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 Surety Bonds page
What Is Harper Insurance?
Harper suits hard-to-place businesses such as contractors, care providers, manufacturers and transportation firms; standard small businesses seeking direct quotes should compare online carriers. Its workers’ compensation service helps classify payroll for audits. 6,7
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. 9,10,11,12,13
What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Harper Surety Bonds?
Contract bonds and other obligations
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply and warranty bonds. Harper places contract bid, performance and payment bonds, plus license and permit, DMV dealer, and court or fiduciary bonds. Both describe construction-related contract forms, while Harper’s list also gives buyers with licensing, vehicle-dealer or court obligations a named route to ask about. The obligee’s required form still determines which bond is suitable. 5 8
Bond categories and placement pattern
Harper says it typically places bonds alongside related insurance programs, rather than as a bond-only transaction. Its listed categories include license/permit, contract, DMV dealer, and court/fiduciary bonds; BHSI’s list names performance, payment, advance-payment, maintenance, supply, and warranty forms. If you need a standalone bond, ask Harper whether it will place one and confirm the form and deadline with the surety. 8 5
What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Harper Surety Bonds Quotes?
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Harper 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
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 reviewsHarper Review Score
Review Score
No reviews found
We found no customer star rating for Harper. Its Trustpilot page has 0 reviews, and BBB shows 0 customer reviews and 2 complaints.[4][6]
Read Harper reviewsBerkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper Surety Bonds Compared
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper: Surety Bonds: documented features by provider
| Criteria | U.S. Surety | Harper Surety Bonds |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Harper arranges surety bonds rather than underwriting them: it says a bond is a promise, backed by a separate bond company, that the applicant will do what a license or contract requires, and Harper places that promise, it does not stand behind it. 8Company-reported. Surety bonds page 'What is Surety Bonds insurance?' and FAQ 'Is a bond the same as insurance?'. |
| 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. | Harper says bonds are required across many industries and use cases, naming auto dealers, contractors and notaries as examples of businesses that need them for licenses, permits or contracts. 8Company-reported. Surety bonds page introduction; not an exhaustive list of every bonded occupation. |
| 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. | Harper places four categories of bonds: license and permit bonds required by a state or city, contract bid/performance/payment bonds, DMV dealer bonds placed with its garage program, and court or fiduciary bonds for estate or court obligations. 8Company-reported. Surety bonds page's four bond-type tiles; actual bond form and obligee wording depend on the specific bond issued. Harper explains that a bond is not insurance for the buyer: when a bond claim is paid, the bond company collects that amount back from the person or business that was bonded, so getting the bond amount and the obligee's exact name right matters. 8Company-reported. Surety bonds page 'We know this' section and FAQ distinguishing bonds from insurance. |
| Limits and Retentions | Confirm in your quote. | Harper says bond cost is a percentage of the bond amount, driven by bond type and the applicant's credit, but the reviewed page does not publish specific bond amounts, percentage rates or penal-sum figures. 8Not publicly disclosed. Surety bonds FAQ 'What does it cost?'; figures would appear on an actual bond quote. |
| 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. | Harper says it places bonds alongside the insurance program they usually travel with, rather than as a bond-only transaction. 8Company-reported. Surety bonds page introduction; describes Harper's typical placement pattern, not a requirement to buy both. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | Harper says most license and permit bonds issue the same day or the next day, while contract bonds take longer because the bond company reviews the job first; it asks for the deadline and says it works to it. 8Company-reported. Surety bonds FAQ 'How fast can I get a bond?'; timing is a company statement, not a guaranteed turnaround. |
Related Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper
Surety Bonds Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Harper
Other Coverage Lines Compared for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper
Other Surety Bonds Provider Comparisons
Sources for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper
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 Harper
- Text Messaging Terms and Conditions. Harper Global Enterprises Inc.; Effective August 24, 2026; sections 1–3 (entity, consent and service messages), 5 (message costs), 9 (delivery) and 11 (coverage confirmation). Accessed 2026-09-15.
- We're Announcing $47M to Build the Insurance Company Every Business Deserves. Harper / Dakotah Rice; February 26, 2026 article: brokerage identity; AI-assisted submissions and follow-ups; 24–48-hour coverage statement; more than 165 underwriters; plans for additional direct appointments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Surety Bonds Insurance. Harper; Know your coverage: What is Surety Bonds insurance?; License & permit bonds, Contract bonds, Dealer bonds, Court & fiduciary bonds; Why Harper; FAQs on bond speed, the insurance-vs-bond distinction and pricing. 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.
