Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Hiscox: 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 Hiscox?
Hiscox suits eligible small businesses that want online GL, professional liability, cyber or BOP quotes; businesses needing other specialty products should compare brokers. Core Hiscox NOW policies are usually issued by its own insurer, while some products use partners. 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. 13,14,15
Key Differences in General Liability Insurance
Specialty form features and small-business availability
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance markets primary GL with contractor broad-form and gradual-pollution features. Hiscox sells Hiscox NOW general liability directly online to small businesses and says it is available in 49 states and Washington, D.C., but not Alaska. For a small business seeking an online purchase, Hiscox’s stated route may be more accessible; a contractor or pollution exposure should prompt a close review of BHSI’s proposed endorsements. 6 10
Issuing insurer and account threshold
Hiscox names Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW GL policies. BHSI’s casualty guide sets a $50,000 minimum premium per policy. Buyers can identify the risk-bearing company from the Hiscox record and use BHSI’s published floor as an early screen; the actual Hiscox policy and BHSI quote still determine limits, exclusions and price. 11 5
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 reviewsHiscox
Review Score
4 rated sources
Hiscox’s review results are sharply divided: low Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs scores contrast with strong Feefo feedback. Service quality deserves closer scrutiny before purchase.[1][4][5][6][7]
Read Hiscox reviewsOffering Details
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Hiscox: General Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Primary general liability | Hiscox General Liability Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox Inc., a Delaware-based licensed insurance intermediary, sells general liability directly online to small businesses as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted small-business catalogue. 9,10Company-reported. Company-stated online small-business channel; broker-only sections of the Hiscox site are a separate, licensed-professional path not covered here. |
| Issuing Insurer | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200), a Chicago-based insurer, as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW general liability policies. 11,9Company-reported. Admitted small-business general liability as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote. |
| 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. | Hiscox says it is currently licensed to sell general liability online in 49 states and the District of Columbia, with coverage unavailable in Alaska; it directs buyers in states where it does not sell online to a specialist broker instead. 10Company-reported. Company-stated jurisdiction for the online small-business catalogue; specific class or industry eligibility still depends on underwriting. |
| 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. | Hiscox's general-liability product page adds an electronic-data-liability provision for IT and technology professions on top of its standard general-liability coverage. 10Company-reported. Product-page description; specific wording, limits and exclusions are set by the issued policy and declarations. |
| 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. | The general-liability page does not publish a standard limit amount; example California consultant pricing shown on the page is explicitly labeled illustrative rather than a quote. 10Not publicly disclosed. Public product page as previously reviewed; actual limits, retentions and pricing are quote-specific. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox says eligible buyers can apply for general liability online, with the policy issued by email and a certificate of insurance included in the welcome documents once the application is complete; buyers can also pay annually or monthly with no additional fees. 10Company-reported. Company-described online application and billing options; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application. |
| Claims Support | Confirm in your quote. | Hiscox says general-liability policyholders can report a claim online 24/7, and describes assigning a specialized claims professional to validate coverage on reported claims. 10,12Company-reported. Company-described claims process; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time. |
Full Comparison
More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Hiscox Comparisons
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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.
Hiscox
- Website Terms & Conditions of Use. Hiscox; Last modified May 28, 2024; Hiscox Inc. as Delaware corporation headquartered in Atlanta, d/b/a Hiscox Insurance Agency in CA, licensed intermediary for admitted and surplus-lines business with Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., other domestic insurers, and Lloyd’s syndicates; small-business online path distinguished from broker-only site sections. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get A Small Business Insurance Quote. Hiscox; States that Hiscox offers general liability, professional liability, cyber security and business owner’s policies online; zip-code quote field; licensed-agent hours Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. ET and Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- General Liability Insurance. Hiscox; Online quote; 49-state and D.C. availability with Alaska excluded; broker-referral if not sold online; payment annually or monthly with no additional fees; online 24/7 claim reporting; policy issued via email and certificate in welcome documents; electronic data liability for IT professions; coverage subject to underwriting. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide. Hiscox; Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; footer underwriting disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Start a Business Insurance Claim Online, by Phone or Mail. Hiscox; Online claim filing; specialized claims professional assignment; coverage validation. Accessed 2026-09-16.
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.
