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THREE by Berkshire Hathaway vs Zurich U.S.

THREE describes an insurer or policy-issuing route, while Zurich U.S. directs commercial buyers to agents and brokers; compare the listed products, named insurer, submission route, and service contact against your business and policy needs. 1,2,3,6,4,43,44,48,49,50

Introduction

If you are choosing where to start a commercial insurance conversation, this pair helps separate THREE's documented role from Zurich's agent-and-broker placement route. The records describe business activities and marketed products; they do not establish that either route will quote or issue a particular policy for your company. 1 2 3 48 49

Coverage Comparison

CoverageTHREE by Berkshire HathawayZurich U.S.
Builders riskNot listedListed 42Zurich markets a Commercial Builders Risk program for construction projects; the project-value language conflicts within Zurich’s own page and requires confirmation.
Business owner’s policyListed 10,2Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Not listed
Commercial autoListed 10,2Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 27Zurich markets commercial auto for rental fleets; the reviewed source does not establish the same terms for all commercial-auto classes.
Commercial propertyListed 10,2Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 25Zurich markets commercial property insurance.
CrimeNot listedListed 19Zurich markets commercial crime insurance as standalone policies and as package solutions; package structure is distinct from any specific policy terms.
Cyber liabilityListed 10,2Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 22Zurich markets cyber insurance for businesses; cover and policy form depend on the selected product.
Directors and officersListed 10Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 15Zurich markets directors and officers liability insurance.
Employment practices liabilityListed 10Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 17Zurich markets Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI).
Equipment breakdownListed 10,2THREE lists equipment breakdown within the package; its displayed sample excludes machinery, equipment or listed vehicles that stop without an accident. Check the quoted form for the actual protection.Not listed
Fidelity bondsNot listedListed 20Zurich markets ERISA fidelity bond options; this product page identifies Zurich American Insurance Company as underwriter and states approved-state availability.
Fiduciary liabilityListed 10Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 15Zurich markets fiduciary liability insurance.
General liabilityListed 10,2Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 14,13Zurich’s U.S. catalogue describes commercial general liability protection for business bodily injury, property damage and personal injury claims.
Liquor liabilityListed 10Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy if required; the quote and issued form determine availability and protection.Not listed
Management liabilityNot listedListed 15Zurich markets a management liability portfolio with multiple distinct lines.
Professional errors and omissions (E&O)Listed 10Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 21Zurich markets professional errors and omissions insurance.
Surety bondsNot listedListed 28Zurich markets construction and corporate surety bonds.
Technology errors and omissions (E&O)Not listedListed 21Zurich markets technology errors and omissions insurance.
Tools, equipment and inland marineListed 10Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 25Zurich’s commercial property page separately lists Inland Marine coverages, including contractors’ equipment and warehouse liability; do not equate its broader Marine portfolio with this line.
Umbrella and excess liabilityNot listedListed 24Zurich markets commercial umbrella and excess liability insurance; the cited facility is not a universal Zurich limit.
Workers’ compensationListed 10,2Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.Listed 41Zurich markets workers’ compensation insurance.

A listing may be arranged through an insurer or partner. “Not listed” means this catalogue has no separate offering recorded; ask the provider whether it can quote the coverage and request the policy terms.

Current Spot Scores

Each score uses the rubric for that provider’s documented role. Providers with more than one role may have a score for each.

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Carrier

Carrier & MGA

No Spot Score

Assessed entity: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company. Scope: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), the insurer named on the displayed THREE sample policy. THREE is the commercial product/DBA label. This assessment uses BHDIC-specific evidence only; information about parent companies, affiliates, brokers and other Berkshire insurers is not transferred to BHDIC.

Provider assessment

Zurich U.S.

Carrier

Carrier & MGA

No Spot Score

Assessed entity: Zurich American Insurance Company. Scope: Evidence record for Zurich U.S. brand and named insurer Zurich American Insurance Company (ZAIC); corporate ratings are specific to the named issuer where stated, while conduct and customer sources keep their own entity/jurisdiction/product scopes. No Spot Score or reliability rating is assigned.

Provider assessment

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.

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

7.3/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

The inspected sources report separate measures: NerdWallet’s 4.0/5 editorial rating is excluded from the source-rating average; Trustpilot displayed 2.5/5 from five user posts and BBB displayed 4.8/5 from 265 reviews. Trustpilot and BBB include different purchase, service and agent/intermediary interactions, not a verified common policyholder cohort. BBB separately lists complaints. Any source-rating average weights eligible platforms equally and is not a pooled, representative customer-experience estimate or a claims-quality measure.[4][3][1][2]

Read THREE by Berkshire Hathaway reviews

Zurich U.S.

