Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs 
Zurich U.S.: How Do They Compare for Builders Risk Insurance?
Both providers list testing-related builders-risk options: Zurich names building-systems testing and BHSI names hot testing and commissioning. Zurich also lists potential soft-cost and business-income/extra-expense options, while BHSI lists delay and soft-cost features; availability and triggers depend on the project and issued terms. 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 Builders Risk Insurance page
Zurich U.S. Business Insurance: Products, Access, and Claims
Zurich U.S. serves Middle Market businesses and large or national accounts with commercial property-casualty and specialty insurance. Buyers can explore product lines and work through an agent or broker; the insurer named on a quote or policy identifies which Zurich company underwrites that coverage. 7,8
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. 10,11,12,13
What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Zurich U.S. Builders Risk Insurance?
Testing during construction
Zurich lists building-systems testing as a potential option. BHSI lists hot testing and commissioning features. Those descriptions establish a shared testing-related comparison, but not matching equipment, phase, trigger or limit. Ask each proposal to identify the testing period and any conditions tied to commissioning. 9 5
Soft-cost options
Both providers list soft-cost features. Zurich separately lists potential business-income/extra-expense options; BHSI lists delay features. The shared soft-cost label does not establish identical covered expenses or triggers. Compare the proposed endorsements and definitions for the same project schedule. 9 5
What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Zurich U.S. Builders Risk Insurance Quotes?
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Zurich U.S. 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 reviewsZurich U.S. Review Score
Review Score
No reviews found
The available Zurich review evidence is mixed and comes from distinct populations: a car-rental-business editorial rating, broad global and U.S. review-platform snapshots, and a BBB business-profile grade. These are not a representative measure of every Zurich commercial policy or claim.[1][4][5][6][7]
Read Zurich U.S. reviewsBerkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Zurich U.S. Builders Risk Compared
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Zurich U.S.: Builders Risk Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Builder’s Risk | Zurich Commercial Builders Risk |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Confirm in your quote. |
| 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. | Zurich lists water and sewer pipeline projects within Commercial Builders Risk appetite and explicitly excludes oil and gas pipelines. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; issuing company is not specified on this program summary; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk for commercial construction projects; United States. Company-reported target appetite; each application remains subject to underwriting. Do not imply every risk or class is accepted. Zurich’s live Commercial Builders Risk page gives conflicting project-value descriptions: the overview and FAQ describe projects up to $75 million, while the Appetite section says commercial projects of any size and value. The page does not resolve the scope conflict; confirm eligibility with Zurich. These statements describe project values, not policy limits. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; issuing company is not specified on this program summary; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk; United States. The official page contains an unresolved conflict about project-value eligibility. Obtain current Zurich clarification before relying on a boundary. The statements concern project values and do not establish a policy limit; issued terms and underwriting govern. Zurich lists the Commercial Builders Risk program as nationwide. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; underlying issuing legal entity is not identified on this page; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk program; United States, company-reported nationwide program availability. Company-reported program geography does not establish issuer authority or coverage for a specific risk; confirm jurisdiction and policy with the quote. Zurich lists registered historic structures, tunnels, dams, structures built over water, and manufacturing including testing/equipment among ineligible Commercial Builders Risk projects. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; issuing company is not specified on this program summary; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk; United States. Company-reported appetite; not a full policy exclusion list. Actual terms govern. |
| 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. | Zurich says its Commercial Builders Risk program protects commercial projects against physical loss or damage during construction, renovation or installation. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; issuing company is not specified on this program summary; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk; United States. Company product summary, not a policy form; actual covered property, causes, exclusions, limits and conditions depend on issued terms and underwriting. Zurich lists potential Commercial Builders Risk options including earth movement, flood, Ordinance or Law, soft costs, business income/extra expense, waiver of coinsurance and building-systems testing. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; issuing company is not specified on this program summary; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk; United States. Options may depend on project/underwriting and issued policy terms; page is not the policy form. |
| Risk Services | Confirm in your quote. | Zurich states the commercial Builders Risk program offers direct access to a dedicated team of more than 50 specialists. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; issuing company is not specified on this program summary; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk; United States. Company-reported program service statement; it does not promise response times or claims outcomes. |
| 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. | Zurich says agents can register online for program access and submit an online or paper application to underwriting; no premium commitment is required to register. 9Company-reported. Zurich U.S. brand; distribution through agents/brokers; Zurich Commercial Builders Risk; United States. Application process description; submission is not binding coverage or evidence of acceptance. |
Related Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Zurich U.S.
Builders Risk Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and Zurich U.S.
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Sources for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs Zurich U.S.
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 Zurich U.S.
- About Us | Zurich U.S. | Commercial Insurance. Zurich U.S.; About Zurich U.S.; customer and industry description; FAQ on U.S. product focus. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Agents and Brokers | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Agent/broker route and locator. Accessed 2026-09-28.
- Commercial Builders Risk Program | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Builders Risk - Commercial; direct product overview and FAQ: coverage, appetite, ineligible projects, options, limits, application, geography, admission and program highlights (HTML lines 270–411). Accessed 2026-09-28.
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.
