Blitz Insurance is a managing general underwriter. It builds, prices and binds small commercial excess and surplus lines programs, and a rated insurance carrier issues the actual policies. The company describes itself as a "full-stack MGU" based in Lakewood, New Jersey, offering nine programs, and says its policies are "issued on A- (Excellent) XV rated insurance paper."[1][2] Trade coverage describes it as a technology-driven platform "specializing in small commercial property and casualty risks," with an automated system that "generates bindable quotes in under five minutes."[3] You can't buy from Blitz directly. It works through appointed brokers, and in California it does business through Blitz Insurance Agency, LLC, California license number 6003828.[1]
If you're a California owner, developer or contractor, Blitz is mostly useful for two things. One is builders risk on new construction and renovation, up to $5 million per location. The other is vacant commercial buildings. The standard market turns down both of these more than almost anything else.[4][5] Menlo Insurance Services is a licensed California broker with access to multiple markets, including Blitz's builders risk and vacant commercial building programs. Got a project or an empty building to insure? Request a builders risk quote and we'll shop Blitz along with the other markets that fit.
Managing general underwriter (MGU)
An organization granted authority by one or more insurers to underwrite and administer insurance programs on their behalf, often including appointing agents, binding and issuing policies, collecting premiums and handling claims. IRMI notes MGUs are typically used for specialty lines and operate within the surplus lines market.[6]
Who is Blitz Insurance?
Blitz writes small commercial business in the excess and surplus lines market. Its website lists nine programs: Commercial Lessor's Risk, Builder's Risk, Contractors, Retail & Services, Special Events, Auto Services, Cannabis Operators, Vacant Commercial Buildings and Restaurant.[1] The company says it works with "33,000+" producers, offers agency bill or direct bill, and handles surplus lines taxes and filings for the broker.[1] Its office is at 1985 Cedar Bridge Avenue, Lakewood, New Jersey.[2]
There isn't much public reporting on Blitz, so here is what can and can't be checked. A July 2023 announcement of a payments partnership with Ascend described Blitz as "a specialty insurance carrier" funded "with $25M from its founder & CEO," and quoted Brandon Murphy as Chief Distribution Officer; the founder was described as a Forbes-listed serial entrepreneur but not named.[8] A January 2025 announcement covered wholesale broker London Underwriters adding Blitz to its LU ONE platform for cannabis, lessor's risk, contractors and builders risk business.[3] Blitz's own site does not publish a founding year or the name of the carrier behind its "A- (Excellent) XV" paper.[1][2]
What does the Blitz builders risk program cover?
For California owners and contractors, this is the Blitz program that matters most. Ground-up builds and renovations are usually what send people to the E&S market to begin with. Our builders risk insurance guide explains how the coverage works in general. Here's what Blitz publishes about its own program.[4]
| Feature | What Blitz publishes |
|---|---|
| Eligible projects | Residential and light commercial: new construction, additions and minor remodels, non-structural and structural renovation, with existing-structure coverage available |
| Eligible insureds | Property owners, general contractors, developers and tenants |
| Maximum values | Up to $5 million total insured value per location; one structure per policy |
| Liability option | General liability at $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, with premises liability including or excluding construction operations |
| Structure | Monoline property, monoline GL or a package; property written on inland marine forms |
| Policy terms | 3, 6, 8, 10 or 12 months, with options for terms over one year |
| Minimum premium | From $500 |
| Optional coverages | Contractors equipment, installation floater, delay in completion, business income, rental value, soft costs, ordinance or law (A, B and C), enhanced catastrophe wind and hail |
| Mortgagees and loss payees | Added at no charge |
| States | 47 states, excluding Hawaii, Idaho and Louisiana |
Blitz also lists the situations that pull a submission out of the automated quote and send it to an underwriter: construction already started, a delayed or stalled project, occupancy before completion, existing structural damage, claims in the past three years, temporary storage above 15 percent of values, protection class 5 or worse, load-bearing renovation, and permission to occupy.[4] None of these gets you declined automatically. But answer each one up front in the submission. You don't want to find out about it when a quote falls apart. For the optional coverages, our guides on ordinance or law coverage, business income insurance, contractors equipment insurance and inland marine insurance explain what each add-on does.
What do the vacant building, special events and contractors programs offer?
