gave them bad financial advice. Now they want their money back.
- You get into a car accident leaving a client’s office.
- A hacker targets your business and steals customer data, including customer tax returns with Social Security numbers.
- You have to make repairs after an electrical fire at your office.
What kind of insurance do consultants need?
All businesses should have general liability insurance. This policy protects you against common types of lawsuits.
Most consultants probably also need errors and omissions insurance, which covers you if a client says you made a mistake or did a bad job. Cyber insurance is a good idea too, especially if you store customer data.
Beyond that, what coverage you need depends on whether you have an office, drive a vehicle or have employees.
Professional liability insurance for consultants
Anyone who gives advice to clients for a fee needs professional liability insurance. This policy covers your legal fees if a client sues you. If a judge agrees that you’re at fault, it can also pay out to cover settlement and judgement costs.
This coverage is also called errors and omissions insurance. All consultants should get it.
General liability insurance for business consultants
General liability insurance protects you against some other types of legal claims. Specifically, it pays out to cover legal fees and settlement costs, if any, in cases of:
- Bodily injury, like a slip-and-fall lawsuit.
- Damage to property that belongs to someone else.
- Slander, libel or trademark infringement.
Like professional liability insurance, general liability insurance covers you whether or not your business is found liable for these things.
If you work remotely or from a home office, these types of claims might seem unlikely. But if you get sued — whether or not you’re at fault — you could end up spending tens of thousands of dollars. (If you’re a sole proprietor, that could impact your personal finances too.)
Cyber insurance for consultants
Cyber insurance covers you if your business suffers a data breach. Like liability insurance, it can cover the cost of handling legal claims after the hack. But cyber insurance can also help you notify your customers of the breach and even pay a ransom, if you owe one.
Get this coverage if you handle any sensitive customer data, especially ID documents or tax returns.
Business owner’s policies for consultants
A BOP is a package that includes general liability and commercial property insurance. It can pay out to help you repair or replace damaged property after a fire or disaster. It can also help you cover the revenue you lose while recovering from such an event.
If you operate out of an office, get a BOP instead of general liability insurance. That way, you’ll have both types of protection. BOPs don’t include professional liability insurance, though. You’ll have to buy that separately.
Hired and non-owned auto insurance
This commercial auto insurance policy covers you when you drive your personal vehicle for business purposes.
Yes, you’re required to have a personal auto insurance policy. But if you get into an accident while you’re on your way home from a job site or client appointment, your personal auto policy could try to deny the claim because you were driving for business purposes.
Hired and non-owned auto insurance is a good idea if you drive frequently to client appointments. If you only do so occasionally, you may be OK without it. You may be able to buy this coverage from your personal auto insurer and get a discount for bundling policies.
Workers’ comp for consultants
If you have employees, you might be required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Click here to check the law in your state.
Does your homeowners insurance cover a home office?
Homeowners insurance provides a little bit of business property coverage. But the limit may not be enough if you operate a consulting business out of your home.
Homeowners or renters insurance usually covers up to $2,500 in business equipment. Say you leave your work laptop in the kitchen and, overnight, a small fire causes your sprinklers to go off. The laptop is ruined. Your $2,500 in coverage can probably help you buy a new one.
If you have business equipment worth more than $2,500, you can look into a home-based business endorsement. This can up your limit to $5,000 or $10,000.
Homeowners and renters insurance policies don’t cover business liability, though. You need general and professional liability insurance to protect yourself from legal claims.
How much does insurance for business consultants cost?
Professional liability insurance for consulting companies has a median price of $883 per year, according to data that insurance agency Coverdash shared with NerdWallet in 2026. That’s for companies with 2-10 employees.
The median price for general liability insurance is $376.50.
That said, the cost of business insurance can vary widely depending on:
- Previous claims. If you’ve filed a claim before, your insurance premiums will typically go up in the future.
- What kind of work you do. Consulting for a higher-risk business, like a financial firm, comes with higher insurance premiums than consulting for something lower-stakes, like customer service management.
- Business location. Some states are more litigious than others, which can increase insurance costs.
- Policy limits. One way to save money on insurance is to lower your policy’s limits. However, that means it might not fully cover a large claim.
We always recommend getting quotes from at least two insurance companies to find the best price. Premiums can differ because every insurance company has its own models for evaluating risk. One company might perceive you as a bigger risk than another one, and charge you more as a result.
Some online insurance companies also charge fees. Make sure you compare the price on the final screen before you check out.
How to get insurance for your consulting business
Follow these steps to get the coverage you need.
- Decide how to shop. If you want to work with an insurance agent, ask around for recommendations. If you prefer shopping on your own, start with an online insurance agency like Simply Business that can give you multiple quotes at once.
- Figure out what coverage you need. Consultants most likely need E&O insurance and general liability insurance. But you may also want cyber, auto or property coverage. Make a list of the policies you need.
- Get quotes. If you’re using an online brokerage, you can often see two or three quotes side by side. If you go to insurance company websites, visit several so you can compare quotes. Look at policy limits and deductibles, too, in case you want to make adjustments for more coverage or a lower premium.
- Buy coverage. Choose a policy and pay your premium. You can usually pay for the whole year at once or pay in installments. If you choose the latter, set up automatic payments so your coverage doesn’t accidentally lapse.
- Save a copy of your certificate of insurance. This document proves that you have insurance. You may need to show it to clients, landlords or vendors. Most online insurance companies let you access your COI online, but we recommend saving a copy in a place you know how to access so you can pull it up when you need it.
Methodology
Business insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet rewards business insurance companies for reliability and good service. We calculate star ratings based on scores in about a dozen categories. These include:
- Each company's financial strength.
- How many complaints customers made relative to its market share.
- How easy it is to get coverage.
- How accessible customer service is.
Learn more about how we rate small-business insurance companies.
Our editorial team routinely fact-checks and updates these data points. We also adjust our scoring on an ongoing basis. This helps our star ratings reflect changing industry norms. For instance, in 2026, we began evaluating how easy insurers make it to add an additional insured.
Our ratings are a guide. But insurance policy details and prices can vary widely. We encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes.NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Insurer complaints methodology
One key factor in our star ratings is how many complaints insurance companies get. Here's how we arrive at that score.
Disappointed customers can file a complaint with their state's insurance department. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) collects, analyzes and groups complaints by business line and insurance company every year. A business line is a specific type of coverage, like workers’ comp.
Then, the NAIC calculates a complaint ratio for each company. It divides the company's share of complaints by its share of total premiums for each line of business. It then adds these ratio values to their official complaint index.
- A complaint ratio of 1 means a company received about the expected number of complaints relative to its size.
- A ratio of 2 means it received twice as many complaints as expected.
- A ratio of 0 means it received half as many complaints as expected.
NerdWallet obtains the raw NAIC data every year. We aggregate results at the company level and fact-check these results. Then we calculate a three-year average of each insurer's complaint ratio and convert it to a score for our star ratings.
Business insurance star ratings consider complaints about two lines of business: commercial liability and commercial property. We analyze complaint data on commercial auto and workers' comp policies too. But we don't currently incorporate these into our ratings since they're less universal.