The Artisans Program emphasizes liability coverage, and broad form contractual liability coverage is built into the base form, as is coverage for damage to property of others. (Limited contractual liability coverage can be substituted by endorsement.)

Under this program, the general aggregate limit can be applied per project, thus meeting a common requirement of general contractors. Other liability features of this program include:

• Additional insured options;
• A "voluntary" property damage coverage option that works like a "medical payments" provision for property damage claims; and
• Rating information for XCU exposures.

Endorsements are available to limit or exclude coverage for claims arising from mold and construction defects; one specifically addresses losses arising from the synthetic stucco known as "EIFS."

Another endorsement excludes coverage for "known injury or damage," addressing "continuous trigger" claims inspired by the Montrose ruling.

The Artisans Program provides open perils property coverage in the base form, along with coverage for business personal property away from insured premises and loss of income coverage. An option is available for increasing the off-premises property limit. Other property features include:

• A choice of three different endorsement packages of additional property and inland marine coverages;
• Options to cover contractors' tools and equipment on a blanket or scheduled basis; and
• An option to provide installation floater coverage with a selected limit.

Both the named and open perils forms provide all standard liability and property coverages, including income coverage. Beyond that, carriers can trigger built-in commercial crime coverages by making entries in the declarations, then select from a range of coverage options, including:

• An option to add equipment breakdown coverage;
• An endorsement package that provides additional commercial property and inland marine coverage;
• Separate options for writing employment practices liability coverage and employee benefits liability coverage (each with a claims-made trigger); and
• Additional liability coverage options, such as printers errors and omissions, and certain professional liability coverages.

The latest revision expands building property coverage to include the value of building glass, and adds new additional coverages and coverage extensions.

This program provides two base forms:

Commercial Excess/Umbrella Liability Coverage, which includes two coverages whose application depends uponprovisions or omissions in the underlying policies:

• Coverage E - Excess, which provides excess coverage for damage and injuries covered by underlying insurance, and
• Coverage U - Umbrella, which includes umbrella terms that apply in excess of a self-insured retention for limited types of general liability exposures not covered by underlying insurance.

This form is designed for situations where the carrier seeks to write essentially "follow form" coverage heavily dependent on the provisions of underlying policies, with a limited "backstop" for general liability exposures that may be unaddressed in the underlying layers.

Commercial Umbrella Liability Coverage, which includes two coverages that operate independently of the underlying layers:

• Coverage L - Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability; and
• Coverage P - Personal and Advertising Injury Liability.
  These coverages provide the terms that apply in excess of the retained limit.

In addition to the base forms, the AAIS Commercial Umbrella Program includes a wide range of endorsements for each base form.

Most of the endorsements are exclusions which allow underwriters to exclude, where applicable, whole categories of coverage (auto liability, contractual liability, professional liability, products/completed work, etc.) or specified exposures (designated autos, designated premises, designated projects, etc.).

In developing an independent manual, an affiliated company may draw on the AAIS sample manual published for the Commercial Umbrella Program. Sample manual rules describe the program, the basic policy forms, and the various multistate endorsements available for use with each form and provide examples of eligibility requirements, premium determination procedures, and individual risk premium modifications.

The Commercial Liability Program features five basic forms: commercial liability, broad form commercial liability, owners and contractors protective, premises only, and farm premises and operations.