Foundershield vs Three: General Liability Insurance

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway bundles GL in a small-business Business Owners Policy with advisor quote help; Founder Shield brokers general liability for customer-facing firms including startups, retail stores, and home-based businesses.

Montgomery Risk Partners prepared this library from Spot.Insure comparison research and underlying public records.Research updated 2026-09-30

Provider coverage details

Founder Shield

  • role: Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield General Liability Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Founder Shield says general liability suits most businesses with a physical or customer-facing presence, including retail stores, tech startups, home-based businesses and property renters. General Liability product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield lists third-party bodily injury, property damage, personal and advertising injury (libel, slander, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy), and legal defense costs as what the policy covers. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield notes general liability excludes employee injuries (covered by workers' compensation), professional errors (covered by E&O), and damage to the policyholder's own property (covered by commercial property insurance). General Liability product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield General Liability Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You request Founder Shield General Liability Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

  • role: THREE presents General Liability as a component of its combined Business Owners Policy rather than identifying it as a separate standalone policy on the reviewed product page. Company-described U.S. package structure. The page does not establish underwriting terms or that every listed category will be included for every applicant.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: THREE's Business Owners Policy page lists General Liability among its marketed coverage categories in the combined policy. This describes the product page, not whether the category appears in a particular quote or responds to a loss. Official THREE package marketing for General Liability. The sample policy is state-selectable and does not establish that this item is included in every quote or issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: The linked sample policy's declarations identify Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer. This is the issuer named on the public sample only; the sample does not establish the issuing entity for every state-specific quote or buyer's issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: THREE directs small-business prospects to an online quote and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help with the process. This is the route for the overall THREE product. It does not show whether General Liability will be offered for a particular business or whether a customer can bind that line without an issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The reviewed public product page does not state a separate limit or deductible for General Liability; THREE says the quote-specific insurance summary lists limits and deductibles. No number is inferred from the sample policy. The quote and issued declarations control the buyer-specific limit and deductible.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: The reviewed product page does not state separate eligibility rules for General Liability; the general quote and advisor route is not proof that a particular business qualifies for it. Eligibility and state availability remain unestablished for an individual risk until THREE returns its quote and applicable forms.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗

What Are the Key Differences Between Founder Shield and THREE by Berkshire Hathaway General Liability Insurance?

Brokerage Placement and Issuing Carrier

Founder Shield says it is a retail brokerage and places its general-liability policy with third-party carriers, selecting carriers rated A- or better by AM Best; the actual issuer depends on the placement. THREE lists liability inside its combined Business Owners Policy, and its sample declarations identify Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer. Check the actual declarations from both routes to compare the insurer named on your policy. [5] [7] [3]

Customer-Facing Business and Coverage

Founder Shield describes general liability for physical or customer-facing businesses, including retail, technology startups, home businesses and property renters. It lists third-party bodily injury, property damage, personal or advertising injury and legal defense costs, while directing employee injuries, professional errors and own-property damage to other lines. THREE names general liability in its combined offering but its reviewed record does not specify equivalent claim categories. Match the policy wording to the business's location, services and products. [6] [1]

Advisor-Led Application

Founder Shield says buyers request coverage through its website or an advisor, after which its placement team approaches carriers; the public description does not offer direct binding. THREE provides an online quote route and licensed Small Business Advisor assistance. Ask Founder Shield which insurers it will approach and THREE how the proposal becomes bound coverage. [5] [2]

What Should You Confirm in Founder Shield and THREE by Berkshire Hathaway General Liability Insurance Quotes?

  • Request the proposed carrier, AM Best rating, liability limits and exclusions from Founder Shield; get the named insurer and policy form from THREE. [7] [3]
  • Compare employee injury, professional-services and own-property boundaries and confirm how defense expenses affect limits. [6] [1]

Founder Shield describes third-party injury, property and advertising claims and places policies with carriers rated A- or better. THREE lists general liability within its Business Owners Policy.

Sources and records

  1. 01
    Business Owners Policy - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

    Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE · Product page: “No need for multiple policies” and one comprehensive policy; Business Liability, Property and Business Auto categories and the listed line names. Product page footer identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE. · accessed 2026-09-30

  2. 02
    Jargon-free small business insurance - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

    Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE · Lines 23, 39, 70–81 and 406–410: business location quote entry, single-policy description, issuer, business focus, online quote and licensed Small Business Advisor route. Quote entry inspected without submitting a form. · accessed 2026-09-30

  3. 03
    The Policy: 3 Jargon-free pages - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

    Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE · State-selectable sample policy: Summary (Declarations) identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer and says the insurance summary lists limits and deductibles; sample policy text and state selection do not establish terms for a particular quote or issued policy. · accessed 2026-09-30

  4. 04
    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

  5. 05
    About Us

    Founder Shield · “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    General Liability Insurance

    Founder Shield · What Is General Liability Insurance?; Who Needs General Liability Insurance Coverage?; What Does General Liability Insurance Cover? · accessed 2026-09-23

  7. 07
    How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?

    Founder Shield · FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite · accessed 2026-09-23

  8. 08
    Commercial general liability insurance

    Insurance Information Institute · Coverage A; Coverage B; Coverage C; Purchasing commercial general liability insurance · accessed 2026-09-16

  9. 09
    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

Use this comparison as a starting point for a discussion about your business and its insurance needs.

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