The amount above your other policies
Pays once your auto, home, boat or rental policy has paid its full limit.
What to watchThose policies must stay in place at the required amounts. Dropping them creates a gap you pay yourself.
- Home
- Personal insurance
- Personal umbrella
Umbrella
Personal umbrella insurance
A personal umbrella policy adds an extra layer of liability coverage, usually $1 million or more, on top of your auto and home policies. It pays when a claim against you is bigger than those policies can cover.
Who needs it
If a lawsuit could cost more than your auto or home policy will pay, and most serious ones can, an umbrella is the usual way to cover the difference.
- Homeowners with equity and savings
- Households with young or inexperienced drivers
- Owners of pools, trampolines, boats, ATVs or recreational vehicles
- Landlords of one or more rental units
- Professionals and business owners whose earnings a lawsuit could reach
- Volunteers serving on nonprofit boards
What it covers
What is covered, and what to watch
Summaries only. The policy wording governs, and every insurance company's policy is different.
Cost of lawyers
Legal defense for covered claims, often in addition to the amount of coverage.
What to watchConfirm whether legal fees count toward the limit or sit on top of it.
Claims your other policies exclude
Some claims the other policies do not cover, such as claims that you damaged someone's reputation or had them wrongly arrested.
What to watchA small amount you pay yourself, often $250 to $1,000, applies when no other policy responds.
Anywhere in the world
Most umbrellas follow you outside the country.
What to watchRental cars abroad may be excluded. Ask before you travel.
Drivers with no insurance
Available as an add-on on many umbrellas, for your injuries when the other driver has too little insurance.
What to watchWorth considering for households that drive a lot.
How much
Sold in $1 million steps, typically up to $5 million; more through specialty insurers.
What to watchThe price per million falls as the amount rises. The second million usually costs less than the first.
How we work
An independent agency, so the policy fits you and not the other way around
Many insurance companies, one agent
We are appointed with national and specialty companies, so your policy goes where it fits rather than where we happen to have a contract. See who we work with.
Plain English, line by line
Send your current policy and we compare it with what we would offer: what we would keep, what we would change, and why, in writing.
Nothing changes until you say so
No coverage starts and no policy changes until a licensed agent confirms it with you in writing. You always know what you have. How we work, in full.
Exclusions
What it does not cover
- Business liability (that needs business policies or a commercial umbrella)
- Deliberate acts and criminal conduct
- Promises you made in a contract, in most cases
- Vehicles, boats or properties not listed on your other policies
- Professional services
An umbrella is only as good as the policies underneath it. We check those amounts at every renewal.
How to get it
From first call to bound coverage
- 01Gather your other policiesAuto, home, boat, rental and anything else with liability coverage.
- 02Meet the minimumsRaise the amounts on those policies where the umbrella requires it.
- 03Choose the amountWhat you own plus several years of earnings is a reasonable starting point.
- 04List everythingVehicles, properties, boats, drivers and board seats, so nothing is left out by accident.
Common questions
How much umbrella coverage do I need?
Enough that a serious lawsuit does not reach your savings, home equity or future wages. $1 million is the usual starting point; households with more assets or more drivers often carry $2 million to $5 million.
What amounts do my auto and home policies need?
Commonly $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident on auto, and $300,000 on home, though it varies by insurer. We line them up when we place the umbrella.
Is it expensive?
Relative to the amount of coverage, no. The first $1 million is often a few hundred dollars a year, and each additional million costs less. Price depends on drivers, vehicles and properties.
Does it cover my rental property?
If the rental is listed and has its own liability coverage underneath, yes, subject to the policy's terms. Unlisted properties are a common gap.
I am on a nonprofit board. Does the umbrella cover me?
Some umbrellas include limited coverage for serving on a nonprofit board; many do not. Ask, and check whether the organization carries its own directors and officers policy.
Related
Often placed alongside
Auto insurance
Covers injuries and damage you cause with your vehicle, and damage to the vehicle itself.
Auto insuranceHome, condo and renters
Covers your home or apartment, your belongings, your liability, and somewhere to stay after a covered loss.
Home, condo and rentersPersonal insurance
Auto, home, umbrella, motorcycle, boat, RV, valuable items, pet and travel insurance, reviewed together so the limits line up.
Personal insuranceGet a quote
Tell us about your household on the quote form, or send your current declarations pages and we compare them line by line.