Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging lines in construction insurance programs. The segment has reported underwriting losses for fourteen consecutive years, while claim severity has increased approximately 64% since 2015. Rising vehicle repair costs, medical inflation, and increasing liability awards have all contributed to the pressure on commercial auto results. For contractors whose programs include trucks, vans, service vehicles, and heavy equipment with road exposure, commercial auto is the line where rate increases have been most sustained and where underwriting scrutiny has intensified most significantly. Here are six things every construction company needs to understand to manage this line effectively in 2026.

1. The Line Has Been Unprofitable for 14 Consecutive Years and Carriers Are Reacting

The commercial auto market is not in a temporary correction. It is in a structural repricing driven by loss trends that have persistently outrun rate increases. Carriers have responded by tightening underwriting standards, reducing capacity for fleet accounts with adverse loss experience, and requiring documentation of risk management programs that was previously considered optional. A contractor who was written by the same carrier at the same general terms for five years should not assume those terms will remain available. Underwriting reviews are more rigorous, more documentation-intensive, and more likely to result in a material change to terms than at any prior point in recent history.

2. Nuclear Verdicts Are Driving Umbrella and Excess Costs as Much as Primary Auto

The impact of large jury verdicts in commercial auto extends beyond the primary layer. When a commercial vehicle accident results in a verdict that exceeds the primary auto liability limit, the excess and umbrella layers above the primary policy can also be exposed. Multimillion-dollar verdicts against commercial vehicle operators have increased pressure on these higher layers. In response, excess and umbrella carriers have restricted capacity for programs with significant commercial auto exposure and increased rates for umbrella towers that sit above commercial auto primary limits.

Contractors whose umbrella and excess structures were designed before the current nuclear verdict environment should review whether their attachment points and limits still reflect the actual exposure. An umbrella that attaches at $1 million of primary auto liability was sized for a verdict environment where $1 million resolved most serious incidents. In the current environment, that attachment point may be sitting in the middle of the range where serious verdicts are landing.

3. Telematics Is Now an Underwriting Requirement, Not a Best Practice

Carriers underwriting commercial auto for contractor fleets are increasingly treating telematics as a core underwriting input rather than an optional safety measure. Accounts that can provide telematics data showing driver behavior trends, including speeding frequency, hard braking events, distracted driving indicators, and miles driven per vehicle, may receive different underwriting consideration than accounts without this information. The difference can be significant. Fleet accounts with documented telematics programs and favorable driving data may have access to terms that are not available to accounts without comparable documentation.

The practical implication for contractors who have not implemented telematics is that the premium differential between telematics-equipped and non-equipped fleets is now large enough to justify the investment on insurance cost savings alone, before the safety and operational benefits are considered. For contractors evaluating telematics platforms, the key underwriting input is behavioral data, not just GPS location. Carriers want to see what drivers are doing, not just where vehicles are.

4. Driver Qualification and MVR Monitoring Are Being Evaluated at Renewal

The annual motor vehicle record check is no longer the only driver qualification measure contractors should consider in the current market. Carriers are increasingly evaluating whether fleet accounts use continuous MVR monitoring programs that automatically flag changes to a driver’s record between annual reviews. A driver who receives a DUI conviction or accumulates moving violations between scheduled MVR checks can create an exposure that the employer may not know about or be able to address promptly.

Written driver qualification standards are also being evaluated. Carriers want to see documented criteria that define which violations disqualify a driver from operating company vehicles, how violations are reviewed and acted upon, and what training or intervention is required when a driver’s record changes. Accounts with documented programs receive more favorable treatment than those relying on informal management judgment.

5. Vehicle Repair Costs Are Pushing Actual Cash Value Settlements Lower Than Replacement Cost

Modern commercial vehicles, particularly trucks equipped with advanced driver assistance systems, cameras, and sophisticated electronic components, can be significantly more expensive to repair than older vehicles. A rear-end collision that might have resulted in a $4,000 repair on a 2018 truck could cost $12,000 to repair on a comparable 2024 model because of the sensors, cameras, and bumper-integrated electronics that may need to be replaced and recalibrated. When repair costs approach or exceed a vehicle’s actual cash value, the insurer may declare it a total loss. The resulting ACV settlement may be significantly less than the cost of replacing the vehicle in the current used vehicle market.

