Hear from Our Customers
A slip-and-fall at your storefront. A client claiming your work damaged their property. A delivery that goes wrong and someone gets hurt. These aren’t hypotheticals in Tempe—they’re Tuesday.
Without general liability insurance, one lawsuit can drain your savings, force you to sell equipment, or shut your doors entirely. Arizona doesn’t cap jury awards for medical costs, lost wages, or pain and suffering. That means unlimited exposure if someone decides to sue.
With the right coverage, you’re protected against third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage. Your policy covers legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments up to your limit. You can focus on running your business instead of wondering if one bad day will end it. And when a client or landlord asks for a certificate of insurance, you can produce it immediately—not scramble to figure out what that even means.
Premier Choice Insurance is a family-owned independent agency based in Arizona. We’ve been helping business owners across the state—including right here in Tempe—find coverage that actually fits what they do and what they can afford.
We’re not captive to one carrier. We work with over 100 insurance companies, which means we can shop your coverage across dozens of options to find competitive rates and the right protection. Our team is local, licensed, and actually picks up the phone when you call.
Tempe’s business landscape is unique—home to ASU’s constant foot traffic, Mill Avenue’s restaurant and retail scene, and thousands of small companies operating near Fortune 500 headquarters. We understand the risks that come with operating here, from monsoon season property damage to the liability exposure of serving tourists and students. That local knowledge matters when you’re building a policy that needs to hold up under pressure.
You reach out—by phone, email, or through the website. We ask about your business: what you do, how many employees you have, your annual revenue, and what kind of risks you face. This isn’t a script. It’s a real conversation to understand what you actually need.
We shop your coverage across our network of over 100 carriers. Some specialize in certain industries. Others offer better rates for businesses your size. We compare options and send you quotes that make sense for your situation and budget—not just the cheapest policy we can find.
You pick the coverage that works. We handle the paperwork, bind the policy, and cancel your old one if you’re switching (at no cost to you). If you need a certificate of insurance for a lease or contract, we generate it fast. And when something changes—you hire more people, move locations, add a service—you call us and we adjust your policy. That’s it. No phone trees, no offshore centers, no waiting three days for a callback.
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General liability insurance covers third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage caused by your business operations. If a customer slips on your floor, a vendor trips over your equipment, or your work accidentally damages someone’s property, your policy covers legal defense, medical expenses, settlements, and judgments up to your limit.
Most small businesses in Tempe pay between $400 and $1,200 annually for general liability coverage, with many paying around $97 per month. Your actual cost depends on your industry, revenue, number of employees, and claims history. A retail shop on Mill Avenue faces different risks than a consulting firm near ASU, and pricing reflects that.
General liability doesn’t cover everything. It won’t protect you from employee injuries (that’s workers compensation insurance), damage to your own property (that’s commercial property insurance), or claims that your professional advice caused financial harm (that’s professional liability insurance or errors and omissions insurance). Many Tempe businesses bundle general liability with commercial auto insurance if they operate vehicles, or add cyber coverage if they handle customer data. We help you figure out what combination makes sense without paying for coverage you don’t need.
Arizona doesn’t legally require general liability insurance to operate, but landlords almost always require it before signing a lease. Clients often won’t contract with you without proof of coverage. And if you’re bidding on commercial work or working with larger companies, a certificate of insurance is non-negotiable.
Most small businesses in Tempe carry $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, which is the standard minimum most landlords and clients require. That means your policy covers up to $1 million for a single claim and up to $2 million total for all claims during your policy period.
Whether that’s enough depends on your risk exposure. If you operate a retail store on Mill Avenue with high foot traffic, handle expensive client property, or work in someone’s home or business, you face more liability exposure than a home-based consultant. Some contracts require higher limits—$2 million per occurrence or more—especially if you’re working with large commercial clients or government contracts.
Higher limits cost more, but not as much as you’d think. Going from $1 million to $2 million per occurrence might only add $200-$400 annually. Compare that to the cost of a lawsuit that exceeds your coverage, and the math makes sense. We help you figure out what limit makes sense based on your industry, revenue, and the contracts you’re trying to win.
