The franchise agreement already decided what you are buying.
Cover for franchisees — meeting the insurance schedule in your franchise agreement exactly, without buying the wrong thing or paying twice for cover the brand program already includes.
Tell us the situation.
A licensed human replies the same business day — not an auto-responder, and not five producers calling at once. We shop it across our carriers and tell you if the policy you already have is the right one.
We use this to quote and service your insurance, and we do not sell it or pass it to lead networks. Privacy policy.
What franchise businesses actually need.
The agreement’s required schedule
The limits, cover types and endorsements your franchisor mandates.
Without it — Non-compliance is a breach of the agreement, not just an uninsured risk.
Franchisor as additional insured
Naming the franchisor, and usually its affiliates, on your liability policy.
Without it — Almost universally required, and a specific endorsement rather than a note.
Property, contents and build-out
Your fit-out, equipment and stock — often a large fixed investment.
Without it — A franchise build-out is specified by the brand and expensive to replace.
Business income
Income while closed, plus ongoing royalty obligations.
Without it — Royalties and rent frequently continue while the unit is shut.
Employment practices
Staff claims, which in franchising can also be aimed at the franchisor.
Without it — Joint-employer arguments pull the brand in, and the brand will look to you.
What franchise operators ask us.
Should I just use the franchisor’s recommended program?
Price it and compare rather than defaulting either way. A brand program is convenient, is guaranteed to satisfy the agreement, and is sometimes genuinely well priced through volume. It can also be more expensive than the open market, and it is written to the brand’s standard rather than to your particular unit — your location, your build-out cost, your loss history. Get both quoted against the same schedule; the comparison is straightforward once someone reads the agreement properly.
What exactly does the agreement require?
More than most franchisees realize, and it is worth extracting into a checklist. Typically: general liability at a stated per-occurrence and aggregate limit, property at replacement cost, business income including royalties, workers comp, commercial auto including hired and non-owned, employment practices, and often cyber and liquor where relevant. Then the mechanics — franchisor and affiliates as additional insureds, primary and non-contributory wording, waiver of subrogation, and notice of cancellation. Send us the agreement itself; the wording is what compliance is judged on.
What happens if I fall out of compliance?
It is a breach of the franchise agreement, which is a bigger problem than an insurance gap. Franchisors commonly reserve the right to force-place cover at your cost, and persistent non-compliance can be a default event affecting renewal or transfer of the franchise. The usual cause is not refusal but drift — a policy renewed without the endorsements, or a certificate never re-sent. Diarise it with the franchisor’s compliance portal rather than waiting to be chased.
Am I liable for the brand’s problems, or it for mine?
Each of you will be named for the other’s, which is why the additional insured requirement runs one way and the indemnity usually runs the same way. A customer injured in your unit sues you and the franchisor; the franchisor’s cover then looks to yours, because the agreement makes you responsible for what happens at your location. Carrying the required limits properly is what stops that becoming your personal problem.
Not ready to talk? The guides answer the questions this page raises in more depth. Already insured with us and need a certificate or a policy change? Ask the service team rather than starting a quote — it is faster and it goes to the people whose job it is. We also write home and auto, which is usually cheaper alongside the business policy than apart from it.