Contractors who carry commercial auto coverage on actual cash value terms for older vehicles in their fleet should evaluate whether the ACV of those vehicles, given current market conditions, adequately reflects replacement cost. The gap between ACV and replacement cost on a truck that is five or more years old can be substantial, and that gap falls entirely on the fleet operator in a total loss scenario.

6. Check Hired and Non-Owned Auto Exposure

Employees may use their own cars to drive to job sites, pick up materials or make other work-related trips. Contractors may also rent vehicles when a project requires them. If a crash occurs during one of those trips, the business could face a liability claim even though it does not own the vehicle.

Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) coverage is designed to address certain liability claims arising from the business use of rented vehicles or vehicles the business does not own. Coverage depends on the policy’s terms and how the vehicle is being used, so contractors should review these exposures alongside their commercial auto coverage. HNOA generally does not pay to repair an employee’s personal vehicle.

Tooher-Ferraris helps construction companies review commercial auto coverage, assess fleet safety practices and prepare renewal submissions that document their approach to managing risk. Learn more about our commercial insurance services and Risk Synergy® Portal.

Ready to review your commercial auto program before renewal? Contact Tooher-Ferraris to discuss your coverage and vehicle use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is commercial auto the most expensive line in a contractor’s insurance program?

Commercial auto has reported underwriting losses for fourteen consecutive years as claim severity has increased faster than premium levels. The primary cost pressures, including rising vehicle repair costs, medical inflation, and exposure to large jury verdicts in commercial auto cases, have not eased. In response, carriers have increased rates, tightened underwriting standards, and reduced capacity for fleet accounts with unfavorable loss experience.

What do commercial auto underwriters evaluate for contractor fleet accounts in 2026?

Underwriters evaluate loss history, driver qualification standards, MVR monitoring frequency and process, telematics adoption and behavioral data, vehicle maintenance records, and the written safety policies governing driver behavior. Accounts that can document disciplined risk management across all of these categories receive materially better terms than those with clean loss histories but no supporting documentation.

What is hired and non-owned auto coverage and do contractors need it?

Hired and non-owned auto coverage provides liability protection when a contractor’s employees use personal vehicles for business purposes or when the company rents vehicles it does not own. It fills the gap that a standard commercial auto policy leaves for non-fleet vehicles used in connection with the business. Most contractors have some exposure to this risk, and HNOA coverage is typically inexpensive relative to the liability it addresses.

Business Insurance

September 28, 2026

Supply Chain and Macro Volatility — What It Means for Your Business Interruption Coverage

A distributor of industrial components has one primary supplier — a manufacturer in Southeast Asia. In March, new tariffs take effect that raise the cost of the supplier’s components by 28% overnight. The distributor cannot pass the full increase to customers without losing its largest contract. In April, a typhoon causes a three-week production shutdown at the supplier’s facility. The distributor’s domestic inventory runs out in week two. Orders go unfulfilled. Revenue stops. In May, a new geopolitical development triggers port delays that extend the production shutdown’s ripple effect by another two weeks.

The distributor’s business interruption coverage does not respond to any of this. Standard BI requires direct physical damage to the insured’s own property as a prerequisite for coverage. No damage occurred at the distributor’s location. The supply chain disruption — the tariff increase, the supplier’s production shutdown, the port delay — falls entirely outside the coverage grant. Five weeks of lost revenue, accumulated inventory write-downs, and a damaged customer relationship: none of it insured.

This is not an edge case. It is the normal operating environment for mid-market companies in 2026, and the gap between what standard business interruption covers and what supply chain disruption actually costs is one of the most significant uninsured exposures in commercial insurance.

What Standard Business Interruption Was Designed For

Business interruption insurance was designed for a specific scenario: a covered peril — fire, windstorm, explosion — damages the insured’s property and prevents operations. The BI coverage replaces lost income and covers ongoing fixed expenses during the period of restoration. It is essentially a loss-of-revenue coverage attached to a property claim, which is why it requires direct physical damage as a trigger.

