How to Read Your CGL Policy Declarations Page

What the Declarations Page Is

The declarations page — usually called the "dec page" — is the one- or two-page summary at the front of your commercial general liability policy. It's the page that answers the questions a claims adjuster, a general contractor, or your own lawyer will want to see first: who's insured, what's covered, how much, and for how long.

Everything on the dec page is specific to your policy. The rest of the policy document (often 60+ pages of ISO standard forms and endorsements) defines the terms, exclusions, and conditions that apply to everyone. The dec page tells you how those general forms apply to your business specifically.

If you ever have to produce a COI, dispute a claim, or answer a contract compliance question, you'll be working off this page.

Section 1: Named Insured and Mailing Address

At the top, you'll see the named insured — the legal entity (or entities) covered under the policy. This is typically your business's legal name, not a trade name or DBA unless the DBA has been specifically scheduled.

Things to check:

• •The legal name matches exactly how your business is registered (LLC, Inc., or sole proprietor name)
• •All related entities that need coverage are listed
• •The DBA is listed if your clients know you by a trade name
• •The mailing address is current — notices of cancellation go here

A common mistake: the policy is written under the owner's personal name instead of the LLC, or under an old business name after a legal reorganization. Claims against an entity that isn't named on the policy can be declined — it's worth verifying.

Section 2: Policy Period

The policy period shows the start and end dates, usually at 12:01 a.m. on each date. A one-year policy starting January 1, 2026, runs from 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2026, to 12:01 a.m. January 1, 2027.

Most CGL policies are written on an occurrence form — what matters for claims is the date the damage occurred, not when the claim was filed. If you had coverage January 1, 2026, through January 1, 2027, and damage occurred during that window, this is the policy that responds — even if the claim isn't filed until 2030.

Keep old dec pages. For contractors in California, completed operations claims can surface up to 10 years after the work was done under the construction defect statute of repose.

Section 3: Limits of Insurance

This is the core section. A typical small business CGL dec page shows:

Each Occurrence caps what the policy pays for any single incident. Multiple injured parties from one event share this limit.

General Aggregate is the total the policy pays during the policy year for ongoing operations and premises claims.

Products-Completed Operations Aggregate is the separate total for claims arising after your work is done. It doesn't share a bucket with the general aggregate.

Personal and Advertising Injury covers non-physical harm like defamation and advertising-related intellectual property issues. The limit is typically per offense, capped by the general aggregate.

Damage to Premises Rented to You provides limited coverage for fire damage (and sometimes other causes, depending on the form) to a space you rent. This is narrow — don't confuse it with a commercial property policy.

Medical Expense pays small "no-fault" medical bills regardless of whether you're legally liable, up to the per-person limit. It's designed to resolve small injuries before they turn into claims.

Section 4: Class Codes and Premises

Below the limits, the dec page shows how your business is classified for rating. Each class code represents a specific industry or trade, and each has its own rate per $1,000 of exposure (often gross receipts or payroll).

Check that:

• •The class codes match what you actually do
• •All premises where you operate are listed
• •If you've expanded your operations (new trade, new location, more employees), the policy reflects that

A class code mismatch — bought a handyman policy but actually doing HVAC, or listed one location but working from three — can lead to a claim denial later. When your business changes, tell your agent.

Section 5: Deductibles

Most small-business CGL policies are written with no per-claim deductible, or a small one ($250–$1,000) per claim. Larger policies may have deductibles of $2,500, $5,000, or more.

A high deductible reduces premium but makes small claims unreportable in practical terms — you'd pay out of pocket rather than file. For most California small businesses, a low or zero deductible is the right choice on a CGL.

Section 6: Forms and Endorsements Schedule

This is the most overlooked part of the dec page. It lists every ISO standard form and endorsement attached to your policy, each identified by a form number and edition date (e.g., CG 00 01 04 13).

Look for these common endorsements:

• •CG 00 01 — The base CGL coverage form. Every CGL policy has a version of this.
• •CG 20 10 — Additional insured, ongoing operations.
• •CG 20 37 — Additional insured, completed operations.
• •CG 24 04 — Waiver of subrogation.
• •CG 21 44 — Limitation of coverage to designated premises or project (restrictive — a red flag if you didn't intend this).
• •CG 21 39 — Contractual liability limitation.
• •CG 21 47 — Employment-related practices exclusion.

A short endorsement schedule with generic exclusions is typical for basic policies. A longer schedule with additional insured endorsements, waivers of subrogation, and primary and non-contributory wording is typical for contractor policies writing commercial work.

If a contract requires a specific endorsement and your dec page doesn't list it, that's an immediate issue — request the endorsement before signing or starting work.

Section 7: Premium

The premium section shows the total annual premium, often broken out by coverage type. You may also see fees (policy fees, state surcharges, terrorism premium) listed separately.

If you're paying monthly, the premium on the dec page is the annualized figure — the monthly bill is roughly 1/12 of that, often with a small finance or installment fee.

What to Pull Off the Dec Page When You Need a COI

When a client, GC, or landlord asks for a COI, the agent preparing it is pulling data from the dec page:

• •Named insured → the "Insured" line on the COI
• •Policy period → the "Effective Date" and "Expiration Date" lines
• •Limits → the coverage limit boxes
• •Policy number → the COI's reference identifier
• •Forms and endorsements → listed in the "Description of Operations" box when requested

If your contract requires additional insured status and your dec page doesn't have the right endorsement, the COI won't match the contract, and you'll hit a compliance problem. Read the dec page when you buy the policy, read it at renewal, and read it whenever a new contract requires something specific. It's the fastest way to spot gaps before they cost you a job or a claim.