ACORD FormsCommercial General Liability Section
ACORD 126 — Commercial General Liability Section
The ACORD 126 is the section-specific supplement for general liability coverage. It is always submitted alongside the ACORD 125, which captures general business information. Together, they give underwriters everything they need to evaluate and price a commercial general liability policy.
When you need the ACORD 126
Any time a client needs commercial general liability coverage — standalone or as part of a BOP — the ACORD 126 is required. This applies to contractors, retailers, restaurants, manufacturers, professional service firms, and virtually every other business type. CGL is the most commonly placed commercial line, which makes the ACORD 126 one of the most frequently completed forms in commercial insurance.
What the ACORD 126 covers
General liability limits
- Each occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
- Products-completed operations aggregate
- Personal and advertising injury limit
- Medical expense limit per person
Operations classification
- Detailed description of operations (more specific than ACORD 125)
- Primary and secondary class codes
- Exposure basis (payroll, receipts, or square footage depending on class)
Premises and operations
- Number and type of premises
- Area in square feet for each location
- Ownership vs. leased status
Subcontractors
- Total subcontractor cost for the policy period
- Whether subcontractors carry their own GL
- Whether certificates of insurance are collected from subs
Additional coverages and exclusions
- Completed operations exposure (especially for contractors)
- XCU exclusions (explosion, collapse, underground)
- Liquor liability exposure
- Professional services exposure
Common mistakes on the ACORD 126
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Incomplete operations description
Underwriters need to know exactly what the business does. "Contractor" is not enough — specify trades, residential vs. commercial, and percentage of each.
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Missing subcontractor costs
Failing to report subcontractor costs is a common audit trigger. If the insured uses subs, every dollar paid must be listed.
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Wrong exposure basis
GL is rated on payroll, gross receipts, or area depending on the class code. Using the wrong basis results in incorrect premium calculations.
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Not collecting sub COIs
Many carriers require proof that subcontractors carry their own GL. Agents who skip this step set up their clients for coverage gaps.
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Overlooking completed operations
Contractors especially need separate completed operations limits. Failing to properly disclose this exposure can void coverage after a loss.
How AgencyAssist handles the ACORD 126
The information required for the ACORD 126 — particularly operations descriptions, subcontractor costs, and exposure data — is difficult to collect from clients because they don't know what the form is asking for.
AgencyAssist translates every ACORD 126 field into plain English and collects the information through a smart client intake link. The client answers questions about their business in straightforward language, and AgencyAssist maps those answers directly to the correct fields on both the ACORD 125 and ACORD 126 simultaneously.
Complete ACORD 126 submissions in minutes
Send your client an intake link. Get a complete CGL submission package back automatically.