What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?
BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. 1,2,3,4
What Is Coterie Insurance?
Coterie suits small businesses buying through an agent who wants to quote and bind eligible policies from prefilled information; buyers seeking a direct-to-consumer carrier should look elsewhere. Policyholders can manage documents and changes online. 7,8,9
What Is General Liability Insurance?
General liability can protect your business when a customer or visitor claims you caused injury or damaged their property. It suits businesses serving customers or working on their premises; your own building, tools and stock need property coverage. 11,12,13
Key Differences in General Liability Insurance
Specialty extensions and core claim categories
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance markets primary GL with contractor broad-form coverage and gradual-pollution features. Coterie describes bodily injury, damage to others’ property, personal injury and misleading-advertising claims, including legal defense. A business with contractor or pollution exposures should ask BHSI about specific endorsements; a small business comparing everyday liability should ask Coterie how its form defines the four categories and exclusions. 6 10
Premium floor and how a buyer starts
BHSI sets a $50,000 minimum premium per policy in its casualty appetite guide. Coterie’s GL page sends buyers to an appointed agent rather than describing direct online purchase. A smaller applicant may find BHSI’s published threshold material before pursuing a quote; Coterie buyers should identify an appointed agent and confirm what limits are offered. These records do not provide comparable prices. 5 10
What to Confirm in General Liability Insurance Quotes
Review Scores
These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Review Score
No reviews found
The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.[5][7]
Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance reviewsCoterie Insurance
Review Score
2 rated sources
Coterie’s BBB complaint record is a concern; its single Trustpilot review is too small a sample to offset that. Ask how complaints and service problems are resolved.[1][5][6]
Read Coterie Insurance reviewsOffering Details
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Coterie Insurance: General Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Primary general liability | Coterie General Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Coterie sells general liability as a standalone policy that can also be purchased on a monthly or annual basis, or included in its Business Owner's Policy, and distributes it through agents and brokers using its digital quoting platform. 10Company-reported. GL page 'GL is available as a standalone policy or included in a Business Owners Policy' and 'monthly, or annual basis' statements. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed GL page does not name the issuing insurer for the standalone general liability policy. 10Not publicly disclosed. Page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | The casualty guide lists primary GL forms and identifies commercial real estate, retail/grocery, financial institutions, construction and energy as target classes. 5Company-reported. US casualty appetite guide dated 2026-07-15. Material limitation: Guide includes classes to avoid and $50,000 minimum policy premium; acceptance is underwritten. | Coterie says GL is especially relevant for small businesses that interact face-to-face with customers, work on or at a third party's property, lease or own a premises, advertise, or are required by industry regulators to carry coverage, without stating an industry exclusion list on this page. 10Company-reported. GL page 'especially important for small businesses that' list. |
| Coverage Features | BHSI markets primary general liability, with contractor broad-form coverage, gradual-pollution features and flexible limits in its product overview. 6Company-reported. BHSI US specialty commercial primary GL. Material limitation: These are overview features, not universal policy grants; forms and endorsements vary. | Coterie's GL policy covers four categories: bodily injury, damage to others' property, personal injury (including slander and libel), and false or misleading advertising, paying for the injured party's costs and the insured's legal defense. 10Company-reported. GL page intro and 'How does general liability insurance work?' section. Coterie says GL does not cover damage to the policyholder's own business or employees (that requires a BOP), or errors, omissions, and professional negligence (that requires Professional Liability Insurance). 10Company-reported. GL page 'What does General Liability insurance NOT cover?' FAQ. |
| Limits and Retentions | BHSI’s casualty appetite guide sets a $50,000 minimum premium per policy and lists primary GL as an eligible line. 5Company-reported. Selected US casualty accounts under guide dated 2026-07-15. Material limitation: Minimum premium is appetite guidance, not a quoted price or guaranteed minimum for all products. | Coterie's GL page says customers and clients commonly expect or require limits of $500,000, $1,000,000, or $2,000,000, framed as typical market expectations rather than a published Coterie limit schedule for the standalone GL product. 10Company-reported. GL page 'How much General Liability insurance do I need?' FAQ. |
| Risk Services | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed GL page does not describe risk-control or loss-prevention services specific to general liability; it directs businesses with coverage questions to Coterie's support team. 10Not found in reviewed sources. GL page 'Do all businesses need General Liability insurance?' FAQ, as read on 2026-09-23. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You engage Coterie for GL coverage by finding an appointed agent through the page's 'Find an Agent' link; the page does not describe a direct-to-consumer purchase path. 10Company-reported. GL page calls to action. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Coterie Insurance Comparisons
Other General Liability Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
- At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Casualty Appetite Guide - U.S. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Casualty appetite PDF page 1: $50K minimum premium, GL/products/lead umbrella/excess lines, selected $10M excess capacity, placement forms and target/avoided classes; guide dated 2026-07-15. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Casualty. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; US casualty product lines and features: Primary General Liability lines 10-34; Primary Products/Completed Operations Liability 35-44; Lead Umbrella and Excess Casualty 46-63. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Coterie Insurance
- Instant Bindable Small Business Insurance Quotes for Agents. Coterie Insurance; Built for Agents and Brokers; online workflow; core lines; endorsements; availability sections. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Allianz X Announces Strategic Investment in Coterie Insurance. Coterie Insurance and Allianz X; September 11, 2025 announcement; MGA role; Series C investment and reinsurance relationship. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Coterie Insurance small business products overview. Coterie Insurance; Product line overview page linking to General Liability and other coverages. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- What is general liability insurance for small business? Coterie Insurance; GL definition and four covered categories; 'How much General Liability insurance do I need?' FAQ; 'Does General Liability insurance cover medical payments?' FAQ; GL vs BOP and vs Professional Liability distinctions. Accessed 2026-09-23.
General Liability Insurance Guide
- Commercial general liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Coverage A; Coverage B; Coverage C; Purchasing commercial general liability insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial General Liability; Commercial Automobile; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent?; How Are Commercial Policies Rated? Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Commercial General Liability Coverage Form. ISO; specimen hosted by Hiscox; I.A pp.1–5; I.B pp.6–7; I.C pp.7–8; Supplementary Payments p.8; II pp.9–10; III p.10; IV pp.10–12. Accessed 2026-09-16.