That design made sense when supply chains were local, when most businesses depended on their own facilities for their productive capacity, and when the primary business interruption risk was a fire at the factory rather than a disruption at a facility twelve time zones away. The world changed. The coverage structure did not.

The Three Macro Forces Creating Uninsured Supply Chain Exposure

Geopolitical conflict and trade policy volatility are the first force. The combination of active conflicts affecting shipping lanes, shifting tariff regimes, and export control restrictions has made supply chain disruption an expected operating condition rather than an exceptional event for many mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and importers. A business whose supply chain runs through Eastern Europe, the Taiwan Strait, or key chokepoints in global shipping routes is exposed to interruption from causes that standard commercial property and BI policies were never designed to address.

The tariff environment specifically creates a cost-volatility exposure that overlaps awkwardly with business interruption. When a tariff spike makes a previously viable supply chain economically non-viable, the business faces an interruption of its cost model without any interruption of its physical operations. That exposure does not fit cleanly into any standard commercial insurance product.

Secondary weather perils are the second force. Inland flooding, severe convective storms, and extreme heat events are disrupting supply chains at locations that are not the insured’s own facilities. A cold storage facility loses inventory because a power grid serving the region fails during an extreme heat event. A distribution center cannot receive inbound shipments because a secondary road network was damaged by flooding that did not touch the distribution center itself. These are supply chain interruption losses with weather origins — but because they do not involve physical damage to the insured’s own property, standard BI does not respond.

Concentration risk is the third force. Mid-market companies that have optimized their supply chains for cost efficiency have frequently concentrated sourcing in single suppliers or single geographic regions. That concentration delivers cost savings in stable conditions and catastrophic vulnerability in disrupted ones. The pandemic demonstrated this at scale. The current geopolitical and weather environment is demonstrating it again, in slower motion, across a wider range of industries.

The Coverage Structures That Address Supply Chain Risk

Businesses with material supply chain exposure should consider three different coverage structures. Each responds to a different kind of loss, and the policy wording determines what is covered.

Contingent business interruption (CBI) may protect lost income when physical damage at a covered supplier’s or customer’s location interrupts your operations. A typhoon that damages a supplier’s factory is the type of event to examine under CBI. A tariff increase, on its own, generally is not. The supplier or customer, covered cause of loss, waiting period and applicable limit all matter.

Supply chain insurance may address selected interruptions that do not involve physical damage. Depending on the policy, these could include logistics disruption, supplier insolvency or certain political events. Coverage is less standardized than CBI, so businesses should compare the named triggers, exclusions, method of calculating losses and sublimits against their actual suppliers and shipping routes.

Trade credit insurance addresses receivables risk. If a customer cannot pay because of insolvency or prolonged default, a trade credit policy may protect the seller’s unpaid invoices, subject to its terms. It serves a different purpose from coverage for the seller’s own interruption. Allianz Trade

The Business Continuity Institute’s supply chain resilience research offers context for identifying disruption risks. For a broader view of geopolitical and economic threats, see the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026. The World Economic Forum publishes that report. BCI

Tooher-Ferraris helps businesses assess these exposures and evaluate coverage as part of a commercial insurance program. Businesses with more specialized needs can also explore our specialty programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is contingent business interruption coverage and how does it differ from standard BI?

Standard business interruption requires physical damage to the insured’s own property as a trigger. Contingent business interruption extends coverage to income losses caused by physical damage at a supplier’s or customer’s location — a covered loss at a vendor facility that prevents the insured from operating. CBI does not cover non-physical interruptions such as tariff changes, geopolitical disruption, or supplier insolvency.

Does business interruption insurance cover supply chain disruption caused by tariffs?

Standard business interruption and contingent business interruption policies do not cover supply chain disruption caused by tariff changes, trade policy volatility, or geopolitical events because these are not physical loss triggers. Supply chain insurance, a distinct product class, can be structured to cover non-physical interruption triggers, but coverage terms, triggers, and availability vary significantly by carrier.

