Short answer: Many very small Wisconsin businesses pay roughly $50 a month for general liability and about $60 a month for workers' comp. Your price depends mostly on the work you do, your payroll, your sales, what property you have and your claims history, so two businesses on the same street can pay very different amounts. A real quote is the only way to know your number.
What do small Wisconsin businesses typically pay?
Insureon, an online agency that sells small business policies, publishes averages from its Wisconsin customers. Most of them have fewer than five employees and have been in business five years or less. Read these as a starting point for a very small business, not as a quote.
| Coverage | Typical cost per month | What moves the price most |
|---|---|---|
| General liability | About $49 (Wisconsin average) | The kind of work you do, your sales, the limits you pick |
| Workers' comp | About $60 (Wisconsin average) | Your payroll and the job each person does |
| Professional liability (errors and omissions) | About $71 (Wisconsin average) | Your profession and the size of your contracts |
| Business owner's policy (BOP) | About $83 (national figure) | What your building and contents are worth, your location, your limits |
Insureon doesn't publish a Wisconsin figure for a BOP, so that line is its national number. Commercial auto is left off because the price swings too much with the vehicle and the driver for an average to help.
Why do two businesses pay such different prices?
An insurance company prices your business on how likely a claim is and how big it could be. The biggest factors are:
- The work you do. A roofer and a bookkeeper carry very different risks.
- Payroll and employees. More people and more payroll mean more workers' comp premium.
- Sales. General liability is often priced on your revenue.
- Property. The value of your building, equipment and inventory, and where it sits.
- Claims history. A clean record helps; recent claims raise the price.
- Limits and deductible. Higher limits cost more; a higher deductible costs less.
How is workers' comp priced in Wisconsin?
Workers' comp is usually the cost that surprises new owners most. It's priced for each $100 of payroll, and every job has its own rate, so covering someone in an office costs far less than covering someone on a roof. Over time your own claims record can push the price up or down through your experience mod.
The good news is that Wisconsin rates have been falling. The state Department of Workforce Development reported an average 3.2% decrease starting October 2025, the tenth year in a row that premiums went down.
Most Wisconsin businesses must carry workers' comp once they have 3 or more employees, or 1 employee paid $500 or more in a calendar quarter. Farms follow a different rule.
What other coverage could add to the cost?
Depending on your business, you may also need:
- Commercial auto for vehicles the business owns or that employees drive for work.
- An umbrella policy for liability limits above your other policies.
- Cyber coverage if you keep customer data or take payments online.
- Professional liability if clients pay you for advice or expertise.
None of these come with a BOP. Our business insurance page covers each one.
How can I keep the cost down?
- See if you qualify for a BOP. Bundling property and liability is often the simplest setup for a small business. Here's what a BOP is and who it fits.
- Pick a deductible you can actually pay. A higher deductible lowers the premium.
- Classify your employees correctly. A worker put in the wrong job class can cost you at the workers' comp audit.
- Set the right limits. Too low leaves you exposed, and too high wastes money.
- Shop more than one company. Prices for the same business can differ a lot from one insurer to the next.
- Review it every year. A policy set up when you started may not fit the business you run now.
What should I ask my agent?
- Which coverages does my business actually need, and which are optional?
- What job classes are my employees in for workers' comp?
- Would a BOP cost less than separate policies for me?
Mangold Insurance shops more than 100 insurance companies for businesses across Wisconsin, from our office in Burlington and beyond. Tell us what you do, and we'll show you what it should cost.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Insureon, Business Insurance in Wisconsin
- Insureon, Small Business Insurance Costs
- Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Insurance Premiums for Worker's Compensation Continue to Decline (Aug. 12, 2025)
- Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Worker's Compensation Employer Resources
This article is general information, not a quote or a coverage determination. Your price depends on your business, the coverage you choose and the insurance company's underwriting.
Want to know what your business should pay? We'll shop it for you. Request a quote →