Insurance · Illinois handyman, general liability
Hiscox vs Next Insurance: general liability for an Illinois handyman
Hiscox and ERGO NEXT Insurance both sell general liability coverage to handymen and both publish Illinois pages, but neither page we retrieved printed a quote for a specific Illinois handyman shop. They publish starting prices, typical ranges, and coverage descriptions. We did not run a quote and have not bought a policy from either company.
Affiliate disclosure. TradeStack intends to earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, once those programs approve us. Until then, product names marked “link coming soon” are not clickable and do not track a sale. This is a paid relationship we must disclose under the FTC Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255. See also our disclosures.
Not an insurance producer. TradeStack is not a licensed insurance agency or producer and does not sell policies, bind coverage, or advise you to buy a specific policy. Any quote links, when they exist, are advertising. Confirm coverage, eligibility, and price with the carrier or a licensed producer.
Who this is for. An Illinois handyman, often working alone or with a very small crew, who has been asked for a certificate of insurance before a residential or light commercial job and wants to compare what Hiscox and ERGO NEXT actually publish about general liability — not a made-up premium.
What we can and cannot say about price
General liability premiums are quoted to the applicant and depend on the work you do, your location, revenue or payroll, claims history, and the limits you choose. We did not enter an Illinois address into either quote tool, so this page does not contain an Illinois handyman premium. Every dollar figure below is a vendor-published starting price, typical range, or national median — not a quote.
Official Hiscox figures
Hiscox’s Illinois business-insurance page, retrieved November 13, 2026, says general liability from Hiscox “costs as little as $30 a month,” professional liability “starts at $22.50 per month,” a business owner’s policy “starts at $41.67 per month,” and cyber security insurance is “available for as little as $30 per month.” A footnote says those figures are examples until an official customer quote is provided, and are neither an offer nor a guarantee of premium or coverage. Those Illinois starting prices are not labeled as handyman rates.
On a separate official handyman page, Hiscox writes that a sole-proprietor handyman business “can expect to pay around $50 - $80 per month for general liability insurance coverage.” That range is not tied to Illinois, and it is still not a quote. Hiscox’s general-liability page, retrieved the same day, repeats the “Starts from $30/mo” language and lists limits from $300,000 to $2,000,000, an instant certificate of insurance, and same-day coverage. A FAQ says Hiscox offers its products in 49 states and D.C., not Alaska, so Illinois is inside the published footprint. Clients, the FAQ says, often ask for a minimum of $1 million. The Illinois page also lists monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual payments, with no fees.
| What Hiscox printed | Figure |
|---|---|
| Illinois page: general liability “as little as” | $30 a month (not a handyman quote) |
| Handyman page: sole proprietor “can expect to pay around” for general liability | $50–$80 per month (not state-specific) |
| General-liability limits on the GL page | $300,000 to $2,000,000 |
Official ERGO NEXT figures
NEXT now brands itself ERGO NEXT Insurance on the pages we retrieved. Its Illinois general-liability page does not print a dollar premium for Illinois or for an Illinois handyman. It says cost varies with employees, type of work, payroll, claims history, and locations, and that the best estimate is a free quote. It also notes that general contractors in Chicago must show a certificate for at least $1 million in general liability to obtain a contractor’s license. That note is about general contractors, not every handyman.
The official handyman page publishes national medians as of October 2026 from ERGO NEXT policy data, labeled “this is not a quote.” The general-liability median is $69/mo. The same table lists tools and equipment at $38/mo, a business owner’s policy at $106/mo, and commercial property at $52/mo. A separate official cost page, with data updated in October 2026, says handyman insurance “can cost as little as $50 per month,” footnoted as a Texas general-liability minimum, not Illinois, and that most customers can expect to pay $36 to $74 per month. ERGO NEXT says you can buy online in about 10 minutes, pay monthly or annually and cancel anytime, and get unlimited certificates at no extra cost.
| What ERGO NEXT printed | Figure |
|---|---|
| Illinois GL page | No dollar premium printed |
| National median, general liability, October 2026 (vendor: “this is not a quote”) | $69/mo |
| Cost page: “as little as,” footnoted to Texas | $50 per month |
| Most customers can expect to pay (GL), national, October 2026 | $36–$74 per month |
How the official facts line up for an Illinois handyman
- Both companies describe general liability as coverage for third-party bodily injury, property damage, and often personal or advertising injury, and both mention certificates of insurance. Neither page we retrieved replaces a policy contract.
- Published starting points cannot be ranked as “cheaper in Illinois.” Hiscox prints an Illinois general-liability floor of $30 a month (not handyman-specific) and a sole-proprietor handyman expectation of about $50–$80 a month (not Illinois-specific). ERGO NEXT prints a national handyman general-liability median of $69 a month as of October 2026, and no Illinois dollar figure on its Illinois page.
- Hiscox emphasizes same-day coverage, an instant certificate, and fee-free installments. ERGO NEXT emphasizes a roughly 10-minute online purchase, cancel-anytime language, and unlimited certificates. We have not timed either checkout.
Workers’ compensation, which is not general liability
General liability is not workers’ compensation. The Illinois Department of Insurance states that if an employer has one employee, even part-time, the employer must provide workers’ compensation coverage. Hiscox’s Illinois page matches that one-or-more threshold. ERGO NEXT’s Illinois page says workers’ compensation is often required for businesses with employees in Illinois. Confirm your own status, including sole-proprietor questions, with the Illinois Department of Insurance or the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. This page is not legal advice.
Get a written general-liability quote from each carrier for the same limits, the same description of work, and the same Illinois locations before you compare dollars.
Hiscox (link coming soon) ERGO NEXT Insurance (link coming soon)
Pending affiliate links. Placeholders only. Hiscox and ERGO NEXT programs are not attached as live tracked links. TradeStack is not a licensed insurance producer.
Sources
All figures were read from these official pages on November 13, 2026 (America/Chicago). If a vendor has changed a price since then, the vendor’s page controls.
- Hiscox Illinois business insurance — starting prices, underwriting footnote, installment options, and workers’ compensation described as mandatory for one or more employees. Retrieved November 13, 2026.
- Hiscox handyman insurance — sole proprietor “can expect to pay around $50 - $80 per month” for general liability. Retrieved November 13, 2026.
- Hiscox general liability insurance — starts from $30/mo; limits $300,000 to $2,000,000; 49 states plus D.C., not Alaska; same-day coverage and instant certificate language. Retrieved November 13, 2026.
- ERGO NEXT general liability in Illinois — no dollar premium printed; Chicago general-contractor $1 million certificate note; quote-online language. Retrieved November 13, 2026.
- ERGO NEXT handyman insurance — national median table as of October 2026, including GL at $69/mo, labeled “this is not a quote.” Retrieved November 13, 2026.
- ERGO NEXT handyman insurance cost — “as little as $50 per month” footnoted to Texas; most-customers GL range $36–$74; data updated October 2026. Retrieved November 13, 2026.
- Illinois Department of Insurance, workers’ compensation insurance compliance — one employee, even part-time, must be covered. Retrieved November 13, 2026.