What is trade credit insurance and when does a business need it?

Trade credit insurance protects a business against non-payment by customers — specifically, losses arising from customer insolvency, protracted default, or in some policies, political risk affecting the customer’s ability to pay. It is relevant for businesses that extend meaningful credit terms to customers, particularly in industries or geographies where customer financial distress or supply chain disruption could impair payment capacity.

Ready to evaluate whether your business interruption coverage reflects your actual supply chain exposure? The team at Tooher-Ferraris has been helping businesses build complete commercial programs since 1932. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

Business Insurance

September 28, 2026

Cyber and AI — What Your Business Insurance Program Needs to Address Before 2027

The 2027 policy year will arrive with a commercial insurance landscape materially different from the one that existed when most mid-market businesses last had a complete program review. Two developments are driving that change. First: the Insurance Services Office introduced new AI-related exclusions at the start of 2026, and a significant number of major underwriters have followed with their own AI exclusion provisions embedded in commercial policies that renewed throughout the year. Second: cyber underwriting standards, which softened slightly in 2025 as competition among cyber carriers increased, are tightening again for the 2027 policy year as ransomware severity trends resumed their upward trajectory in mid-2026.

The businesses that are best positioned for 2027 are the ones that address these developments in Q4 2026 — before renewal, before a claim, and before the AI exclusion language in a renewed policy becomes the reason a claim is declined. What follows is a planning framework for what to evaluate before December 31.

Step One: Find the AI Exclusions in Your Current Policies

The ISO AI exclusion, introduced at the start of 2026, excludes bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury arising from AI systems — broadly defined to include machine learning, algorithmic decision-making, and automated systems that generate outputs influencing decisions. Several major underwriters have introduced their own AI-related exclusions with different scope, different definitions of what constitutes an AI system, and different carve-backs for certain uses.

The practical implication is that a business that uses AI in any customer-facing, employment, or operational decision process may have GL policy language that excludes claims arising from those uses. The exclusion does not require that the AI system caused harm through a sophisticated failure mode. A recommendation engine that influences a purchase decision, a screening tool that filters applicants, a chatbot that provides information that proves incorrect — each of these is a potential AI exclusion trigger under some policy forms.

The first action item for Q4 is requesting a copy of the AI exclusion language in every commercial policy that renewed in 2026 and having your broker provide a written explanation of what each exclusion covers and what coverage, if any, responds to AI-related claims that the GL policy now excludes. This is not a hypothetical exercise. ISO exclusions are being applied in claims today.

Step Two: Evaluate the Gaps the AI Exclusions Create

Three coverage products may respond to AI-related liability exposure that GL excludes.

Technology errors and omissions (Tech E&O) covers claims arising from professional services rendered through or with technology, including AI-enabled tools. For businesses that provide AI-enabled services or advice to clients, Tech E&O may cover the professional services component of an AI-related claim that GL’s professional services exclusion and AI exclusion together would otherwise leave uninsured.

Cyber liability coverage, depending on policy language, may respond to certain AI-related claims — particularly those involving data privacy, unauthorized processing of personal information, or AI-enabled social engineering fraud. The intersection of AI and cyber claims is where policy language matters most and where gaps are most likely to exist between what a business owner assumes is covered and what the policy actually provides.

D&O insurance, as noted in the September issue, responds to claims arising from governance and management decisions — including the decision to adopt and deploy AI tools without adequate oversight. As the EEOC, FTC, and state regulators intensify scrutiny of AI governance, and as class-action plaintiffs develop viable theories for algorithmic harm claims, D&O becomes an increasingly relevant coverage for any business that has approved AI tool deployment at the management level.

Step Three: Reassess Cyber Coverage Against 2027 Underwriting Requirements

Cyber underwriting requirements are tightening for the 2027 policy year. Ransomware severity — the total cost of a ransomware incident including downtime, remediation, ransom payments, and regulatory response — resumed its upward trajectory in mid-2026 after a brief period of relative stability. Carriers are responding by strengthening underwriting requirements, particularly around three areas.

