2026 Guide to Florida Builders Risk Insurance

Written by: Craig Barbee, CEO of Barbee Jackson Insurance. Craig has over 20 years of insurance expertise and has written over 1,000 builders risk policies over the years across the United States.

If you have a construction project here in Florida whether it be a residential home or a commercial property we want to talk to you and get you the right coverage at the best price. One 10 minute phone call can get you all the major insurance companies quotes and coverage can be bound over the phone.

What is Builders Risk Insurance?

Builders Risk, also referred to as Course of Construction Insurance, is an insurance policy designed for new construction or renovation - where a typical policy wouldn’t provide coverage or the coverage would be inadequate. These types of policies can be written for residential homes and commercial buildings.

What separates the Builders Risk policy or Commercial Building policy is coverage for such things as materials in transit, soft costs and moving of load bearing walls.

Coverage options can also include:

• Loss Perils - Fire, lightning, windstorm/hurricane (this deductible is usually a percentage deductible such as 1%-2% of the project value), and theft of building materials
• Debris Removal - Cleanup costs after a covered loss
• Temporary Structures - Fences and Scaffolding
• Optional Endorsement - Soft costs, Flood (National Flood Insurance Program NFIP), and ordinance/law 

Why Barbee Jackson Insurance?

As a leading independent insurance agency we have written over 1,000 builders risk policy with the majority of those being located here in Florida. Our team of specialists will evaluate your project specific needs and match you with the best insurance company. Matching the right insurance company to meet your needs can be more complex than you know.

For Example:

Some insurance companies won’t insure you if it is a closed county or your distance to tidal water is too close.

Take the guess work out - give one of our agents a call today (850) 389-2001

Here is a 90 second video explaining our advantage to save you time and money!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SUjgDxNaIHU

“We bought a Builder's Risk Insurance policy for our new home under construction. Service and pricing were both "best in class." Rose Williams was very easy to work with - responsive, good explanations for my questions and quick to refund my unused premium when our home was finished early.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – David Altimont Read More Real Google Reviews

How much does Builders Risk Insurance Cost?

Policies start at $400 per year and go up depending on the length of time you need to complete the project and what area is the project located in Florida. Typically the Florida Panhandle is cheaper than projects being built in South Florida.

A typical price is between 0.3%-1% of the total project value - e.g. $.40 per $100

President Krystal Jackson explains the cost and what is covered in this short 90 second video.

Cost and Coverage

Who Needs Builders Risk Insurance

• Homeowners
• General contractors
• Developers
• Investors
• House flippers
• Lenders

Common Exclusions

• No general liability - a premise liability as a standalone policy is available for about $485 per year
• Flood - flood is excluded. Some insurance companies will offer it as an endorsement. The Nation Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will write flood insurance for a builders risk
• Faulty Workmanship - this is not included on the policy

Questions and Answers

This is a breakdown of all the questions that we have received over the years. Also you can just call us and our agents will answer any questions you have in regards to Builders Risk Insurance.

My General Contractor(GC) says they can purchase the Builders Risk, so we don’t need to?

Yes, a General Contractor can purchase the policy, but we highly recommend that the project owner be the one that buys the policy. Why? We have seen several cases where the GC has either gone out of business or the project owner needs to replace the GC.

The GC is the policy owner then you have to recourse on a claim. Also, if the GC disappears and the project is over 30% the project owner will not be able to buy a new policy.

What is the 30% rule that you mentioned above with the GC?

It’s standard with Florida Builders Risk that if the project is over 30% complete you will not be able to buy a new policy. The insurance companies want the policy bought before or immediately after the foundation is poured.

Can a Builders Risk policy be purchased on a Mobile Home?
No, we have not found any Florida based insurance company that will insure manufactured homes.

Can the policy be renewed?

In most cases Yes. We have seen construction delays due to building materials and in most cases the insurance company will offer a renewal.

If I finish the construction before the policy term is up - can I get a refund for the unused portion?

That depends on the insurance company that you chose?

Some insurance companies like Zurich are fully earned, so no refund is available. Several other insurance companies offer a refund of the unused portion minus the standard minimum earned. This is why it is best to use an insurance agency that can offer you a policy that has a refund option.

What is the most common claim that you see?

Being that this is Florida - hurricane/windstorm loss is the most common. We have seen over the years theft of building material especially heating and air units being stolen. The criminal steals the units for their valuable copper and brass.

My lender says that I must purchase a one year policy even though the build time is 9 months.

This is true, all the lenders that we have worked for throughout the years will require a one year policy.

What happens if a worker is injured on the jobsite?

This is not a covered loss. Construction employers are required to carry workers compensation if they have one or more employees.

"I needed Builders Risk insurance and Rose was able to provide me what I needed. Granted, I haven't file a claim or make any contact regards to using policy yet (and hope I'll never need it), but Rose was professional in the communication and was able to provide a product that met my need. She's responsive answered all my a questions." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Paul Herr

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Call today to get started (850) 389-2001

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