Vacant Commercial Buildings. Blitz writes vacant commercial property as a package or monoline, with general liability at $1 million or $2 million aggregate and a maximum TIV of $5 million per location, on 3- to 12-month terms, in all states and the District of Columbia except Hawaii, Idaho and Louisiana.[5] It lists blanket and scheduled additional insured and primary and noncontributory wording at no charge. Ineligible risks include habitational buildings, condemned, foreclosed, abandoned or scheduled-for-demolition buildings, modular structures and trailers, contamination exposures, vacant land, and parcels over five acres.[5] If your empty building is a house or an apartment building, this program won't work for you. Our surplus lines insurance guide explains how the vacant dwelling market works.
Special Events. Commercial general liability for events of up to five days including set-up and tear-down, at $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, with premiums starting at $65 plus taxes and fees, in all states except Idaho, Louisiana and Hawaii.[9]
Contractors. General liability up to $1 million / $2 million for paper general contractors (those subcontracting all work) and artisan trades, with a $1 million follow-form excess option, an additional insured bundle (blanket additional insured, primary and noncontributory, waiver of subrogation) at no charge, and eligibility limits of $3 million payroll, $15 million sales and $5 million TIV per location. Minimum premiums are $500 for GL and $750 for a package, plus taxes and fees, and the program limits residential builders to 25 new homes per year (15 in states Blitz designates for construction defect exposure), with limited availability in Colorado and New York.[10] Our waiver of subrogation guide explains why that bundle matters on a subcontract.
Who is Blitz a good fit for?
| Good fit | Look elsewhere | |
|---|---|---|
| Project type | Residential or light commercial construction, renovation or an empty commercial building up to $5M TIV | Large commercial towers, infrastructure, or projects above $5M per location |
| Timing | Coverage arranged before construction starts and bound quickly | Projects already under way or stalled, which go to referral |
| Buyer priority | Speed and certainty of a bindable E&S quote | Admitted paper with guaranty fund backing and filed rates |
| Vacant buildings | Vacant commercial structures on a short term while repositioning or selling | Vacant houses and apartments, condemned or abandoned buildings, large acreage |
| Contractors | Artisan trades and paper GCs within the payroll, sales and TIV caps | Heavy self-performing GCs or high-volume residential builders |
You get the same trade-off as with any surplus lines placement. It's faster and more flexible, but the paper is non-admitted. IRMI describes E&S as coverage "placed with a nonadmitted insurer," typically for risks "difficult to place in the standard market."[7] Our admitted vs non-admitted carriers guide explains what that means if you have a claim. On a builders risk policy for a 9-month project, most owners are fine with it. For a permanent property policy, think harder.
How do you get a Blitz quote?
Blitz signs up brokers, not policyholders. Its broker onboarding page describes a 15-minute call, an application, a copy of the broker's license and errors and omissions certificate, a producer agreement, and credentials issued within 24 to 48 hours of approval.[11] So as a business owner, you go through an appointed broker. The broker submits your risk on Blitz's platform and brings you back the quote.
Gather the project facts
Address, construction type, total insured value including materials, start and completion dates, whether work has begun, whether the structure has existing damage, and any claims in the last three years. These are the same things that trigger a Blitz referral. Answer them up front and your submission stays in the automated quote.[4]
Decide on the structure and add-ons
Monoline property, monoline GL or package; policy term; and which optional coverages (soft costs, delay in completion, ordinance or law, equipment) the lender or the project budget requires.[4]
Submit through a broker with Blitz access
Menlo can quote the Blitz builders risk and vacant commercial building programs. We shop them next to other builders risk markets, so you see a comparison instead of one number. Start the builders risk form to begin.
Review the issuing carrier and the surplus lines disclosures
Confirm the carrier name and rating on the quote, the surplus lines taxes and fees, and the non-admitted disclosure your broker is required to give you in California.
Bind before work starts
Blitz refers projects that have already started, and your lender will usually want the certificate before the first draw. Time the binder to your construction schedule.[4]
What should you ask before you bind?
- Who is the issuing carrier, and what is its rating today? Blitz publishes the rating class of its paper but not the carrier's name.[1] Ask for the name and look it up.