Backup architecture validation is the first. Carriers are no longer accepting a yes/no answer on whether backups exist. For 2027 renewals, underwriters are requiring documentation that backups are tested, that they are stored in locations not reachable from the primary network, and that recovery time objectives have been validated through actual restore testing. A business that maintains backups but has not tested restoration in twelve months will face harder underwriting questions than one that can show a tested recovery procedure.

Multi-factor authentication scope is the second. The requirement for MFA has been in place for several years. The 2027 underwriting expectation is moving beyond MFA on email to MFA on all privileged accounts, all remote access pathways, all cloud service administrative consoles, and all financial transaction systems. Partial MFA implementation — covering email but not RDP, covering employee accounts but not service accounts — is now specifically flagged in underwriting questionnaires.

AI-powered threat detection is the third. Carriers are beginning to differentiate between businesses that use legacy antivirus and businesses that have deployed endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems with AI-powered behavioral analysis. EDR is already a standard underwriting requirement at most carriers. For 2027, the question is likely to expand to whether the EDR system has been configured to detect AI-assisted attack patterns — deepfake-enabled social engineering, AI-generated phishing, and automated credential stuffing — that signature-based detection cannot identify.

Step Four: Review the Deepfake Fraud Exposure Specifically

A convincing voice or video call can now be part of a business email compromise (BEC) attempt. A fraudster may impersonate an executive or trusted counterparty to pressure an employee into sending a wire transfer or changing payment instructions. The FBI has warned that criminals use generative AI to make financial fraud more believable. Its 2025 Internet Crime Report puts reported BEC losses at roughly $3 billion. That figure covers BEC generally; it does not measure deepfake-related BEC losses separately. ic3.gov

A cyber policy with social engineering coverage may respond to a fraudulent transfer, but the label alone does not establish coverage. Businesses should confirm how the policy defines a covered event, whether BEC has a separate sublimit and what verification procedures the policy requires. The answers may be especially consequential when an employee authorized the transfer after receiving a convincing fraudulent request.

Before year end, take two practical steps. First, ask your broker to review the policy’s specific treatment of BEC, social engineering and AI-assisted impersonation. Second, require independent verification of wire requests and account changes. A callback to a number already on file is more reliable than calling a number supplied in the request. The FBI’s guidance on AI-enabled financial fraud likewise advises people to independently verify a caller’s identity. ic3.gov

Tooher-Ferraris works with businesses to assess cyber coverage as part of their broader commercial insurance program and evaluate options through its specialty programs. A policy review can clarify the applicable limits and conditions before a fraudulent payment request tests them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the ISO AI exclusion exclude from my general liability policy?

The ISO AI exclusion, introduced in 2026, excludes coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury arising from AI systems, which the exclusion defines broadly to include machine learning, algorithmic decision-making, and automated systems that generate outputs influencing decisions. The specific scope varies by carrier and by the edition of the exclusion in each policy. Reviewing your specific policy language with your broker is the only reliable way to understand what the exclusion in your policy covers.

What coverage responds to AI-related claims that my GL policy now excludes?

Depending on the nature of the AI-related claim, Technology E&O, cyber liability, and D&O insurance may each provide partial or full coverage for claims the GL AI exclusion bars. The coverage that responds depends on whether the claim arises from professional services rendered with AI tools (Tech E&O), from a data privacy or social engineering event enabled by AI (cyber), or from a governance decision to adopt and deploy AI without adequate oversight (D&O).

How are cyber underwriting requirements changing for 2027?

Cyber underwriters are tightening requirements in three specific areas for the 2027 policy year: backup architecture validation (requiring documented restore testing, not just backup existence), MFA scope (expanding from email to all privileged accounts, remote access, and cloud consoles), and AI-powered threat detection (evaluating whether EDR systems are configured to detect AI-assisted attack patterns). Businesses that address these requirements proactively before renewal are better positioned for favorable terms.

Ready to review your cyber and AI coverage before the 2027 policy year begins? The team at Tooher-Ferraris has been helping businesses navigate commercial insurance since 1932.

