Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

For selected risks in its U.S. casualty guide, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists lead umbrella, follow-form excess, and retained-limit forms. Chubb describes lead umbrella for large/global and national companies and excess casualty alternatives for mid-sized companies. ^5,¹⁰

What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?

BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. ^1,^2,^3,⁴

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page

What Is Chubb?

Chubb fits technology firms seeking DigiTech ERM or small businesses with up to $30 million in revenue seeking a BOP; buyers wanting an instant direct purchase should compare online carriers. Agents can quote eligible small accounts, with a faster cyber route. ^7,^8,⁹

Read the Chubb profile

Read the Chubb Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance page

What Is Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

Umbrella or excess insurance adds liability limits above the policies named in the quote after a covered claim exhausts their limits. It may fit if a contract sets higher limits; check which primary policies are listed and any gaps between them. ^12,^13,^14,^15,¹⁶

Read the full coverage guide

What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Chubb Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?

Umbrella and Excess Structures

For selected risks in its U.S. casualty appetite, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s guide names lead umbrella, follow-form excess, and retained-limit forms. Chubb describes lead umbrella and excess liability for large and global or national companies, plus excess-casualty alternatives for mid-sized companies. Both describe ways to structure an umbrella or excess placement; the buyer-facing distinction is a named form menu versus product options organized by company segment. ⁵ ¹⁰

Target Industries and Account Segments

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s guide lists U.S. umbrella/excess target classes including manufacturers, real estate, grocery, financial institutions, construction, energy, and trucking, subject to restrictions and underwriting appetite. Chubb describes its broader casualty segments as large/global and national companies, mid-sized companies, energy, and construction, with solutions tailored to segment exposures. Both records identify market segments for commercial casualty buyers, though Chubb’s list describes a broader casualty practice rather than umbrella-specific eligibility. ⁶ ¹⁰

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Chubb Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Quotes?

Ask which named umbrella or excess structure the market would consider for the same underlying liability schedule. ⁵ ¹⁰
Ask how the account’s industry and size compare with the published target classes or customer segments. ⁶ ¹⁰

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Chubb Review Scores

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Review Score

-/ 10

Review Score

No reviews found

The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.^[5]^[7]

Read Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance reviews

Chubb Review Score

6.9/ 10

Review Score

5 rated sources

Chubb earns 5/5 from NerdWallet, which reports fewer-than-expected commercial property and liability complaints. Customer ratings are mixed across products and locations.^[1]^[4]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Read Chubb reviews

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb Umbrella and Excess Liability Compared

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Lead umbrella and excess casualty	Chubb Umbrella & Excess Casualty Insurance
Role in This Line	Confirm in your quote.	Chubb underwrites umbrella and excess liability insurance directly, spanning smaller and mid-sized companies through global multinationals, and offers it as an add-on within its small-business Total Account Solution. ^10,¹¹Company-reported. Umbrella & Excess Casualty product page and workers'-compensation Total Account Solution section.
Who It’s For	BHSI lists manufacturers/distributors, real estate, grocery, financial institutions, construction, energy and trucking as umbrella/excess targets. ⁶Company-reported. BHSI US lead umbrella/excess casualty targets. Material limitation: Targets remain subject to restrictions and underwriting appetite.	Chubb structures umbrella and excess casualty into separate options for large global and national companies, mid-sized companies, the energy industry, and the construction industry, saying it tailors solutions to each segment's exposures. ¹⁰Company-reported. Umbrella & Excess Casualty Insurance Options section.
Coverage Features	BHSI markets lead umbrella and excess casualty as an explicit product line and lists pollution/contractor-form features. ⁶Company-reported. US commercial casualty placements. Material limitation: Marketing overview; the manuscript and broker-specific forms require underwriting.	For large global and national companies, Chubb specializes in lead umbrella and excess liability; for mid-sized companies it offers what it calls competitive excess casualty alternatives with claims handling and timely service. ¹⁰Company-reported. Umbrella & Excess Casualty product page option descriptions.
Limits and Retentions	The appetite guide lists lead umbrella, follow-form excess and retained-limit forms, with $10 million excess capacity and more for selected risks. ⁵Company-reported. Select risks in the guide’s US casualty appetite. Material limitation: Capacity is not a quote or universally available layer; “more” is risk-selective.	The reviewed umbrella and excess casualty page does not publish specific attachment points, limit amounts or pricing; these vary by account and program. ¹⁰Not found in reviewed sources. Umbrella & Excess Casualty product page as read on 2026-09-23. When bundled through Chubb's small-business Total Account Solution, umbrella insurance is described only as providing "an additional layer of coverage over existing liability policies," without a published limit amount. ¹¹Company-reported. Workers'-compensation Total Account Solution section.
How to Apply	Confirm in your quote.	Chubb offers Express Umbrella, a web-based platform for appointed brokers to reserve, quote, bind and issue umbrella business, which Chubb says can help brokers build specialized books of business. ¹⁰Company-reported. Express Umbrella Online Platform section; available to appointed brokers, not directly to buyers. You can request a quote online, or an appointed independent agent or broker can place the policy through a Chubb Appointment. ¹⁰Company-reported. Umbrella & Excess Casualty product page quote call-to-action.

