Owners, builders and licensed contractors
Applicant rules vary by market. Some programs require a licensed general contractor and experience history, while others accept an owner builder. The form keeps both routes open.
Builders Risk Insurance in California
Protect your investment from groundbreaking to completion. We compare specialized builders risk markets to find coverage aligned with your project and timeline.
Comparamos el mercado por usted, sin cargos de corredor
Alchemy
National builders risk, admitted and surplus
Blitz
E&S builders risk to $5M per location
Green Shield
Builders risk and property programs
Great American
One Shot builders risk through BTIS
Navigators / The Hartford
Navigators builders risk through BTIS
BTIS
Submission marketplace for documented programs
What the builders risk market writes in California
Projects from $150k to roughly $65 million
Online programs handle smaller new construction and renovation risks, while a broad paper route documents capacity up to roughly 65 million depending on construction type and underwriting review.
The location decides eligibility
Wildfire hazard, active-fire proximity, coastal distance and over-water construction affect different programs differently. The broker checks the address across the shopping path instead of applying one carrier's cutoff to all.
One form, several construction markets
The intake captures the construction, values, schedule and risk details used to route an inland marine course of construction placement. Settlement terms and optional soft-cost limits vary by market.
Cómo funciona
Formulario de 10 minutos
Unas preguntas sobre su empresa o su casa.
Comparamos el mercado
Comparamos aseguradoras y leemos los formularios línea por línea.
Cotizar y emitir
Elegimos la mejor póliza y le ayudamos a obtener cobertura.
Why an instant online quote fails on this line
A single online rater applies one program's geography, applicant and project rules. Menlo checks the same submission against several documented construction markets so one carrier's decline does not become the buyer's dead end.
Geography changes the route
Wildfire, active-fire proximity and coastal distance can end one program while another remains available. The address belongs in the quote early because it decides where the submission goes.
Renovations are priced on two values
The work you are doing is covered at replacement cost while the existing structure is covered at actual cash value, so the split between the two numbers changes the premium. Getting that split right up front is the difference between a real quote and a renegotiation.
The term has to match the schedule
Available terms and extension rules vary by market. A policy that expires before the certificate of occupancy is a gap your lender will notice, so the broker matches the route and term to the real build schedule.
Written for California builders and projects, including:
- Residential 1-4 family new construction
- High-value residential new construction
- Frame construction up to $10 million
- Light commercial projects
- Remodeling and renovation of existing residential structures
- Mid-completion projects
Qué cambia su prima
No existe una tarifa fija para esta cobertura. Estos son los datos que la aseguradora usa para tarifar, y son los mismos que le pide el formulario de cotización.
- Construction type and number of stories
- Distance from the nearest fire hydrant and the protection class
- Percent of construction already complete and months vacant
- Project duration in months
- The builder's years of experience and prior claims
- Completed value of the project and the cost of the work
Escríbanos. Estamos a su lado.
Preguntas que nos hacen
Is course of construction insurance the same as builders risk?
Yes. Course of construction is another name for the same inland marine policy that covers a building while it is being built or renovated. Lenders and contracts use the two names interchangeably.
Who buys builders risk, the owner or the contractor?
Either may buy it, depending on the market. Some programs require a licensed general contractor, while owner builders route to markets that accept them. The form stays open so the broker can make that match.
Why does my lender require builders risk before funding?
The lender's collateral is a building that does not exist yet. Builders risk covers the structure, materials and the work in progress while it is being built, which is why funding is conditioned on proof of coverage before the first draw.
How are renovations covered differently from new construction?
The renovation work itself is covered at replacement cost while the existing structure is covered at actual cash value. The two values are scheduled separately, which is why the broker asks for both numbers.
How long does the policy run?
New construction writes a standard 12 month term and renovations write in 1 to 12 month increments. Premium is fully earned, and the policy expires automatically at the end of the term, so the term has to match the build schedule.
What makes a project ineligible?
Over-water or non-conventional construction, recent bankruptcy or foreclosure, and fraud or arson history can close individual programs. The current form collects those facts for routing and review; it does not call them lane-wide declines without evidence from every market.
¿Pueden colocar esta cobertura donde está mi negocio?
Actualmente solo tenemos licencia en California. Comience una cotización si el negocio o el riesgo se encuentra en California, y confirmaremos la elegibilidad antes de que invierta tiempo.
¿Qué pasa realmente después de comenzar una cotización?
Usted responde unas pocas preguntas y un corredor con licencia de Menlo las lee, clasifica su operación y la compara con las aseguradoras con las que tenemos nombramiento. No hay emisión instantánea ni caja negra. Habla con una persona antes de que se cotice nada.
Colóquela con alguien que lee la letra pequeña
Comience una cotización y un corredor con licencia sigue desde ahí, o hable con uno ahora.