-/ 10

Review Score

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. reviews

How The Buying Route Differs

THREE's published role points to an insurer or policy-issuing route; Zurich describes a commercial insurer group that works through agents and brokers. That distinction can guide whom you contact first: use THREE when its documented channel and service model fit your need, and ask a broker who can quote the Zurich product you want to compare. The specific producer and insurer still depend on the proposal and policy documents. 1 2 3 43 44 48 49

The application path affects who prepares the submission and which details your team must assemble. Compare THREE's described application route with Zurich's broker-directed route for your product, locations, and operations. Ask each contact what information is still missing and what written confirmation marks the point when coverage is bound. 6 48 49

Use both companies' published customer descriptions as routing clues. Check whether your industry's operations, company size, locations, and contract requirements match the audience described in each quote conversation; a stated focus does not establish that an insurer will accept your risk. 1 7 43 48

What The Coverage Lists Show

The current coverage lists overlap on General liability, Professional errors and omissions (E&O), Directors and officers. THREE also lists Business owner’s policy and Liquor liability among its documented lines; Zurich's list also names Technology errors and omissions (E&O) and Umbrella and excess liability. A shared label is only a starting point: compare the proposed forms, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions for your specific operations. 10 14 15 21 24

Application And Ongoing Service

After a quote is prepared, compare the service each company describes with the route you will use. Ask whether your account includes portal access, who handles certificates and midterm changes, who coordinates renewal review, and where to report a claim. The published service descriptions do not establish the commitments in your own agreement. 3 4 50

Questions To Ask Before You Choose

  • Which legal insurer will issue each quoted policy, and which producer is responsible for placement?
  • Which forms, limits, retentions, exclusions, and state or business eligibility rules apply to the exposure you need to insure?
  • What application materials or follow-up does each route require, and what event confirms coverage is bound?
  • Who handles certificates, midterm changes, renewal review, and first notice of claim?
  • How are premium, taxes, fees, commissions, and any contingent compensation disclosed for this placement?

The public records explain the companies' roles and processes, but only an applicant-specific proposal and issued policy can answer those questions for your business. 6 48 49 50 53

Compare Services

What each provider documents about the services you may need

CriteriaTHREE by Berkshire HathawayZurich U.S.
Business role

THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 1,2,3Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract.

Berkshire Hathaway’s published company list identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (THREE) and lists Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) and biBERK separately. Its 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial products to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately describes BH Direct’s admitted commercial underwriting and use of the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. The reviewed list and report do not establish the exact direct-versus-indirect ownership chain. 8,7Company-reported. Berkshire Hathaway company list checked 2026-09-28 and 2025 annual-report discussion of BH Direct and GUARD; group relationship and commercial operating scope only, not a precise ownership-chain finding.

Zurich U.S. describes its business as commercial property-casualty and specialty insurance solutions and services within Zurich Insurance Group. 43,44Company-reported. Zurich U.S. operating brand; U.S. business; company description, not legal-entity or insurer attribution for an individual policy.

Zurich’s 2026 history page describes a planned transition from Zurich North America to Zurich U.S.; the reviewed page does not give a completion date. 47Company-reported. Brand naming only. No Zurich North America alias added pending clear evidence of completion.

Customer focus

THREE describes its focus as businesses and presents industries it serves. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial insurance to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately says BH Direct underwrites through the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. Eligibility varies by state and business. 1,7Company-reported. THREE’s company-described business focus and industry examples, plus the 2025 report’s joint BH Direct-and-GUARD SMB statement. The report does not attribute that customer-size focus to BHDIC alone; actual eligibility varies by state and business.

Zurich U.S. describes serving Middle Market businesses and large or national accounts across industries including automotive, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and technology. 43,48Company-reported. Company-reported U.S. customer positioning; examples do not establish that a specific risk is eligible.

Application process

THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 1,3Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested.

THREE describes a partner-agency channel. Its partner page says the Agency Service Team assists policyholders and agents and that agency partners can use the THREE platform to quote, bind, and issue policies online. This describes the partner channel, not the direct public quote flow. 6Company-reported. THREE partner agency program and platform capabilities as described by the company; these capabilities apply to partner agencies and do not establish direct-customer self-binding.