General liability covers bodily injury and property damage caused by your business operations—physical accidents and tangible damage. Professional liability (also called errors and omissions insurance or E&O insurance) covers financial harm caused by your professional services, advice, or failure to deliver what you promised.
If a client trips over a cable in your office and breaks their arm, that’s general liability. If a client claims your consulting advice cost them $50,000 in lost revenue, that’s professional liability. If you’re a contractor and your work causes a pipe to burst and flood a client’s building, that’s general liability. If you’re an architect and your design has a flaw that requires expensive rework, that’s professional liability.
Many Tempe businesses need both. Consultants, accountants, real estate agents, IT professionals, and anyone selling advice or expertise should carry professional liability. But you still need general liability for the physical risks of operating a business. We help you understand which coverage applies to your specific work and whether you need one, both, or additional policies like cyber liability or commercial property insurance.
Maybe. It depends on the severity of the claim, your claims history, and how your carrier underwrites renewals. One small claim won’t necessarily spike your rates, especially if you have years of claim-free history. But multiple claims or a large payout can absolutely increase your premium at renewal—or cause a carrier to non-renew your policy altogether.
This is why your deductible matters. Some policies have no deductible for liability claims, while others require you to pay the first $500 or $1,000. If you’re facing a minor claim that’s close to your deductible amount, it might make sense to handle it out of pocket rather than file and risk a rate increase.
That said, this is exactly why you carry insurance. If you’re facing a legitimate lawsuit or a claim that could cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, file it. That’s what your policy is for. The bigger risk is being underinsured or dropping coverage to save money, then getting hit with a claim that wipes you out. We help you think through these decisions when they come up, not just when you’re buying the policy.
Yes, and you probably need it more than you think. Your homeowners or renters insurance doesn’t cover business activities. If a client visits your home office and gets injured, or if your business operations cause damage to a neighbor’s property, your personal policy won’t cover it.
General liability for home-based businesses is usually affordable—often between $300 and $600 annually for low-risk operations like consulting, freelancing, or online retail. If you meet clients at your home, store inventory, or operate any equipment, you’re exposed to liability risk.
Some home-based businesses also need commercial property insurance to cover business equipment, inventory, or supplies that wouldn’t be covered under a homeowners policy. If you use your personal vehicle for business purposes—delivering products, meeting clients, running business errands—you might need commercial auto insurance or a business use endorsement on your personal auto policy. We help you figure out what coverage applies to your specific setup without overcomplicating it or selling you policies you don’t need.
If you already have an active general liability policy with us, we can generate a certificate of insurance the same day—often within an hour. Certificates are free and unlimited. You just tell us who needs to be listed as an additional insured (usually your landlord or client) and we send it over.
If you don’t have coverage yet, we can usually bind a policy and issue a certificate within 24-48 hours once you approve a quote. Some carriers can bind coverage immediately if underwriting is straightforward. Speed depends on your industry, the information we need, and how quickly you can provide details about your business operations.
Tempe landlords almost always require proof of general liability before you sign a commercial lease, and many require them to be listed as an additional insured on your policy. Commercial clients often won’t let you start work without a current certificate on file. If you’re in a time crunch, let us know upfront. We prioritize urgent requests and work with carriers that can move quickly when needed. Just don’t wait until the day before you need it—give us at least a few days if possible.
This is happening more often across Arizona. Carriers are tightening underwriting, raising rates, and non-renewing policies as loss ratios climb and reinsurance costs increase. If you’ve been with the same company for 15+ years and suddenly see a massive rate hike or a non-renewal notice, you’re not alone.
The advantage of working with an independent agency like us is that we represent over 100 carriers. If one drops you or doubles your rate, we can shop your coverage across dozens of other options. We’re not tied to a single company, so we’re not stuck trying to defend an indefensible rate increase or scrambling to find you coverage at the last minute.
When this happens, reach out as soon as you get the notice—ideally 60-90 days before your renewal. That gives us time to shop the market, compare options, and get you bound with a new carrier before your current policy expires. We’ve helped hundreds of Arizona business owners navigate this exact situation. It’s frustrating, but it’s fixable. You just need an agency that works for you, not the insurance company.
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