More limit, without rebuilding the program.
Umbrella sits above general liability, auto, and employers liability, adding limit at a fraction of the cost of raising each primary.
- The question it answers
- “Our customer wants $5M. Do we buy a bigger policy?”
- Typical limit
- $5M – $10Mat Series B+
- Usually bought with
- General LiabilityWorkers' CompHired & Non-Owned Auto
What Umbrella actually does
An umbrella policy provides additional limit above your underlying policies once those limits are exhausted. For most technology companies it sits over general liability, hired and non-owned auto, and employers liability. Some markets will also schedule other lines beneath it.
It is the standard answer to a contractual requirement your primary limits don't meet. Raising a general liability limit from $1M to $5M is expensive and inefficient; adding a $5M umbrella is usually not.
Note what it does not do: standard umbrellas do not sit over Tech E&O, cyber, or D&O. Those require excess layers placed specifically over each of those towers, which is a different structure and a different market.
Buy it when
- A contract requires limits above your primary
- A landlord or venue requires $5M
- Headcount and travel increased materially
What it covers
Grants vary by carrier and form. These are the components we look for when we place it.
Excess general liability
Additional limit above your primary CGL for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury.
Excess employers liability
Additional limit over workers' compensation Part Two — frequently the reason an umbrella is required.
Excess auto liability
Additional limit above hired and non-owned or commercial auto.
Drop-down coverage
Some forms respond where an underlying policy is exhausted by other claims.
What it doesn't cover
We put this in front of you at binding — the only moment you can still do something about it.
- Anything the underlying policies exclude
- Professional liability and Tech E&O, absent a specific excess placement
- Cyber, absent a specific excess placement
- D&O and management liability, absent a specific excess placement
Three ways this policy earns its premium
Composite scenarios drawn from how these losses typically develop. Illustrative, not case files.
A contract requires $5M combined
Rather than raising three primary policies, a $4M umbrella sits over GL, auto, and employers liability and satisfies the exhibit at a fraction of the cost.
What limit is normal
Ranges we commonly see for technology companies. Your contracts and exposure decide the answer — this is where the conversation starts, not where it ends.
| Stage | Typical | |
|---|---|---|
| Series A | $1M – $3M | Usually contract-driven rather than exposure-driven. |
| Series B+ | $5M – $10M | Cost per million falls sharply as the tower grows. |
Companies that need this
- Companies with enterprise contracts specifying $3M+ combined limits
- Companies with field staff, events, or physical operations
- Companies whose landlord requires higher limits
What we need to quote
- Copies of all underlying policies and their limits
- Revenue, headcount, and travel profile
- Fleet information if any vehicles are owned
Most of this is collected once in the Atlas submission and reused across the markets we approach.
Start a submissionSituations that put this policy on your desk
Umbrella, answered
No. Cyber and Tech E&O need a dedicated excess layer over those specific policies. We structure that separately.
Find out what umbrella costs for your company.
Tell us about the business once. A broker reviews it the same business day and comes back with a plan and a timeline.