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Builders Risk Insurance,
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Builders risk covers structures under construction against fire, theft, vandalism, and weather.

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50

States licensed

A

Rated carriers

24hr

Bind-ready

1 App

Multiple options

Licensed in all 50 states

A rated carriers

Quoted in minutes

Specialist

Contractor-friendly

01 · What’s Covered

What does builders risk insurance cover?

Builders risk insurance covers physical damage to a structure under construction from named perils including fire, theft, vandalism, wind, hail, and water damage. Coverage extends to the building, materials on site, and materials in transit. It does not cover faulty workmanship, contractor tools, flood, or earthquake without endorsements.

Coverage 01

Structures Under Construction

The building itself — framing, foundations, roofing systems, walls, and everything fixed in place as the project progresses.

New construction

Additions & expansions

Partial remodels

Shell & core work

Coverage 02

Materials & Supplies On Site

Lumber, drywall, fixtures, appliances, and materials waiting to be installed — covered on site, in transit, and in temporary storage.

On-site inventory

In-transit to job site

Off-site / trailer storage

Owner-supplied materials

Coverage 03

Weather & Sudden Damage

Wind, hail, lightning, and certain weather-related events that can halt a project overnight. Fire and smoke damage included.

Windstorm & hail

Fire & smoke

Lightning strikes

Falling objects

Coverage 04

Theft & Vandalism

Job-site theft and malicious damage — one of the most common and painful losses on active projects. Covered on site and in transit.

Jobsite theft

Vandalism & graffiti

Tool & equipment coverage*

Copper / material theft

Coverage 05

Soft Costs & Delays

When a covered loss delays your project — added permits, interest carry, architect fees, and lost rental income during the rebuild.

Extra interest expense

Re-permitting costs

Rental income loss

Architectural fees

02 · Who it’s for

Who needs builders risk insurance?

Builders risk insurance is needed by anyone with financial exposure to a project under construction: property owners, general contractors, homeowners building or renovating, real estate investors, house-flippers, and developers. Lenders almost always require it as a loan condition.

01

New Construction

Ground-up custom homes, spec builds, and commercial projects from foundation to certificate of occupancy. New construction coverage →

02

Renovations

Kitchens, baths, additions, and gut renovations. Different rating, different exclusions, different rules. Renovation coverage →

03

Owner-Builder

Acting as your own GC? Most standard policies won’t cover you. We work with the carriers who do. Owner-builder coverage →

04

Homeowners

Building or renovating your own home. Lender-ready certificates, named-insured options, plain-English coverage. Homeowner coverage →

03 · Why it matters

Why your standard policy isn’t
enough.

A homeowners or commercial property policy excludes work in progress, materials not yet attached to the structure, and unoccupied buildings during construction. Once the project starts, those gaps are your problem until the certificate of occupancy is issued. Builders risk fills the gap.

$1B+

Job-site theft, annually

NICB estimates over $1B in U.S. construction
theft & vandalism losses every year.

1IN 5

Projects hit delays

Weather, fire, or theft-related incidents delay
roughly 1 in 5 U.S. projects each year.

72HRS

Typical bind time

Most quotes are bind-ready within three
business days — many same-day.

04 · How it works

How to get a builders risk insurance quote

Getting a builders risk insurance quote takes about five minutes. Tell us about the project, our specialists shop it across the carriers that fit the risk, you review the options on a 15 minute call, and we e-sign and bind. Coverage starts on the date you select.

1

Tell us about the project

Address, scope, value, timeline. Two
minutes, one form.

⏱ ~2 min

2

Specialist matches a carrier

A licensed agent pairs your project with the right carrier — not the first who answers.

⏱ Same day

3

Review your quote

We walk you through limits, deductibles, endorsements, exclusions — in plain English.

⏱ 15 min call

4

Bind before ground breaks

E-sign, pay, get your certificate. We handle renewals and extensions for you.

⏱ < 24 hrs

05 · Why BuildersRiskNerd

Why work with a builders risk specialist?

A builders risk specialist has direct appointments with the carriers that actually want construction business, including major admitted markets and specialty surplus lines underwriters. Specialist focus means better pricing, faster quotes, fewer surprises at claim time, and a team that can answer the question your generalist agent couldn’t.

Start My Quote →

01

Builders risk is all we do

Specialist focus means better pricing, faster quotes, fewer surprises at claim time.

→

02

Access to the carriers that matter

A+ rated markets that actually want construction business.

→

03

Coverage that matches the build

Proper limits for structure, soft costs, materials in transit, and tool endorsements.