Construction

September 27, 2026

Builder’s Risk Coverage Is Getting Cheaper. Your Project Values Are Not. Here Is the Gap That Creates.

The builder’s risk market has softened. Rates in non-catastrophe-exposed zones are declining, capacity has returned, and contractors who shop their builder’s risk programs at renewal are seeing lower premiums than they did two or three years ago. This is genuinely good news and it is creating a dangerous blind spot. The softening rate environment is encouraging contractors to focus on what they pay rather than what they cover. Those two questions have diverged meaningfully since 2022.

Supply chain volatility and materials inflation have pushed average US project values approximately 14% higher since 2022, according to construction cost index data. A contractor whose builder’s risk program was structured around project values from two or three years ago likely carries limits that don’t reflect what a complete rebuild would cost today. The softening market means the premium for an underinsured limit may be lower than ever, making the gap between coverage and actual exposure easy to overlook until a total loss reveals it.

What Builder’s Risk Actually Covers and What It Does Not

Builder’s risk insurance is a course-of-construction policy that covers the structure under construction, materials intended to become part of the structure, and, in many cases, materials in transit to the site or stored temporarily off-site. It generally responds to physical loss or damage caused by covered perils, such as fire, windstorm, theft of materials incorporated or intended to be incorporated into the structure, and similar events.

What builder’s risk typically does not cover is where most contractor surprises originate at claim time. Contractor-owned tools and mobile equipment used on the job are almost universally excluded from builder’s risk policies. Those require separate inland marine or contractor’s equipment coverage. Design errors and faulty workmanship are generally excluded. Under some builder’s risk policies, coverage may apply to resulting damage to other parts of the structure, but not to the cost of correcting the original error or defective work. Earthquake and flood are standard exclusions in most markets, requiring separate endorsements or standalone policies. The collapse of an existing adjacent structure is frequently excluded unless the collapse is caused by a covered peril affecting the project itself.

The Three Coverage Elements Most Contractors Overlook

Ordinance or law coverage: When a partially completed or damaged structure must be brought into compliance with building codes in effect at the time of repair or reconstruction, the cost of that compliance is often not covered under a standard builder’s risk form. A contractor rebuilding a structure after a fire may be required to upgrade electrical systems, install sprinkler systems, or modify structural elements to meet current building codes. These upgrades can add costs equal to 10% to 25% of the rebuild value. Ordinance or law coverage, typically added by endorsement, can help address these additional expenses. Without it, the compliance cost falls to the project owner or the contractor, depending on the contract.

Soft costs coverage: A covered loss that interrupts construction generates costs beyond the physical damage: extended financing costs, additional architectural and engineering fees, permit re-application costs, and the carrying costs of a project that is not generating revenue while repairs are completed. These soft costs are not covered under a standard builder’s risk form. They are covered by a soft costs or delay in completion endorsement, which should be sized based on a realistic estimate of what a project interruption would actually cost the insured beyond the physical rebuild.

Completed value versus limit adequacy: Builder’s risk policies are typically written on a completed-value basis, meaning the insured limit should reflect the project’s total completed value at substantial completion rather than its value when coverage was originally bound. When material and construction costs increase significantly during the project, the completed value may exceed the original contract amount by a substantial margin. Reviewing the coverage limit against current project cost projections throughout construction, rather than only at policy inception, helps prevent a mid-project underinsurance gap from becoming a shortfall at claim time.

What Lenders Are Now Requiring

The underinsurance risk in the current market has not gone unnoticed by construction lenders. Lenders are now routinely requiring proof of adequate builder’s risk coverage as a condition of funding draws, and the definition of adequate has tightened to reflect current replacement costs rather than original contract amounts. A contractor whose builder’s risk limit was set at contract execution two years ago may be facing a draw funding delay if the lender’s current appraisal of replacement cost exceeds the covered limit.

Addressing this proactively by reviewing builder’s risk limits against current cost estimates before each draw request, rather than waiting for the lender to ask, can help prevent the project disruption that may result from a mid-construction coverage dispute.

