Professional liability (E&O)
Professional liability (E&O) — cover for the advice and the work itself.
Consultants, accountants, IT and marketing firms, real-estate and beauty professionals. General liability pays when someone gets hurt; professional liability pays when your work is what went wrong. Мы говорим по-русски.
Office hours Mon–Fri 9am–5pm PT (closed major holidays) — please call during hours. After hours, text (310) 299-5555 or apply online anytime and we’ll follow up. Contact & office.
Availability, limits and terms are reviewed for your situation. A request does not bind insurance.
Let us shop it — or start your quote online right now
Let us shop it for you (usually worth the call)
Coterie is one of 40+ carriers we work with. When we run your business past several of them at once we can compare what each will actually offer — and that often turns up a better fit, especially if you’ve had a prior claim, run more than one location, or need endorsements specific to your trade. One call, no obligation, and we handle the certificates afterwards.
Or quote and buy online in minutes
Our partner Coterie writes general liability, professional liability and Business Owners Policies for most small business classes in all 50 states, on A-rated admitted paper. Answer a few questions, see a bindable price, and download your certificate yourself. Built for businesses under 50 employees and under $10M revenue at a single location — contractors up to 15 employees. Some classes and loss histories aren’t eligible.
Coterie is one of several carriers CoverToday works with, and we may earn a commission on policies placed through this link. Buying online means you skip our review — call us first if you want us to compare it against the other carriers we represent. Independent broker — coverage, eligibility, price and availability vary by carrier and policy and may not be available to everyone. (310) 299-5555 · covertoday.com/quote
The policy general liability doesn’t replace
Professional liability — also called errors & omissions, or E&O — responds when a client says your professional work or advice caused them a financial loss. A missed filing deadline, a design that didn’t meet spec, a recommendation that cost money, a service that didn’t deliver what the contract promised. General liability answers for bodily injury and property damage; it does not answer for the quality of your work. Most client and vendor contracts that ask for E&O are asking for exactly this policy, and they usually want to see a certificate before you start.
What it covers
Errors and omissions
Claims that your professional work or advice caused a client a financial loss.
Negligence allegations
Including claims that turn out to be groundless — defense still costs money.
Legal defense costs
Attorney fees and defense expenses, typically alongside the claim limit.
Missed deadlines & specs
Work delivered late, incomplete, or not to the agreed standard.
Contract compliance
Meets the E&O requirement written into most client and vendor agreements.
Certificates for clients
COIs issued for the client or platform that is asking for proof.
How much it costs
What you pay depends on your profession, your revenue, the limit your contracts require, and your claims history — an independent consultant and a firm with a dozen staff are priced very differently. Many small service businesses carry a $1M limit because that is what client contracts ask for. We compare the carriers we work with and set the limit to the contract you actually have to satisfy, rather than selling you a bigger number than you need.
Figures are general market ranges — your exact rate depends on your profile. Call (310) 299-5555 for a free, no-obligation quote.
Who needs it
You need professional liability whenever a client pays you for judgement, expertise or a deliverable — consultants and coaches, accountants and bookkeepers, IT and software services, marketing and design agencies, real-estate and escrow professionals, notaries, engineers and architects, and many beauty and wellness services performed directly on a client. In practice, most people buy it because a contract, a landlord, a platform or a licensing body demands it in writing before work can start.
How it works
Tell us what you do
Your profession, revenue, staff count and the limit your contract requires.
We match the policy
We compare carriers and size the limit to your real contract requirement.
Get your certificate
COI issued for the client or platform asking for proof of E&O.
See how the pieces fit
Make the scope of your advice clear
Three topics to review with your agent. These are comparison prompts, not a promise of coverage.
- 01
Your clients
Describe who relies on your services and the work promised in contracts.
- 02
Your services
Include advice, designs, recommendations and work delivered by subcontractors.
- 03
Policy dates
Ask about reporting deadlines, retroactive dates and any gaps between policies.
Before we talk
Make the first conversation useful.
You don’t need every detail ready. Start with what you know; an agent can help with the rest.
- What your business does and where it operates
- Employees and insurance requirements in contracts
- Existing coverage and your desired start date
Please keep Social Security numbers, financial details and documents out of the public request form. An agent can explain the appropriate way to provide them if needed.
Common questions
What’s the difference between general liability and professional liability?
General liability covers bodily injury and property damage — a client trips in your office. Professional liability covers your work itself — a client says your advice or deliverable cost them money. Most service businesses that carry one end up needing both, and they are separate policies.
Can I buy professional liability online?
For most standard small-business classes, yes — our online partner can quote and bind professional liability, and you download the certificate yourself. If your profession is licensed, higher-risk, or your contract has unusual wording, call us first so we can read the requirement before you buy.
What limit do I need?
Whatever your contract says, in most cases — $1M per claim is the most common requirement we see. Read the insurance clause in the agreement, or send it to us and we’ll tell you what it is asking for.
Is E&O the same as professional liability?
Yes. Errors & omissions (E&O), professional liability and, in some professions, malpractice cover, all describe the same class of policy. Some contracts use one term and some another.
Does it cover claims that turn out to be false?
Defense of covered claims is a core reason to carry the policy — a claim with no merit still costs money to answer. Exactly what is covered depends on the policy form and its exclusions, so read the wording or ask us to.
Do sole proprietors need it?
If a client is paying you for professional work or advice, the exposure exists whether or not you have employees — and single-person consultancies are among the most common buyers. Many are prompted by a client contract rather than by choice.