CNA vs Harper: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

Harper says it reviews and maps the policies under its umbrella so the layer follows their terms. CNA describes alignment with most underlying conditions and lists four built-in enhancements. 4,7

CNA Small Business Insurance: Products, Agents and Service

CNA directs small-business buyers to independent agents and describes CNA Connect as a businessowners policy for more than 600 small-business classes. Issuer and availability vary by policy and state, so confirm both in a quote. 1,2,3

Read the CNA profile

Read the CNA Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page

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. 5,6

Read the Harper profile

Read the Harper Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page

What Is Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

Umbrella or excess insurance adds liability limits above the policies named in the quote after a covered claim exhausts their limits. It may fit if a contract sets higher limits; check which primary policies are listed and any gaps between them. 8,9,10,11,12

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance

Following and Mapping the Underlying Policies

Harper says it maps the exact policies beneath the umbrella and that the layer follows their terms; it names general liability, auto and certain employer-liability suits as possible attachment contexts. CNA says its forms are designed to align with most underlying terms, but does not describe a comparable mapping service in the reviewed record. For a business renewing several primaries, Harper’s described review makes the schedule itself a key deliverable to request. 7 4

Included Form Features

CNA lists key-employee replacement, crisis management, waiver of subrogation and most-favorable venue as built-in enhancements. Harper’s material focuses on matching the layer to underlying policies and offers a specialist review before recommending limits; it does not list those same enhancements. Compare the wording, not just the feature names, because a mapped schedule and a form extension solve different questions. 4 7

What to Confirm in Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Harper for its written underlying-policy map and identify any gaps or exclusions it found. 7
  • Ask CNA for enhancement wording, sublimits and the underlying conditions it will align to. 4
  • Confirm limits and attachment points against the actual primary declarations. 7 4

CNA and Harper Review Scores for 2026

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.

CNA Review Score

9.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Customer feedback on CNA is mixed and hard to compare. NerdWallet gave it 4.5 out of 5 for manufacturers, while Trustpilot shows about 1.4 out of 5 from 49 mostly self-selected reviews.[1][5]

Read CNA reviews

Harper Review Score

-/ 10

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 reviews

CNA vs Harper Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Compared

CNA vs Harper: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCNA Commercial Umbrella and Excess LiabilityHarper Umbrella Insurance
Role in This Line

Confirm in your quote.

Harper places umbrella and excess liability coverage as extra limits stacked above a client's existing primary policies, rather than re-selling the underlying coverage itself. 7Company-reported. Umbrella page introduction and 'What is Umbrella insurance?' section.

Who It’s For

Confirm in your quote.

Harper recommends an umbrella when a lease or contract requires liability limits above a business's primary policies, and otherwise frames it as a judgment call based on how much of a claim the business could absorb. 7Company-reported. Umbrella FAQ 'Do I need an umbrella?'.

Coverage Features

CNA says its umbrella forms are designed to align with most underlying terms and conditions. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing CNA subsidiary may vary by product/state Product: United States commercial insurance Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: US commercial umbrella/excess Claim limitation: Company-reported; policy wording, underwriting and jurisdiction-specific availability control.

CNA lists key-employee replacement, crisis management, waiver of subrogation and most-favorable venue as built-in enhancements. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing CNA subsidiary may vary by product/state Product: United States commercial insurance Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: US commercial umbrella/excess Claim limitation: Company-reported; policy wording, underwriting and jurisdiction-specific availability control.

Harper describes the umbrella responding above general liability claims, above auto liability claims, and above a workers' compensation claim when an injured employee separately sues. 7Company-reported. Umbrella page's four coverage tiles; the underlying and umbrella policies as issued control which claims actually qualify.

Harper says the umbrella follows the terms of the policies underneath it, and that it maps exactly which underlying policies sit under a client's umbrella so there are no coverage gaps. 7Company-reported. Umbrella FAQ 'Does it cover everything my other policies cover?'; a described mapping practice, not an independently verified outcome.

Limits and Retentions

Confirm in your quote.

Harper says each additional million in umbrella limits typically costs a fraction of the first million, and that industry and underlying limits drive price, but the reviewed page does not publish specific limit amounts, retentions or premium figures. 7Not publicly disclosed. Umbrella page 'We know this' section and FAQ 'What does it cost?'; figures would appear on an actual quote.

Risk Services

CNA says its commercial umbrella/excess underwriting draws on more than 50 years of experience and offers flexible underwriting. 4Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; issuing CNA subsidiary may vary by product/state Product: United States commercial insurance Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: US commercial umbrella/excess Claim limitation: Company-reported; policy wording, underwriting and jurisdiction-specific availability control.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

Confirm in your quote.

You request a quote through Harper's online form or by phone; Harper says a specialist reviews the underlying policies before recommending umbrella limits. 7Company-reported. Umbrella page quote form and 'Why Harper' process steps.

Related Pages for CNA vs Harper Umbrella and Excess Liability

Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Pages for CNA and Harper

Other Coverage Lines Compared for CNA vs Harper

Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for CNA vs Harper Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance

Sources About CNA

  1. Insurance for Small Businesses. CNA; Insurance for Small Businesses, lines 38-50 and 65-67 (CNA Central and agent route); lines 79-106 (product and stated appetite lists); page footer line 132 (CNA registered service mark). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. CNA Connect Small Businessowners Policy (BOP) | CNA Insurance. CNA; CNA Connect; coverages, product range, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. General Disclaimer. CNA; General Disclaimer paragraphs 1 and 5 (HTML lines 24 and 28): CNA describes Continental Casualty Company and its relevant affiliates; references to CNA may include one or more CCC affiliates; each particular policy/product/service is the responsibility only of the specific CNA company that issues or supplies it. Footer line 57 identifies CNA Financial Corporation as trademark registrant. Re-read 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Umbrella Insurance and Excess Liability Insurance | CNA Insurance. CNA; Forms, enhancements, underwriting. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources About Harper

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Umbrella Insurance. Harper; Know your coverage: What is Umbrella insurance?; Excess over general liability, Excess over auto, Above a workplace-injury suit, Contract compliance; Why Harper; FAQs on whether an umbrella is needed, what it follows, and pricing. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Sources for the Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Guide

  1. Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Heading Umbrella Liability Insurance; sentence Umbrella Liability—also known as Excess Liability Insurance; underlying policies listed with limits; typically GL, auto and employers’ liability; starts when a covered loss exhausts the primary per occurrence limit; Most umbrella policies exclude EPL, professional liability, product recall, workers compensation, asbestos, pollution, war and terrorism. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Umbrella; excess over a basic liability policy; auto/CGL/WC or any liability policy can be covered; may respond if basic policy not in force or for gaps; SIR when no underlying. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Lines of Insurance. California Department of Insurance; Umbrella or Excess Liability Policy: excess limits over existing liability; may provide additional coverages not provided by underlying policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Coverage Hub. Coverdash; Excess & Specialty: Umbrella; Excess Liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Products. Kinro; 09 Umbrella/Excess: additional limits above scheduled underlying policies; when to review; reviewed with. 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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