Commercial Insurance for California Businesses
General liability, commercial auto, workers' comp and business owner's policies — written for trades, shops and trucking operations.
- Certificates of insurance
- COI
- When workers' comp starts
- Employee one
- Trucking & owner-operators
- Cargo
Five policies, and which you'll need
- General liabilityThird-party injury and property damage. Required by almost every client contract and commercial lease.
- Commercial autoA personal policy usually won't pay a claim on a vehicle in commercial use.
- Workers' compensationRequired in California from your first employee — no size threshold, no exemption.
- Business owner's policyLiability and property bundled. Usually the cheapest route for a shop or small office.
- Professional liabilityErrors and omissions for advice and services — the claim a general liability policy won't pay.
Industries we know
- Trucking & cargoOwner-operators and small fleets. Primary liability, cargo, non-trucking use.
- Contractors & tradesGeneral liability for job-site contracts, additional insured endorsements, tools and equipment.
- Restaurants & retailLiquor liability, spoilage, equipment breakdown, business owner's policies.
Need a certificate today? Here's what we'll need
| You need | Have ready |
|---|---|
| Certificate of insurance | The certificate holder's name and address, and any wording the contract requires |
| Additional insured endorsement | The insurance clause from the contract |
| A new general liability policy | What the business does, rough annual revenue or payroll, and any prior insurance |
Questions we get asked
Do I need workers' comp if I only have one employee?
Yes. California requires it from your first employee — there's no size threshold. A sole owner with no employees usually doesn't need it.
Why won't my personal auto policy cover my work truck?
Many personal policies exclude business use — hauling for pay, deliveries, carrying tools between job sites. A commercial auto policy covers that use.
What's a certificate of insurance?
A one-page summary proving you carry the cover a client or landlord requires. We issue them for our commercial clients on request.