Zurich directs commercial buyers to agents and brokers and provides a locator. The reviewed pages do not establish a general direct online purchase flow. 48,49Company-reported. Zurich U.S. commercial customer route; reviewed agent/contact pages; not a conclusion that direct placement is unavailable in every program.

Servicing and renewals

THREE says policyholders can submit policy-change requests through My THREE Online or contact a Small Business Advisor. Its FAQ lists account/contact and billing tasks, vehicle and location changes, and certificate requests; it says vehicle and location requests are reviewed and processed by its team. The page does not establish automatic approval or effective dates for changes. 3Company-reported. Company-described servicing routes and request types for THREE policyholders; submitted requests may be reviewed and processed, and approval/effective dates are not established.

THREE describes its policy as a one-year term. Its payment terms say automatic bank-draft authorization renews if the customer renews the policy; they do not say that the policy itself renews automatically or explain the complete renewal-offer process. 3,4Company-reported. Published FAQ and payment terms reviewed 2026-09-28. Renewal administration beyond payment authorization was not established from these pages.

Zurich describes an online portal for existing customers to view policy documents and endorsements, track claims, review risk-improvement actions and contact Zurich. The reviewed pages do not explain renewal handling. 50Company-reported. Company-described My Zurich functions for existing policyholders; renewal details were not found in these reviewed pages.

Sources

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Official Website

  1. THREE by Berkshire Hathaway — small business insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Issuer, business focus, and industry scope, lines 70–81; quote/advisor route, lines 405–420; DBA footer, lines 432–434. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. The Policy. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Sample declarations, limits and three-day Business Interruption waiting period (lines 58–76); Section I: interruption follows a property loss the insurer pays and ends on resumed normal operations or an applicable limit (lines 82–86); Section III: machinery/equipment/listed vehicles stopping without an accident are excluded (lines 104–112). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. FAQs: Understanding THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Quote save/resume, lines 73–76; claim/update routes, lines 78–89; product-not-company wording, lines 98–100; one-year policy/payment terms, lines 129–130; servicing requests, lines 141–157. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Terms & Conditions. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; BHDIC dba THREE, lines 20–23; recurring automatic bank draft qualification, lines 27–33. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Filing a Claim: Call to get started. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Online/phone claims and account-manager assignment, lines 24–43; claim updates, lines 59–61. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Become a THREE Partner. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Partner-agency program and platform permissions, lines 6–18; state availability, lines 30–35. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 2025 Annual Report / Form 10-K. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; 2025 annual report, PDF page 5, printed K-4, lines 303–308: BH Direct and GUARD joint SMB focus; BH Direct platforms/admitted products. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Links to Berkshire Hathaway Subsidiary Companies. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; Published subsidiary-company list; BHDIC (THREE), BHSI, and biBERK shown separately, lines 11–16. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. THREE online quote application. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; THREE online quote entry point inspected; the page is a route to begin an application. No form was submitted or quote generated; this source alone does not establish customer self-binding. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Business Owners Policy | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Product page explicitly markets Business Liability categories (including liquor liability if required), Property (including equipment breakdown and inland marine), Business Auto (including cargo liability and hired/non-owned), Business Interruption, Cyber and Workers’ Compensation, within one combined policy description (lines 8–9, 19–21, 23–76); BHDIC dba THREE footer (lines 93–94). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  11. Benefits | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Page copy: commercial coverage category descriptions for liability, cyber, property/business interruption, business auto and workers compensation; describes product benefits, not a complete policy form. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  12. THREE logo SVG. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Direct official SVG asset; viewBox 0 0 720 253; embedded title “Three by Berkshire Hathaway”; downloaded and preserved byte-for-byte as assets/three-logo.svg. Accessed 2026-09-29.