- Is the policy admitted or non-admitted in California? Blitz states that its non-admitted insurers are not licensed in California and New York; know what that means for guaranty fund protection.[1]
- What are the surplus lines taxes and fees on this quote? They're added on top of the premium. Blitz says it handles the filings, but you pay the cost.[1]
- Which referral triggers apply to my project, and how were they resolved? If work has started, or the building is damaged or occupied, say so and let the underwriter price it. Don't leave it for a claims adjuster to find.[4]
- Does the term match the schedule, and what happens if the project runs long? Blitz offers terms from 3 to 12 months and options beyond a year; ask how extensions work before you need one.[4]
- Which optional coverages does the lender require? Soft costs, delay in completion and ordinance or law are optional on the Blitz program, not automatic.[4]
Comparing Blitz with a FAIR Plan policy, or trying to get past a standard-market decline on a renovation? The builders risk insurance guide and our builders risk insurance page walk through the alternatives. When you're ready, request a builders risk quote and we'll include Blitz if the project fits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Blitz Insurance an insurance company?
Blitz describes itself as a full-stack managing general underwriter. It underwrites, prices and binds programs on behalf of an insurance carrier whose paper issues the policy, and that carrier pays the claims.[1][6] A 2023 partner release called it a carrier, but the company's own description is the MGU one.[8]
Is Blitz admitted in California?
Blitz says the insurers it uses are non-admitted and not licensed in California and New York, and that it transacts in California through Blitz Insurance Agency, LLC, license 6003828.[1] Its policies are surplus lines placements.
What does Blitz builders risk cover?
Residential and light commercial new construction and renovation up to $5 million total insured value per location, with an optional $1 million / $2 million general liability, on inland marine forms, for 3- to 12-month terms with longer options and a range of optional coverages such as soft costs and delay in completion.[4]
Can I buy a Blitz policy directly?
No. Blitz appoints brokers and issues them platform credentials; a business buyer submits through an appointed broker.[11] Menlo can quote Blitz builders risk and vacant commercial building programs through its market access.
Does Blitz write vacant houses?
Its vacant program is for commercial buildings, and habitational buildings are listed as ineligible.[5] A vacant house or apartment needs a different market.
This guide is for educational purposes and summarizes public company statements and California market context. Program details, eligibility and pricing are set by Blitz and its issuing carriers and can change without notice; your policy's specific terms, conditions, and endorsements control. Menlo does not guarantee that any risk will be accepted or any price offered. Talk to a licensed broker about your actual exposures.
The Bottom Line
Blitz Insurance is an E&S managing general underwriter. It quotes and binds small commercial programs fast, on rated non-admitted paper. For California owners and contractors, the two programs worth knowing are builders risk (residential and light commercial up to $5 million TIV) and vacant commercial buildings. Blitz publishes its eligibility rules, so you can tell ahead of time whether your project will quote automatically or go to an underwriter. Buy through a broker and get the issuing carrier's name and rating. Make sure you're comfortable with the surplus lines trade-off. And bind before anyone breaks ground.
References
- 1.Blitz Insurance. “Blitz Insurance: Specialty E&S Insurance Platform.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/ ↩
- 2.Blitz Insurance. “About Us.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/about-us ↩
- 3.Coverager. “London Underwriters Partners with Blitz Insurance to Provide a Simpler Way to Secure Specialty E&S Coverage.” 2025. https://coverager.com/london-underwriters-partners-with-blitz-insurance-to-provide-a-simpler-way-to-secure-specialty-es-coverage/ ↩
- 4.Blitz Insurance. “Builder's Risk Program.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/builders-risk ↩
- 5.Blitz Insurance. “Vacant Commercial Buildings Program.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/vacant-commercial-building ↩
- 6.IRMI. “Managing General Underwriter (MGU).” https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/managing-general-underwriter ↩
- 7.IRMI. “Excess and Surplus Lines Insurance.” https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/excess-and-surplus-lines-insurance ↩
- 8.Coverager. “Blitz Insurance Partners with Ascend to Expand Payment and Financing Offerings.” 2023. https://coverager.com/blitz-insurance-partners-with-ascend-to-expand-payment-and-financing-offerings/ ↩
- 9.Blitz Insurance. “Special Events Program.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/special-events ↩
- 10.Blitz Insurance. “Contractors Program.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/contractors ↩
- 11.Blitz Insurance. “Become a Broker.” https://www.blitzinsurance.com/become-a-broker ↩