
Arizona Builders Risk Insurance
Arizona maps earth fissures in five counties and documents risks to buildings, foundations and infrastructure. For certain transfers outside subdivisions in unincorporated county areas, sellers must provide a statutory affidavit covering floodplain and fissure information. Check current parcel evidence, then ask the broker how the actual quote treats earth movement and resulting damage.
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. Read the national Builders risk guide.
What Should You Watch for With Builders Risk Insurance in Arizona?
Check the current fissure map for the site
Arizona Geological Survey maps earth fissures in Cochise, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties. Its overview map is dated 2015 and points readers to a current hazard viewer, so use the latest viewer and site-specific investigation rather than treating the older statewide illustration as clearance. A.R.S. § 33-422 applies to a seller of five or fewer parcels, other than subdivided land, in an unincorporated county area, and to any subsequent seller; the seller must provide an affidavit at least seven days before transfer. The affidavit includes floodplain and fissure information, but it is a transaction disclosure, not a professional site inspection. 1,2,3,4
Ask what the mapped feature status means
AZGS says its mapping distinguishes continuous, discontinuous and reported-but-unconfirmed fissures. Ask the geotechnical professional to interpret the site and any nearby feature; a map label alone does not establish the condition of the insured property or whether a loss is covered. 2
Read earth-movement wording closely
AZGS documents fissure exposure during construction and describes damage to roads, buildings, foundations and utilities. For a site with subsidence or fissure concerns, have the broker identify the quote’s earth-movement, subsidence and settling language, including any exclusions or sublimits, rather than relying on a general “builders risk” label. 2,1
Which Builders Risk Insurance Providers Have Arizona License Records?
No provider in our research has both a state license record and a listing for this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.
Who Regulates Insurance in Arizona?

Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions
Arizona DIFI regulates insurance companies and insurance professionals, including producers and surplus-lines brokers. Its license search covers both individual or business licensees and insurance companies, and its complaint page explains how to file with the Department. 5,6,7
Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Arizona
Reported tax rate. 3% of gross premium and taxable policy fees, less returns; stamping fee rate not verified 8,10,12,13
When Arizona is the insured’s home state, the tax is 3% of gross premium and taxable policy fees, less returned premium; the statute excludes stamping fees from that tax base. For a multistate risk, Arizona’s share is allocated by exposure under the statute. Arizona's surplus-lines policy notice says these policies do not receive guaranty-fund protection. Current stamping-fee amount was not independently confirmed from readable current evidence and is omitted.
The Surplus Line Association of Arizona
- Arizona has an exempt-commercial-purchaser search exception: A surplus-lines broker generally must make diligent effort to place an Arizona risk in the admitted market. For an exempt commercial purchaser, federal law removes that search only after the broker discloses the admitted-market protection difference and the purchaser then asks in writing for nonadmitted coverage. 9,11
What Should You Ask Before Buying Builders Risk Insurance in Arizona?
- What current AZGS map and site investigation address fissures or subsidence at this parcel?
- How does the proposed form treat earth movement, subsidence, foundation damage and resulting physical loss?
- Which site preparation, excavation and foundation stages are included in the values and policy period?
Builders Risk Insurance in Arizona: Frequently Asked Questions
Which Arizona counties have mapped earth-fissure study areas?
AZGS lists Cochise, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties and directs users to its current Natural Hazards in Arizona Viewer. For covered transfers of five or fewer parcels outside subdivisions in unincorporated county areas, A.R.S. § 33-422 requires a seller affidavit with floodplain and fissure disclosures. Confirm parcel conditions with current maps and qualified site investigation. 1,2,3,4
Does an AZGS fissure map establish whether a builders risk claim is covered?
No. The survey maps geologic features; it does not interpret a policy. Ask the broker or insurer to identify the applicable earth-movement and subsidence wording. 2
Builders Risk Insurance Guides for Other States
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Other coverage in ArizonaEvery coverage guide for Arizona, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.