Tooher-Ferraris helps contractors structure builder’s risk coverage around current project values, address common gaps with the right endorsements and coordinate protection with their broader commercial insurance program. Explore our specialty programs to learn more.

Ready to review your builder’s risk program against current project values? The team at Tooher-Ferraris has been helping contractors structure complete construction insurance programs since 1932. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

The Insurance Information Institute provides current builder’s risk market data and coverage guidance at iii.org. OSHA’s construction site safety resources, which affect claims frequency and loss control credit opportunities, are available at osha.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does builder’s risk insurance cover?

Builder’s risk insurance covers physical loss or damage to a structure under construction, including materials intended to become part of that structure, from covered perils such as fire, windstorm, theft, and vandalism. It typically covers materials in transit to the site and in temporary off-site storage. It does not cover contractor-owned tools and equipment, design errors, faulty workmanship, or losses from earthquake and flood without specific endorsements.

Why do builder’s risk rates decrease while I should still review my limits?

Rate and limit are separate questions. A rate decrease means you are paying less per dollar of coverage. Limit adequacy is about whether your covered amount reflects what a complete rebuild would actually cost. If project values have increased because of materials inflation while the coverage limit remains unchanged, a rate decrease may simply reduce the premium on an underinsured limit. That creates savings on paper but can leave a significant coverage shortfall when a claim occurs.

What is soft costs coverage and do I need it?

Soft costs coverage, typically added by endorsement, helps cover additional expenses incurred by a project owner or contractor when a covered builder’s risk loss delays construction. These expenses may include extended financing costs, additional design fees, permit reapplication costs, and carrying costs during the repair period. Whether you need it depends on your contract structure and who bears the risk of these costs in the event of a project interruption. For larger projects with significant financing, soft costs coverage is almost always worth evaluating.

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Commercial Auto for Contractors: Why Your Fleet Is One of the Most Expensive Lines in Your Program Right Now

1. The Line Has Been Unprofitable for 14 Consecutive Years and Carriers Are Reacting

2. Nuclear Verdicts Are Driving Umbrella and Excess Costs as Much as Primary Auto

3. Telematics Is Now an Underwriting Requirement, Not a Best Practice

4. Driver Qualification and MVR Monitoring Are Being Evaluated at Renewal

5. Vehicle Repair Costs Are Pushing Actual Cash Value Settlements Lower Than Replacement Cost

6. Check Hired and Non-Owned Auto Exposure

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is commercial auto the most expensive line in a contractor’s insurance program?

What do commercial auto underwriters evaluate for contractor fleet accounts in 2026?

What is hired and non-owned auto coverage and do contractors need it?

Related Post

Supply Chain and Macro Volatility — What It Means for Your Business Interruption Coverage

What Standard Business Interruption Was Designed For

The Three Macro Forces Creating Uninsured Supply Chain Exposure

The Coverage Structures That Address Supply Chain Risk

Frequently Asked Questions

What is contingent business interruption coverage and how does it differ from standard BI?

Does business interruption insurance cover supply chain disruption caused by tariffs?

What is trade credit insurance and when does a business need it?

Cyber and AI — What Your Business Insurance Program Needs to Address Before 2027

Step One: Find the AI Exclusions in Your Current Policies

Step Two: Evaluate the Gaps the AI Exclusions Create

Step Three: Reassess Cyber Coverage Against 2027 Underwriting Requirements

Step Four: Review the Deepfake Fraud Exposure Specifically

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the ISO AI exclusion exclude from my general liability policy?

What coverage responds to AI-related claims that my GL policy now excludes?

How are cyber underwriting requirements changing for 2027?

Builder’s Risk Coverage Is Getting Cheaper. Your Project Values Are Not. Here Is the Gap That Creates.

What Builder’s Risk Actually Covers and What It Does Not

The Three Coverage Elements Most Contractors Overlook

What Lenders Are Now Requiring

Frequently Asked Questions

What does builder’s risk insurance cover?

Why do builder’s risk rates decrease while I should still review my limits?

What is soft costs coverage and do I need it?

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