Non-renewed or declined? You still have options
A non-renewal notice is common in roofing and it is rarely the end of the road. Since 1992 we have placed roofing contractors that other agencies could not: new ventures, accounts with claims, torch-down work and lapses in coverage.
Tell us your expiration date first. Time is the thing we cannot get back.
Why roofers get non-renewed
Most non-renewals have little to do with how well you run your business. Carriers enter and leave the roofing class as their results change, and when one leaves, every roofer it insures gets a notice. Other common reasons:
- Claims. One large loss, or several small ones of the same kind.
- A change in your work. Moving into commercial, torch-down, new construction or taller buildings that the carrier does not write.
- Audit or payment problems. An unpaid audit bill or missed installments.
- Inspection findings. A loss control visit that turned up missing fall protection or subcontractor paperwork.
Ask your current agent for the stated reason in writing. The next underwriter will ask, and a clear answer helps.
Four steps, in this order
Do not let coverage lapse
A gap makes every later quote harder and more expensive. In Washington your contractor registration depends on continuous insurance and bond, so a lapse can also stop you from working legally.
Order your loss runs
Request currently valued loss runs from every carrier for the last five years. Carriers can take a week or more to send them, and no specialty market will quote without them.
Write down what happened
For each claim, a few lines: what happened, what it cost, and what you changed afterward. Underwriters decline uncertainty more often than they decline claims.
Call a broker with roofing markets
Roofing is placed through a limited set of specialty carriers. A broker with access to them can approach the right ones at once, with a complete submission.
What underwriters want to see
Five years of loss runs
From every carrier, dated within the last 60 days or so, including policies with no claims.
Payroll and subcontractor breakdown
Payroll, gross receipts and subcontracted cost, split between residential and commercial and between new construction and re-roofing.
Written safety program
A fall protection work plan, training records and, for hot work, your fire-watch procedure.
Subcontract agreement
The agreement you use with subs, plus how you collect and track their certificates and additional-insured endorsements.
Experience
Years the owner and foremen have worked in roofing, licenses held, and the kinds of systems you install.
Claim explanations
Your written account of each loss and the corrective action. This is often what turns a decline into a quote.
How hard-to-place roofing gets insured
When standard carriers will not write an account, coverage usually comes from the surplus lines market. These are insurers that specialize in higher-hazard and unusual risks and have more freedom in how they price and word a policy. A large share of roofing contractors are insured this way, including well-run ones.
It works, but you should know the differences before you buy:
Forms are not standard
Surplus lines policies often carry more exclusions and conditions. Read our page on roofing exclusions and compare forms, not only price.
Taxes and fees are added
A state surplus lines tax and fees are charged on top of the premium, and a minimum earned premium usually applies.
No state guaranty fund
Surplus lines policies are generally not backed by the state guaranty fund if the insurer fails, so the carrier's financial rating matters.
It is not permanent
After a few clean years with good records, many roofers move back to a standard carrier with broader coverage and lower cost. We plan for that from the start.
Non-renewal questions
How quickly can you place coverage?
With loss runs and a completed application in hand, specialty markets can often respond within a few business days. Without loss runs, it takes as long as your prior carriers take to send them. Start as early as you can.
Is a non-renewal the same as a cancellation?
No. A non-renewal means the carrier will not offer another term when the policy expires. A cancellation ends the policy before it expires, most often for non-payment. Underwriters treat a cancellation for non-payment more seriously, so tell us which one you have.
I am a new roofing company. Can I get coverage?
Yes. New ventures have fewer markets and usually pay more in the first years, but they are written every day. The owner's prior roofing experience is the most important part of the submission.
Will my premium always be this high?
Not if the account improves. Pricing follows your loss history and how well your operations are documented. We set a plan with you for what the next underwriter needs to see, then remarket when the record supports it.
Tell us your expiration date
Send the form and a roofing specialist will call you, tell you what to gather and start approaching markets.
- Placing hard-to-place contractors since 1992
- Access to specialty roofing carriers
- A plan to get back to standard markets
Coverage descriptions are general summaries for education. They are not legal, tax or coverage advice, a statement of coverage, an offer or a binder. Coverage, limits, pricing and eligibility are governed by the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies issued and are subject to underwriting. Policy wording varies by carrier, so read your own policy or ask us to review it with you.