Umbrella sits above general liability, auto, and employers liability, adding limit at a fraction of the cost of raising each primary.
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
Grants vary by carrier and form. These are the components we look for when we place it.
Additional limit above your primary CGL for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury.
Additional limit over workers' compensation Part Two — frequently the reason an umbrella is required.
Additional limit above hired and non-owned or commercial auto.
Some forms respond where an underlying policy is exhausted by other claims.
We put this in front of you at binding — the only moment you can still do something about it.
Composite scenarios drawn from how these losses typically develop. Illustrative, not case files.
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.
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. |
What we need to quote
Most of this is collected once in the Atlas submission and reused across the markets we approach.
Start a submissionNo. Cyber and Tech E&O need a dedicated excess layer over those specific policies. We structure that separately.
Review an MSA insurance exhibit: coverage types, limits, additional insured wording, certificates, endorsements and timing before you sign.
Read the guide: Enterprise Contract Insurance Requirements: A Tech Company ChecklistTell us about the business once. A broker reviews it the same business day and comes back with a plan and a timeline.
