Commercial building insurance quote in California

If your California building was nonrenewed or your renewal came back far higher, you can usually still find coverage, but often not on the old terms. Most owners now choose among a standard insurer that is still writing, a surplus lines insurer, or the California FAIR Plan as a last resort. Burch Insurance Group compares the options available for apartment, retail, office and mixed-use buildings and shows you what each one leaves out.

What to do in the first week after a nonrenewal

For many commercial policies, California requires the insurer to send a nonrenewal notice at least 60 days, and no more than 120 days, before the policy ends, with the reason. Use that time. Waiting until the last two weeks leaves fewer insurers willing to look and less room to compare.

Take a fictional 24-unit apartment building whose owner receives a nonrenewal notice 60 days before the policy ends. In the first week, the owner sends us the current policy, the notice, the rent roll, five years of losses and the roof and system update dates. Over the next few weeks we take the building to standard and surplus lines markets and ask about anything underwriters flag, such as roof age or brush nearby. That leaves time to compare written terms side by side and decide before the old policy ends, without a gap. This is an illustration, not a promise of a particular result or timeline for your building.

Standard insurer, surplus lines or the FAIR Plan

A standard, or admitted, insurer is licensed by California and its rates and forms are filed with the state. When one will write your building, it is usually the first choice.

A surplus lines insurer can write buildings that standard insurers decline, and more California commercial property is placed this way now. The policy will come with a notice that the insurer is not licensed by California in the usual way and does not take part in the state's insurance guarantee funds, which means those funds would not pay claims if the insurer failed. That is a normal arrangement today, but read the terms closely, because forms vary more than in the standard market.

The California FAIR Plan is the state's insurer of last resort, a private association regulated by the Department of Insurance. In 2025 its commercial property limits rose to as much as $20 million per building and $100 million per location. Coverage is narrower than a full commercial policy, so ask what a FAIR Plan policy would not cover and how you would insure those pieces separately.

Why the price went up, and what you can change

Wildfire losses and higher rebuilding costs have pushed many insurers to charge more or pull back, and that now reaches urban and suburban buildings, not only those near wildland. Your building's own facts still matter: construction type, roof age and condition, updates to electrical and plumbing, occupancy, losses and the value you insure.

Some of those you can improve. Documented roof work, cleared vegetation, ember-resistant vents and current replacement-cost values all help an underwriter see the building accurately. They do not guarantee a quote or a lower price, but a submission without them is easier to decline.

Earthquake is a separate decision

Standard commercial property policies generally exclude earthquake. If you want earthquake coverage, or your lender requires it, it is quoted separately, often with a high percentage deductible. We can review it alongside the property quote so you can see both costs together.

Questions California building owners ask us

Can I get coverage if my building is near a high wildfire risk area? Often yes, but usually through surplus lines or the FAIR Plan rather than a standard insurer. Mitigation records and a complete submission help.

Is a surplus lines policy safe? It is a legitimate and common way to insure a building, but it is not backed by California's guarantee funds. Check the insurer's financial strength and read the terms, especially exclusions and deductibles.

Should I go straight to the FAIR Plan? Usually not. Try the standard and surplus lines markets first, then use the FAIR Plan for what no one else will write.

Do I need a local office? No. Burch Insurance Group is licensed in California and works with California owners by phone and online.

Start with your next deadline

Send the renewal date or nonrenewal notice, the current policy and what you know about the building. Keep your current policy in place until replacement coverage is confirmed in writing. Our guides to coinsurance and agreed value and blanket versus separate building limits explain two terms that often change the value of a quote.

Request a commercial property quote, or call 612-712-6407.

Burch Insurance Group is licensed in California, License #4375165.