Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Harper: How Do They Compare for General Liability Insurance?
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 Harper Insurance?
Harper suits hard-to-place businesses such as contractors, care providers, manufacturers and transportation firms; standard small businesses seeking direct quotes should compare online carriers. Its workers’ compensation service helps classify payroll for audits. 7,8
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. 10,11,12
Key Differences in General Liability Insurance
Class appetite and hard-to-place applicants
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists commercial real estate, retail, financial institutions, construction and energy as target classes. Harper says it targets businesses that have been declined or are hard to place, including companies needing a certificate for a lease, contract or license. A difficult submission may lead a buyer to Harper’s stated focus, while BHSI provides a defined class list; neither description guarantees acceptance. 5 9
Premium floor and typical contract limit
BHSI’s casualty guide sets a $50,000 minimum premium per policy. Harper says leases and contracts commonly ask for $1 million per claim as a starting limit and that it may recommend higher limits. These figures serve different purposes: BHSI gives a premium threshold, while Harper describes a common requested limit, not the maximum available. Buyers should compare actual premium and limits for the same operations. 5 9
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 reviewsHarper
Review Score
No reviews found
We found no customer star rating for Harper. Its Trustpilot page has 0 reviews, and BBB shows 0 customer reviews and 2 complaints.[4][6]
Read Harper reviewsOffering Details
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper: General Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Primary general liability | Harper General Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Harper places general liability coverage by taking one application to multiple insurers rather than underwriting the policy itself, and a specialist reviews the business before it is quoted. 9Company-reported. Harper's own general liability product page. Describes the brokerage process, not an insurer or underwriting decision. |
| 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. | Harper markets general liability to businesses that need a certificate for a lease, client contract or license, and specifically says hard-to-place or previously declined businesses are the operations it targets. 9Company-reported. Product-page marketing copy; not an eligibility guarantee for a particular applicant. |
| 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. | Harper describes the general liability policies it places as covering bodily injury to third parties, property damage the business causes to others' property, and legal defense costs, including when a claim turns out to be groundless. 9Company-reported. Product-page coverage summary; the issued policy and its exclusions control the actual terms. |
| 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. | Harper says most leases and contracts ask for $1 million per claim as a starting limit, and it will recommend higher limits when a business's situation calls for it. The page does not publish a maximum available limit. 9Company-reported. FAQ answer on the general liability page; actual limit options depend on the insurer and underwriting. |
| Risk Services | Confirm in your quote. | Harper says it issues certificates of insurance the same day a landlord, client or venue requests one, once a policy is in force. 9Company-reported. Product-page service claim; not independently timed or confirmed for a particular request. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You apply for Harper general liability through an online quote form (business details, state, revenue and coverage needs) that a specialist follows up on, rather than an instant-bind online purchase. 9Company-reported. Quote form and FAQ observed on the product page. |
| Claims Support | Confirm in your quote. | The reviewed general liability page does not describe a claims-reporting process or claims-advocacy service specific to this line. 9Not found in reviewed sources. Scoped to the general liability product page as read on 2026-09-23; the provider record separately describes general claims assistance across lines, not checked here for this line specifically. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper 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.
Harper
- Text Messaging Terms and Conditions. Harper Global Enterprises Inc.; Effective August 24, 2026; sections 1–3 (entity, consent and service messages), 5 (message costs), 9 (delivery) and 11 (coverage confirmation). Accessed 2026-09-15.
- We're Announcing $47M to Build the Insurance Company Every Business Deserves. Harper / Dakotah Rice; February 26, 2026 article: brokerage identity; AI-assisted submissions and follow-ups; 24–48-hour coverage statement; more than 165 underwriters; plans for additional direct appointments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- General Liability Insurance. Harper; Product hero; Know your coverage: What is General Liability insurance?; Bodily injury, Property damage, Legal defense, Certificates on demand; Why Harper (specialist review, multiple insurers, same-day certificates); FAQ: Is general liability required by law?, What limits do I need?, What does it cost? 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.
