Glossary

General aggregate

The most a general liability policy pays in one policy period for all claims other than products-completed operations, however many occurrences there are.

Also called: general aggregate limit, GA, annual aggregate

The general aggregate is the cap on what a commercial general liability policy pays during one policy period. Under the ISO CGL form (CG 00 01), it is the most the insurer will pay for the sum of Coverage A damages other than those in the products-completed operations hazard, Coverage B personal and advertising injury damages, and Coverage C medical expenses. Products and completed operations have their own aggregate. A common structure is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million general aggregate.

Say a retailer with those limits faces three separate claims of $800,000 each in one year (a hypothetical). The first two are paid in full. Only $400,000 remains of the aggregate for the third, and nothing is left for any claim after that until renewal. Defense costs normally sit outside the limits in the standard form, so they do not erode the aggregate, though some carriers use defense-within-limits wording.

For contractors and multi-location businesses, the aggregate applies to the whole policy unless modified. The ISO endorsements CG 25 04 (designated location) and CG 25 03 (designated construction project) give each site its own aggregate, and contracts often require them. An umbrella policy can sit above the exhausted aggregate. The guide on commercial policy limits: per occurrence, aggregate and sublimits compares the limit types, and aggregate limit defines the general idea.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Aggregate limit The most an insurer will pay for all covered claims during a policy period, however many separate occurrences or claims there are. Per-occurrence limit The most a liability policy will pay for all damages arising from a single occurrence, however many people are hurt or claims are made. Products-completed operations aggregate The most a general liability policy pays per policy period for injury or damage in the products-completed operations hazard, apart from the general aggregate. Umbrella policy A liability policy that adds limits above underlying general liability, auto and employers' liability policies and may cover some claims they do not. Sublimit A lower cap on what a policy pays for one coverage, peril or item, set beneath the policy's overall limit.

Related guides

BOP vs general liability: which one do you need? A BOP is general liability plus property and business income in one policy. When the package is the better buy and when stand-alone general liability fits. Inside the CGL policy: Coverages A, B and C How the ISO commercial general liability form's three coverages work: the triggers, the key exclusions, supplementary payments and which limit each claim uses. Commercial policy limits: per occurrence, aggregate and sublimits How per-occurrence limits, aggregates and sublimits work in CGL, property and workers' comp policies, with an example of an aggregate running out. Commercial umbrella insurance How a commercial umbrella adds liability limits above your CGL, auto and employers' liability, when it drops down, what it excludes, and how to size it. General liability insurance: what it covers and what it does not General liability pays third-party injury, property damage and advertising claims and defends the suit. What the ISO form excludes and what drives price. How much liability insurance does a business need? Most small businesses start at $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. What pushes limits higher, when an umbrella fits, and a worked example.

Related insurers

Hiscox Lloyd's-rooted specialist that sells professional liability, GL, BOP and cyber to U.S. small businesses online and through brokers, plus E&S lines via Lloyd's.

Related en español

Cobertura de productos y operaciones terminadas Qué cubre el riesgo de productos y operaciones terminadas en la póliza CGL, cuándo un trabajo se da por terminado, su agregado propio y cómo mantenerla vigente. ¿Cuánto seguro de responsabilidad civil necesita su negocio? Casi todo negocio pequeño empieza con $1 millón por ocurrencia y $2 millones en el agregado. Qué sube los límites, cuándo conviene un paraguas y un ejemplo. Seguro de responsabilidad civil general: qué cubre y qué no Paga lesiones y daños a terceros y reclamos por publicidad, y defiende la demanda. Qué excluye el formulario ISO y qué determina el precio. Seguro paraguas comercial (commercial umbrella) Cómo un paraguas comercial suma límites sobre su CGL, auto y responsabilidad patronal, cuándo baja a primario, qué excluye y cómo dimensionarlo.