Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Simply Business: How Do They Compare for General Liability Insurance?

BHSI markets contractor and gradual-pollution features and a $50,000 policy minimum; Simply Business discusses common small-business liability claims and offers an online quote request without guaranteeing placement. 6,9

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

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile

Simply Business: Online Small-Business Insurance Marketplace

Simply Business describes a digital marketplace and licensed-producer service for small businesses. The policy and selected insurer determine coverage, fees, servicing and claims responsibilities. 7,8

Read the Simply Business profile

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

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in General Liability Insurance

Form-specific features and educational overview

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance markets primary GL with contractor broad-form and gradual-pollution features. Simply Business describes third-party accidents, bodily injury, property damage and defense costs as common GL subjects, while noting its page is educational and employee injuries are outside this line. Buyers should request BHSI’s actual form and determine which carrier Simply Business offers before treating the summaries as equivalent protection. 6 9

Premium floor and quote certainty

BHSI sets a $50,000 minimum premium per policy. Simply Business directs buyers to an online quote flow, but its terms say a quote is not guaranteed and its producer cannot bind without panel-member approval. That makes the online start convenient but not a promise of coverage; BHSI’s stated floor is a clear screening question. Compare final carrier, limits, exclusions and premium once underwriting responds. 5 9

What to Confirm in General Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask BHSI whether your business meets its stated minimum and target appetite. 5
  • Ask Simply Business which panel insurer approved the risk and whether the quote can bind. 9

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

-/ 10

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 reviews

Simply Business

5.7/ 10

Review Score

4 rated sources

Customers disagree about Simply Business. Trustpilot shows 4.3 out of 5 from 1,901 reviews, but BBB customers give it 1.95 from 20 reviews and ConsumerAffairs shows 1.0.[6][10][7]

Read Simply Business reviews

Offering Details

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Simply Business: General Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaPrimary general liabilityGeneral liability insurance through Simply Business
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.

The page discusses sole proprietors, partnerships, LLCs, home-based businesses, independent contractors and freelancers as examples of small-business buyers. Examples do not guarantee a carrier quote or eligibility. 9Company-reported. Company-published general-liability information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.

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.

The company describes general liability as potentially addressing third-party accidents, bodily injury, third-party property damage and legal-defense costs. Its page says employee injuries are not covered by this line. This is educational material, not a policy form. 9Company-reported. Company-published general-liability information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.

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.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

Simply Business directs buyers to an online quote flow; its Terms say a quote is not guaranteed and the producer cannot bind a risk without panel-member approval. 9,8Company-reported. Company-published general-liability information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer.

Full Comparison

More Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Simply Business Comparisons

Other General Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Simply Business

  1. Our Small Business Insurance Story. Simply Business; Opening description and audience; digital marketplace, business types and U.S. service. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Terms of Service. Simply Business; Dated June 30, 2026; §1 lines 22–28; §8 lines 87–113; §10 lines 143–149; §19 line 211. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. General Liability Insurance for a Small Business. Simply Business; Coverage lines 51–75; audience lines 61–65, 153–155; application and examples elsewhere on page. Accessed 2026-09-29.

General Liability Insurance Guide

  1. Commercial general liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Coverage A; Coverage B; Coverage C; Purchasing commercial general liability insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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