Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA: How Do They Compare for Builders Risk Insurance?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance describes primary and excess placements with single-peril or difference-in-conditions options. CNA categorizes Builders Risk under inland marine and separately lists Hull Builders Risk under ocean marine. ^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 Builders Risk Insurance page

CNA Small Business Insurance: Products, Agents and Service

CNA directs small-business buyers to independent agents and describes CNA Connect as a businessowners policy for more than 600 small-business classes. Issuer and availability vary by policy and state, so confirm both in a quote. ^7,^8,⁹

Read the CNA profile

Read the CNA Builders Risk Insurance page

What Is Builders Risk Insurance?

Builders risk protects the project you are building, including materials meant for it, against physical loss until construction ends. The gaps that cost owners money are materials in storage or transit, the existing building in a renovation, and coverage ending when you occupy early. ^12,^13,^14,¹⁵

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What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA Builders Risk Insurance?

Construction Property and Marine Classification

CNA lists Builders Risk under inland marine and gives theft, vandalism and natural-disaster damage as examples of construction property exposures. It separately lists Hull Builders Risk under ocean marine. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance describes project property cover and a range of all-risk or single-peril structures. If the project includes a vessel or marine construction element, CNA’s separate category makes it important to identify whether the exposure is hull or land-based project property. ¹⁰ ⁵

Layers and Delay Features

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists primary and excess placements and names delay and soft-cost features. CNA’s reviewed marine materials describe the Builders Risk category and example property damage, but do not specify layers or delay coverage. A buyer comparing a project with financing or completion-cost exposure should ask CNA for the available form and ask BHSI for the applicable delay trigger and sublimit. ⁵ ¹¹

Separate the Scope in the Submission

CNA distinguishes inland Builders Risk from ocean Hull Builders Risk; Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance separates engineering and construction target categories and considers Master Builder’s Risk selectively. Describe the project’s land-based work, marine equipment and construction phases in the submission so the proposed class and schedule match the exposures. ¹⁰ ⁶

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA Builders Risk Insurance Quotes?

For CNA, is the project being quoted as inland Builders Risk, Hull Builders Risk, or both? ¹⁰
For BHSI, what delay or soft-cost coverage, trigger and sublimit appear in the proposed form? ⁵
Do the project schedule and stated engineering/construction class fit the selected insurer’s appetite? ⁶

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA Review Scores for 2026

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]

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CNA Review Score

9.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Customer feedback on CNA is mixed and hard to compare. NerdWallet gave it 4.5 out of 5 for manufacturers, while Trustpilot shows about 1.4 out of 5 from 49 mostly self-selected reviews.^[1]^[5]

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Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA Builders Risk Compared

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA: Builders Risk Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Builder’s Risk	Builders Risk (Inland Marine)
Role in This Line	BHSI describes primary and excess options for its Builder’s Risk products, along with single-peril and difference-in-conditions choices. ⁵Company-reported. These are marketed placement options, not a commitment to provide any layer or a statement about how a specific project is insured.	CNA lists Builders Risk under Inland Marine and Hull Builders Risk under Ocean Marine as separate catalogue items. ¹⁰Company-reported. The catalogue categories identify separate marketed products and do not determine which form fits a specific project.
Who It’s For	BHSI separates its EAR and CAR target categories; it says Master Builder’s Risk is considered selectively. ⁵Company-reported. The published target categories guide submission discussions; they do not guarantee eligibility or acceptance.	CNA’s Marine page categorizes Builders Risk under inland marine and separately lists Hull Builders Risk under ocean marine. ¹⁰Company-reported. The categories distinguish land construction risks from marine hull projects; neither listing guarantees that CNA will quote a project.
Coverage Features	BHSI describes Builder’s Risk as project property coverage and lists hot testing/commissioning, delay and soft-cost features. ⁵Company-reported. U.S. product-page marketing summary; does not establish that each extension is included in every project policy. The page describes primary and excess placements and single-peril or difference-in-conditions options alongside its all-risk product description. ⁵Company-reported. These are marketed options, not a statement that a particular quote includes them. BHSI lists its Builder’s Risk Form, follow-form quota-share or excess forms, and broker manuscript forms as options. ⁶Company-reported. A form being listed does not establish that it will be used for a project or what its final terms contain.	CNA lists Builders Risk among Inland Marine coverages and describes property-damage cover for construction projects in its marine brochure. ^10,¹¹Company-reported. This is company marketing, not a coverage grant; policy wording and project facts control. The brochure gives natural-disaster, vandalism and theft as examples of project property damage the product is intended to address. ¹¹Company-reported. The examples are not a complete peril list; the source directs buyers to the relevant policy for actual terms.
How to Apply	BHSI says underwriting may request coverage specifications, a project description, contractor loss experience and a construction schedule, among other project details. ⁶Company-reported. The guide gives examples rather than a universal or complete checklist; requirements depend on the submission.	Confirm in your quote.

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Sources for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA

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.
Builder’s Risk. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Retained canonical source record locator: current U.S. product page, lines 6–35: all-risk project coverage, hot testing/commissioning, delay/startup/soft costs, single-peril/DIC primary/excess, EAR/CAR target categories and selectively considered Master Builder’s Risk. Prior actual access 2026-09-28; direct re-open failed in this session. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Builder’s Risk Appetite Guide. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; U.S. guide pp. 1–2: marketed coverage/participation and targeted classes, lines 0–35; listed BHSI, follow-form and broker-manuscript policy forms, plus example submission information, lines 39–53; dated 2026-01-30 A; all coverage remains subject to the actual policy, lines 63–65. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Sources About CNA

Insurance for Small Businesses. CNA; Insurance for Small Businesses, lines 38-50 and 65-67 (CNA Central and agent route); lines 79-106 (product and stated appetite lists); page footer line 132 (CNA registered service mark). Accessed 2026-09-28.
CNA Connect Small Businessowners Policy (BOP) | CNA Insurance. CNA; CNA Connect; coverages, product range, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
General Disclaimer. CNA; General Disclaimer paragraphs 1 and 5 (HTML lines 24 and 28): CNA describes Continental Casualty Company and its relevant affiliates; references to CNA may include one or more CCC affiliates; each particular policy/product/service is the responsibility only of the specific CNA company that issues or supplies it. Footer line 57 identifies CNA Financial Corporation as trademark registrant. Re-read 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
Inland & Ocean Marine Insurance. CNA; U.S. page, sections Inland Marine and Ocean Marine: Builders Risk listed among inland products and Hull Builders Risk among ocean products; page retrieved through official-site search 2026-09-30. Accessed 2026-09-30.
Marine Capabilities Brochure. CNA; Additional Offerings section: Builders Risk for construction projects with property damage from named examples; brochure product overview, not policy wording. Official document retrieved 2026-09-30. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Sources for the Builders Risk Insurance Guide

Glossary of Insurance Terms. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Builders’ Risk Policies; Ocean Marine; Auto Physical Damage; All-Risk. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Property; Inland Marine; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Builders Risk Coverage Form. Insurance Services Office, Inc.; hosted by Touchpoint Markets; A.1–3 p.1; B.3.c p.11; C,D,E p.12. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Builders Risk Application Tip Sheet. US Assure; General policy application tips p.1; Remodeling tips p.2. Accessed 2026-09-16.