Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Harper: How Do They Compare for Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s U.S. casualty appetite guide lists lead umbrella, follow-form excess, and retained-limit forms with $10 million excess capacity for selected risks (U.S. casualty appetite guide; not an account quote). Harper says its umbrella follows the terms of underlying policies and that it maps which policies sit beneath a client’s umbrella; that describes its process, not a guaranteed no-gap outcome. 5,9
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 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. 7,8
Read the Harper 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. 10,11,12,13,14
What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Harper Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance?
Layer Form and Underlying Schedule
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s appetite guide lists lead umbrella, follow-form excess, and retained-limit structures. Harper says it maps the policies beneath a client’s umbrella and describes the umbrella as following those underlying terms. Buyers comparing the two should request the actual schedule and wording: Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s named forms do not establish which primary policies attach, and Harper’s described mapping practice does not independently verify that a future placement has no gaps. 5 9
Capacity and Contract Need
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance gives $10 million as excess capacity for selected U.S. casualty risks, with more possible for selected risks. Harper recommends considering an umbrella where a lease or contract requires limits above primary policies and otherwise frames the choice around claim amounts the business could absorb. A buyer can compare the contract requirement with Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance’s selective appetite and Harper’s stated trigger, then confirm the actual quoted limit and attachment. 5 9
What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Harper Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance 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 Umbrella and Excess Liability Compared
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Harper: Umbrella and Excess Liability Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Lead umbrella and excess casualty | Harper Umbrella Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Confirm in your quote. | Harper places umbrella and excess liability coverage as extra limits stacked above a client's existing primary policies, rather than re-selling the underlying coverage itself. 9Company-reported. Umbrella page introduction and 'What is Umbrella insurance?' 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. | Harper recommends an umbrella when a lease or contract requires liability limits above a business's primary policies, and otherwise frames it as a judgment call based on how much of a claim the business could absorb. 9Company-reported. Umbrella FAQ 'Do I need an umbrella?'. |
| 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. | Harper describes the umbrella responding above general liability claims, above auto liability claims, and above a workers' compensation claim when an injured employee separately sues. 9Company-reported. Umbrella page's four coverage tiles; the underlying and umbrella policies as issued control which claims actually qualify. Harper says the umbrella follows the terms of the policies underneath it, and that it maps exactly which underlying policies sit under a client's umbrella so there are no coverage gaps. 9Company-reported. Umbrella FAQ 'Does it cover everything my other policies cover?'; a described mapping practice, not an independently verified outcome. |
| 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. | Harper says each additional million in umbrella limits typically costs a fraction of the first million, and that industry and underlying limits drive price, but the reviewed page does not publish specific limit amounts, retentions or premium figures. 9Not publicly disclosed. Umbrella page 'We know this' section and FAQ 'What does it cost?'; figures would appear on an actual quote. |
| How to Apply | Confirm in your quote. | You request a quote through Harper's online form or by phone; Harper says a specialist reviews the underlying policies before recommending umbrella limits. 9Company-reported. Umbrella page quote form and 'Why Harper' process steps. |
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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.
- 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 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.
- Umbrella Insurance. Harper; Know your coverage: What is Umbrella insurance?; Excess over general liability, Excess over auto, Above a workplace-injury suit, Contract compliance; Why Harper; FAQs on whether an umbrella is needed, what it follows, and pricing. 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.