Zurich U.S. Official Website

  1. Business insurance for public & private companies | Zurich. Zurich U.S.; Zurich U.S. commercial coverage catalogue; line navigation and product links. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Commercial Casualty Insurance | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Insurance solutions for commercial casualty / Domestic Casualty Solutions; explicitly lists Zurich General Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Commercial Auto and Excess Liability. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Management Liability Insurance | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Management liability, D&O, crime, fiduciary, EPLI. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D&O) | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; D&O coverage, target companies, claims team. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; EPLI protection, coverage features, risk services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Fiduciary Liability Insurance | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Fiduciary products, exposures, customers, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Commercial Crime & Fidelity Insurance Coverage | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Crime product, standalone/package availability, loss examples, risk assessment services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. ERISA Fidelity Bond | Zurich U.S. Insurance. Zurich U.S.; ERISA Fidelity Bond options, limits, eligibility, insurer, underwriting conditions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Errors and Omissions Insurance – E&O | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Pro Plus coverage, targeted classes, policy structure, claims and underwriting. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Cyber Security Insurance and Coverage | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Cyber policy types, customer segments, primary/excess, incident response. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Zurich Cyber Insurance Policy. Zurich U.S.; Large/global cyber policy coverage and claims/response resources. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. Commercial Umbrella Insurance Coverage | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Umbrella and excess coverage forms, crisis expense limit, excess claims-made facility. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. Commercial Property Insurance: Building & Business | Zurich. Zurich U.S.; Property forms, customer segments, business interruption, risk engineering, marine. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Insurance for Construction Companies | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Builders risk offering; construction customers; construction coverages and risk services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Vehicle Rental Business Insurance: Car, Motorcycle, Truck, RV | Zurich. Zurich U.S.; Commercial rental fleets, auto liability and physical damage, application and claims. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. Surety Bond Company: Construction & Corporate | Zurich. Zurich U.S.; Contract and commercial surety, products, jurisdictions, transaction tools. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  17. 2025 U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study. J.D. Power; Indexed 2025 ranking PDF URL returned 404 when opened; score table not verified. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  18. 2025 U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study - JD Power. J.D. Power; 2025 study methodology, sample size and field dates. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  19. U.S. Small Commercial Insurance Study - JD Power. J.D. Power; 2025 and 2026 profiled target brands and publication dates. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  20. Best Insurance Companies for Car Rental Businesses - NerdWallet. NerdWallet; Zurich 4.5/5 business editorial rating; commercial auto rental fleets; complaint analysis. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  21. Zurich Insurance Reviews | Trustpilot. Trustpilot; Global Zurich Insurance profile, TrustScore and review count. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  22. Zurich Property & Casualty Insurance Reviews from Real Customers | ConsumerAffairs. ConsumerAffairs; Zurich P&C profile rating/review count and mixed reviewer topics. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  23. Zurich American Insurance Company | BBB Business Profile. BBB; Business grade, accreditation, Zurich NA description and line list. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  24. Zurich American Insurance Company | BBB Reviews | Better Business Bureau. BBB; Customer Review Ratings and review count. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  25. NAIC Consumer Insurance Search. NAIC; Company/state/line consumer complaint lookup; interactive result did not render. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  26. List of financial strength and issuer credit ratings | Zurich Insurance. Zurich Insurance Group; Current ratings for Zurich American Insurance Company. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  27. AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd and Its Main Rated Subsidiaries. AM Best; September 4, 2026 affirmations for Zurich American Insurance Company. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  28. ERISA Fidelity Bond | Zurich U.S. Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Product-page underwriting jurisdiction caveat; individual North American insurance entities. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  29. Workers’ Compensation Insurance | Zurich Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Medical management, claims reporting and worker benefits. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  30. 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.
  31. 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.
  32. About Zurich U.S. | Zurich U.S. Insurance. Zurich U.S.; Opening paragraphs; relationship to Zurich Insurance Group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  33. Terms of Use from Zurich U.S. | Zurich Insurance. Zurich American Insurance Company / Zurich U.S.; §1 site operator; §5 reproduction rights; §16 Zurich American Insurance Company, NAIC 16535, and provider-published all-state/listed-territory licensing disclosure; §17 member-company list. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  34. Zurich Insurance Group Annual Results 2025. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd; Note 27, Table 27.1, printed p.126: voting rights and ownership interest at 2025-12-31. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  35. Zurich U.S. History. Zurich U.S.; 2026 history page, planned transition wording; completion date not stated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  36. Agents and Brokers | Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Agent/broker route and locator. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  37. Contact Zurich U.S. Zurich U.S.; Commercial insurance contact routes. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  38. My Zurich customer portal. Zurich U.S.; Existing-policyholder portal functions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  39. Report a Claim. Zurich U.S.; Claim notice methods and stated acknowledgment workflow. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  40. Customer Care Center. Zurich U.S.; Published customer-care hours and contact. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  41. Zurich Producer Compensation. Zurich U.S. (company-reported); Disclosure updated May 2026: base/contingent arrangements and independently operating program administrator exclusion. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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