Heffernan Insurance Brokers vs HUB International: How Do They Compare for Business Insurance?

Heffernan is a broker that shops insurers, presents options and arranges coverage; the policy’s insurer, not Heffernan, issues it and handles covered claims. ^6,9,5,1Company-reportedCompany-described broking role. Do not infer underwriting authority for all products from the marine-cargo program’s in-house authority language.

Confirm the exact producer on your agreement and policy: Heffernan’s pages use that business name and display California license 0564249 but no longer corporate suffix. ^1,24,2Company-reportedBrand and license-number display only. Not independent license verification or a complete legal-entity chart.

Heffernan describes itself as employee-owned and independent since 1988; a 2019 investor release described a minority investment, but current ownership percentages are not public. ^1,2,25Company-reportedCompany and investor announcements. Not a current cap-table verification.

If you need California technology insurance, verify which related Heffernan entity will serve as producer; its network, London, and benefits entities do not identify the entity for your policy. ^21,22,11,3Company-reportedOfficial related-entity descriptions. Costero’s FCA status and Heffernan’s exact current ownership of Costero were not independently verified.

HUB helps businesses arrange insurance through brokers and agents; reviewed product pages describe brokerage, not HUB as the insurer. Its subsidiaries hold licenses in various US states and Canadian provinces. ^30,31,35Company-reportedBrand and parent identity as of 16 September 2026. Does not identify which subsidiary would appear on a California producer license or policy declarations.

Small businesses may reach HUB through its digital Insureon route, acquired in 2022; Insureon and TechInsurance are associated with Specialty Program Group, so the retail account path may differ from HUB’s offices. ^{30,60,61,62,63}Company-reportedCorporate-affiliation statements. Does not establish that every HUB office places business through Insureon, or that TechInsurance is a distinct California producer.

Technology companies in mid-to-late stages, including venture-funded and pre-IPO firms, can work with Heffernan’s specialty practice; its small-business team serves sole proprietors through fast-growing firms. ^1,7,8,2Company-reportedCurrent official positioning. Not a minimum-size, funding-stage, or eligibility determination for any applicant.

Bay Area technology, venture-capital, healthcare, life-sciences, real-estate and construction businesses can contact HUB’s San Francisco team; this is a local service description, not a product eligibility list. ^27,28Company-reportedHUB International San Francisco office page at 201 Mission Street. A separate 44 Montgomery Street office describes contractor bonding and City of San Francisco contractor-development work under a Merriwether & Williams history.

Technology companies can ask HUB about E&O, cyber, D&O, transactional coverage, workers’ compensation and benefits; HUB says it currently insures 5,000+ technology companies, a company-reported figure. ³⁶Company-reportedIndustry marketing page only. Does not establish California eligibility, insurer panels or policy wording for any named coverage.

Businesses with 50 or fewer employees or under $5 million revenue are directed by HUB to Insureon’s online quote; larger or different commercial accounts go to HUB advisors. These are routing guidelines, not a legal small-business definition. ³⁴Company-reportedHUB contact-us Business Solutions copy as of 16 September 2026. Actual Insureon underwriting appetite can differ by product and insurer.

You can start with an inquiry form asking for contact details, insurance needs and an operations description; the form was not submitted, so quote results and binding steps were not established. ¹²VerifiedChrome inspection of the unsubmitted Contact Form 7 on heffins.com/contact-us/. No fields completed and no submission. Downstream underwriting and post-submission behavior not tested. The wording was checked against the stored inspection record on 24 September 2026; the website was not revisited.

Technology buyers work with a specialist broker who gathers insurer quotes and helps choose coverage; Heffernan does not promise a universal quote or binding time for growth-stage programs. Quick Insure is a separate path for selected personal and short-term business products. ^7,9,13,12Company-reportedService descriptions. Technology-page FAQ “how do I get” language is educational process copy, not a measured SLA.

Small accounts meeting HUB’s size guidelines can start an online Insureon quote; other buyers contact a HUB broker or local office. The reviewed site does not offer a public self-serve bind route for mid-market programs. ^{34,37,38,39,36,32}Company-reportedPublic website paths as of 16 September 2026. No application was submitted. Insureon’s own site is a separate digital agency flow.

Heffernan’s offices and nationwide marketing do not guarantee your product is available in a state; its reviewed pages publish no technology product-by-state eligibility schedule. ^2,3,5,7,1Not publicly disclosedNo independently verified 50-state licensure or worldwide product availability. Home-care “all states” copy is not extrapolated to technology placements.

Before a California purchase, independently verify the producer’s current license, class and authority; Heffernan displays 0564249 but current status and lines remain unverified. ^1,24,26Not found in reviewed sourcesAccessed 16 September 2026. The California public lookup did not return a usable record; that is not a failed license or an adverse finding.

HUB’s 700+ North American offices and San Francisco locations provide local broker access, but do not establish product availability, insurer or California binding authority. ^30,29,27,28Company-reportedCompany-reported footprint and office directory. No 50-state product map was found on the reviewed HUB pages.

Ask which producer and surplus-lines entity will handle a California account: HUB does not name the entity for its San Francisco offices, while Insureon lists California license 0L09546 for SPG Insurance Solutions, not independently verified. ^31,27,61,64Not found in reviewed sourcesReviewed 16 September 2026. Interactive CDI search was not used to produce a screenshot or official abstract. No license number is independently verified here.

Request the account-specific commissions, fees, contingent compensation and separately billed services because reviewed pages do not publish a standard fee schedule; lack of a published schedule does not mean the work is free. ^{1,6,7,12,5,13}Not found in reviewed sourcesPublic commercial pricing search on 16 September 2026. Educational FAQ dollar ranges and Irish Heffernan.ie commission PDFs are out of scope and were not used.

Ask for compensation on your proposal: HUB says it receives insurer commissions, contingent and supplemental payments and sometimes client fees, may use affiliated wholesalers, and may earn administration or data fees; it publishes no standard rates. ³³Company-reportedFirmwide compensation disclosure. Amounts for a given account are not disclosed on the public page.