→

04

Renewals and extensions, handled

Projects run long. We extend and renew without the scramble.

→

05

Contractor-friendly service

Real specialists, clear updates, and no chatbot runaround.

→

06 · Builders talk

Testimonials

Reviews from homeowners, builders, and developers we’ve quoted this year.

★★★★★

“Getting builder’s risk coverage was painless! My agent walked me through tailoring the policy until everything was buttoned up. Highly recommend!”

Gabriel

NY

★★★★★

“ Saved me $3,400 over my last broker on a $2M project. The only agent who asked about soft costs.”

Jenna Walsh

Walsh Development

★★★★★

“ Bound my policy in under 24 hours. First time that’s ever happened.”

Drew Kowalski

Kowalski Builders

07 · Frequently asked

The questions
we get most.

Still not sure? Request a quote and a licensed specialist will walk you through the right coverage path.

Most builders risk policies are bound within one to three business days, and many residential projects with admitted carriers bind same-day. The process is: tell us about the project (about two minutes), our specialists shop it across the carriers that fit the risk, you review the options on a 15 minute call, and we e-sign and bind. Coverage starts on the date you select. The certificate of insurance gets emailed to you, your lender, and your contractor immediately upon binding.

BuildersRiskNerd is a brand name of ContractorNerd Insurance Services, LLC. Builders risk is all we do, which gives us direct appointments with the carriers that actually want construction business, including major admitted markets and specialty surplus lines underwriters. Every carrier on our panel is A-rated or better by A.M. Best, the gold standard for insurer financial strength. Most online builders risk agencies are contractor general agencies that handle builders risk on the side. Specialist focus means better pricing, faster quotes, fewer surprises at claim time, and a team that can answer the question your generalist agent couldn’t.

Yes. Every policy we bind is written through an A-rated or better carrier per A.M. Best, and includes the lender as mortgagee with ISAOA ATIMA language. The certificate format is standard ACORD 25 (or ACORD 28 for evidence of property), which every commercial and construction lender accepts. We can also add the lender as loss payee where required. If your lender has specific certificate language requirements, send them to us during the quote process and we’ll match them before you bind.

Yes, in almost every case. A standard homeowners policy excludes work in progress, and most renovations exceed the $10,000 to $25,000 limit some carriers offer for “dwelling under construction” coverage. Major remodels, additions, and gut renovations require a dedicated builders risk policy that covers both the existing structure and the new work. Lenders financing the renovation will typically require a builders risk certificate before releasing funds. The policy term should match the project term plus a small buffer.

Builders risk insurance typically costs between 0.1% and 4% of total project value, with most residential projects landing between $400 and $3,000 for a 6 to 12 month term. Competitive admitted markets price new construction around $1.00 to $2.00 per $1,000 of project value. Renovations on older structures price higher, often $3.50 to $5.50 per $1,000.

A $300,000 new home in Texas usually runs $600 to $2,400. A $150,000 kitchen remodel in California runs $425 to $900. Coastal and high-hazard projects cost more, sometimes 5% or higher of project value.

Seven factors move your premium. New construction vs. renovation (the single biggest driver). Project value, with most carriers flooring at roughly $425. Age of the existing structure on renovations. Construction class, with frame running roughly 30% more than masonry. Geography and weather risk. Term length. Deductible election.

A few costs catch buyers off guard: surplus lines tax in non-admitted states (3% to 6%), policy fees ($50 to $250), and extension premium when projects run long. Admitted-state placements skip most of these.

If you want a real number for your specific project, our cost calculator returns a low-mid-high estimate in under 30 seconds with no email gate.

Builders risk policies are written for the construction term, not the calendar year. Most residential policies run 6 to 12 months. New ground-up construction typically runs 9 to 12 months. Major commercial projects run 12 to 18 months. Renovations and remodels are usually 3 to 9 months.

Coverage starts on the binding date or first material delivery, whichever you select. It ends on the first of three triggers: certificate of occupancy is issued, the project is completed, or the structure is sold. Whichever happens first terminates the policy automatically.

When projects run long, the policy needs to be extended before it expires, not after. Letting coverage lapse mid-build leaves the structure exposed and creates a coverage gap your homeowners policy won’t backfill. We handle extensions in under a minute through the customer portal, and most carriers allow extensions of 30, 60, or 90 days at a prorated premium.

When the project completes, builders risk ends and your homeowners or commercial property policy resumes full responsibility for the finished structure.

08 · Ready to build

Get covered
before ground breaks.

Three minutes to apply. Quoted same day. Bound before the first truck
rolls. Licensed in all 50 states.

Start My Quote →

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