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Compare two coverages
General liability vs. professional liability
Published 2026-06-12 · by Brokly
| Aspect | General liability | Professional liability (E&O) |
|---|---|---|
| The harm it answers | Physical: someone hurt, something damaged | Financial: work or advice that goes wrong with nothing broken |
| Typical claim | A customer slips in your shop; your work damages a neighboring unit | A design fails inspection; a spec was wrong; advice cost the client a job |
| Who needs it most | Nearly every business with premises, customers, or job sites | Trades that certify, design, inspect, or advise |
| In contracts | Asked for almost universally | Asked for by name — often as "errors and omissions" or "E&O" |
The harm it answers
General liability: Physical: someone hurt, something damaged
Professional liability (E&O): Financial: work or advice that goes wrong with nothing broken
Typical claim
General liability: A customer slips in your shop; your work damages a neighboring unit
Professional liability (E&O): A design fails inspection; a spec was wrong; advice cost the client a job
Who needs it most
General liability: Nearly every business with premises, customers, or job sites
Professional liability (E&O): Trades that certify, design, inspect, or advise
In contracts
General liability: Asked for almost universally
Professional liability (E&O): Asked for by name — often as "errors and omissions" or "E&O"
The line between them is the kind of harm. If a person is injured or property is damaged, that's general liability territory. If the harm is purely financial — a mistake in the work itself, with nothing physically broken — general liability typically won't pay, and that's exactly the gap professional liability exists to fill.
Many trades quietly carry both exposures: an electrician's faulty wiring that starts a fire is a general liability claim, but a load calculation that fails inspection and forces a redesign is a professional one. If your work involves judgment a client relies on, a professional liability policy is usually paying to close a gap you actually have.
See how this plays out for your trade: electricians · physician offices
Related terms
Descriptions reflect how these coverages typically work — exact terms live in the policy. Not legal or compliance advice.
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