Related Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb

Umbrella and Excess Liability Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Chubb

Other Coverage Lines Compared for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb

Other Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Chubb

Sources About Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Casualty Appetite Guide - U.S. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Casualty appetite PDF page 1: $50K minimum premium, GL/products/lead umbrella/excess lines, selected $10M excess capacity, placement forms and target/avoided classes; guide dated 2026-07-15. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Casualty. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; US casualty product lines and features: Primary General Liability lines 10-34; Primary Products/Completed Operations Liability 35-44; Lead Umbrella and Excess Casualty 46-63. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources About Chubb

Insurance For Technology Companies. Chubb; Industry overview; Who we serve; Products and services: commercial package insurance (BOP, Benchmarq, Customarq), E&O/Cyber, Financial Lines, workers’ compensation, auto and umbrella; dedicated underwriting, claims and risk engineering. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Terms Of Use. Chubb; Acceptance of Terms identifying Chubb Group Holdings Inc.; surplus-lines producer restriction; products not available to all users or jurisdictions; Chubb Limited safe-harbor language; Internet Portals for Chubb Business. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Cyber Insurance Coverage & Products. Chubb; Cyber insurance product catalog: Cyber ERM, DigiTech ERM (technology E&O, media and cyber) and Pro ERM (non-licensed professional services); Marketplace quoting for eligible risks under $100 million revenue; first- and third-party coverage summaries. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Umbrella & Excess Casualty Insurance. Chubb; Umbrella & Excess Casualty Insurance Options: Large Global and National Companies, Mid-Sized Companies, Energy Industry, Construction Industry; Express Umbrella Online Platform. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Workers' Compensation Insurance for Small Business. Chubb; Total Account Solution: umbrella insurance providing an additional layer of coverage over existing liability policies. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Sources for the Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance Guide

Liability Insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Heading Umbrella Liability Insurance; sentence Umbrella Liability—also known as Excess Liability Insurance; underlying policies listed with limits; typically GL, auto and employers’ liability; starts when a covered loss exhausts the primary per occurrence limit; Most umbrella policies exclude EPL, professional liability, product recall, workers compensation, asbestos, pollution, war and terrorism. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Umbrella; excess over a basic liability policy; auto/CGL/WC or any liability policy can be covered; may respond if basic policy not in force or for gaps; SIR when no underlying. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Lines of Insurance. California Department of Insurance; Umbrella or Excess Liability Policy: excess limits over existing liability; may provide additional coverages not provided by underlying policies. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Coverage Hub. Coverdash; Excess & Specialty: Umbrella; Excess Liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Products. Kinro; 09 Umbrella/Excess: additional limits above scheduled underlying policies; when to review; reviewed with. Accessed 2026-09-16.