Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Gallagher: How Do They Compare for Surety Bonds?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply and warranty bonds; Gallagher describes replacing letters of credit with commercial bonds and facilitating collateral release. ^5,¹¹

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

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Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Surety Bonds page

What Is Gallagher?

Gallagher’s technology specialists serve startups through global enterprises, while its executive-risk team supports IPO and M&A needs; small firms seeking one simple digital quote should compare online agencies. ^6,^7,^8,^9,¹⁰

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What Are Surety Bonds?

A surety bond guarantees that your business meets a specific obligation to a customer, contracting party or government agency. If a contract, license or permit requires one, get its exact form and amount; a bond is not insurance for your own losses. ^12,^13,^14,^15,¹⁶

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What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Gallagher Surety Bonds?

Project delivery and commercial obligations

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply and warranty bonds. Gallagher distinguishes commercial surety (including license, court, public official and customs bonds) from contract surety for construction. A buyer with a regulatory or court obligation can compare Gallagher’s listed commercial categories with the construction forms in BHSI’s list; the obligee’s required form determines the match. ⁵ ¹¹

Financing and existing programs

Gallagher reports a case in which it placed commercial surety bonds instead of letters of credit for $60 million in power-purchase obligations, and says its team can work with existing programs and facilitate collateral release. BHSI’s reviewed catalogue lists bond forms, while Gallagher’s cited example describes replacing letters of credit and facilitating collateral release. If an existing obligation ties up a letter of credit, ask Gallagher whether a bond fits the same requirement and compare the proposed form with BHSI’s list. ¹¹ ⁵

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Gallagher Surety Bonds Quotes?

Ask Gallagher whether replacing your letter of credit changes collateral or indemnity requirements. ¹¹
Ask BHSI which listed bond form it would consider for the obligation. ⁵
Match bond form, obligee, penal sum and collateral conditions to the contract. ¹¹

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Gallagher 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]

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Gallagher Review Score

9.3/ 10

Review Score

3 rated sources

Gallagher has strong Trustpilot feedback and a favorable historical large-commercial survey result. Neither directly measures today’s US small-business service.^[2]^[4]^[6]

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Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Gallagher Surety Bonds Compared

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Gallagher: Surety Bonds: documented features by provider

Criteria	U.S. Surety	Gallagher Commercial Surety Bonds
Role in This Line	Confirm in your quote.	Gallagher places commercial surety bonds as a three-party arrangement between the client (principal), the party requiring the bond (obligee) and a surety company; Gallagher brokers the bond rather than acting as the surety itself. ¹¹Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page.
Issuing Insurer	Confirm in your quote.	The commercial surety page describes relationships with "leadership at all major surety companies" but does not name the specific surety that would issue a given client's bond. ¹¹Not publicly disclosed. Checked the group-level commercial surety practice page.
Who It’s For	BHSI names regional, national and global contractors and construction suppliers or service firms among its target accounts. ⁵Company-reported. A target description does not establish approval, bonding capacity or qualification for a particular contract.	Gallagher says it serves commercial surety clients across healthcare, financial services, public utilities, and private and public companies, for both domestic and international projects, and separately lists surety bond programs as a recommended coverage for small IT and technology businesses. ^11,⁷Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page and the small-business technology-services page.
Coverage Features	BHSI lists performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply and warranty bonds. ⁵Company-reported. The catalogue identifies bond types; actual obligations are set by each bond form, principal, obligee and governing jurisdiction. BHSI lists performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply and warranty bonds as separate bond types. ⁵Company-reported. Each bond carries its own obligation; the product list does not establish bond form terms or approval.	Gallagher says it places license and permit bonds, court bonds, public official bonds and customs bonds under its commercial surety practice, distinct from contract (construction) surety bonds, which it treats as a separate related product. ¹¹Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page; a service-menu description, not a specific bond's terms.
Limits and Retentions	Confirm in your quote.	The commercial surety page does not publish standard bond amounts, premium rates or collateral requirements; these vary by bond type and client. ¹¹Not publicly disclosed. Checked the group-level commercial surety practice page.
Risk Services	BHSI says its surety team supports public-private partnership and project-delivery arrangements. ⁵Company-reported. The page does not specify the scope or availability of that support for an individual account.	Gallagher says its surety team can help replace letters of credit with bonds, work with a client's existing surety program, and facilitate collateral release, citing a case where it placed commercial surety bonds in place of letters of credit to support $60 million in power-purchase obligations for an energy-company client. ¹¹Company-reported. Group-level commercial surety practice page case study; a single company-reported example, not independently verified.

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Sources for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Gallagher

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.
Surety. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Retained canonical source record locator: U.S. Surety product highlights list performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply and warranty bonds; target contractors and construction suppliers/services; lines 6–32. Prior access 2026-09-28; direct re-open failed in this session. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources About Gallagher

Technology Insurance. Gallagher; Introduction; Solutions and coverages for the technology industry: Technology errors and omissions including cyber, Intellectual property insurance, Product liability, Employee benefits; Data-driven insights; global network. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Insurance for Technology & IT Businesses. Gallagher Small Business; Protection for IT Professionals & Their Technology-Based Businesses; recommended coverage menu, including Surety Bond Programs; Connect With An Advisor. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Executive and Financial Risk Insurance. Gallagher; Opening (insurance broking and placement); three key services; Directors and Officers; IPO and direct listings; Employment Practices; Fiduciary; Employee Dishonesty (Crime) and Fidelity Bond; Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion; M&A Transactional Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Legal Information. Gallagher Small Business; Producer identification immediately above Quick Links. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Woodruff Sawyer Is Now Gallagher. Gallagher; Opening; Executive and Financial Risk consulting; Continued access to client portals; contact form. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Surety. Gallagher; Surety relationships that convert to future growth; Understanding commercial surety vs. contract surety bonds; Providing assurance that keeps business moving (License and permit bonds, Court bonds, Public official bonds, Customs bonds); The Gallagher Difference case study; Commercial Surety and Bonds Summary. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Sources for the Surety Bonds Guide

Glossary of Insurance Terms. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Surety Bond; Fidelity. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Surety bonds. U.S. Small Business Administration; Opening guarantee of work completion; Contract or commercial bonds; Bid, Payment, Performance, Ancillary; Eligibility > credit, capacity, and character. Accessed 2026-09-16.
40 U.S. Code § 3131 — Bonds of contractors of public buildings or works. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, reproducing 40 U.S.C. § 3131; §3131(b) Type of Bonds Required — performance bond and payment bond. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Surety Bonds. Chubb; Construction Surety Bonds (performance, payment, maintenance); Commercial Surety Bonds (license and permit, court, commercial contract). Accessed 2026-09-16.
Surety Bonds Insurance. Harper; What is Surety Bonds insurance?; A bond is not insurance; License & permit bonds; Contract bonds — bid, performance, and payment; Is a bond the same as insurance? Accessed 2026-09-16.