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Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Review
Berkshire Hathaway-owned insurer of small and mid-sized businesses, with workers' comp roots, sold through independent agents and brokers
Quick verdict
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD is best for Small and mid-sized trades businesses that work with an independent agent and want workers comp, a BOP, commercial auto or an umbrella from a Berkshire Hathaway-owned carrier. Quote speed: Through an independent agent, wholesale broker or MGA that writes GUARD. Pricing: Quoted per account through an agent based on trade, payroll, vehicles and property. Agent or broker required, premiums quoted per account, and a much smaller book after GUARD exited unprofitable lines and tightened underwriting in 2024 and 2025.
About Berkshire Hathaway GUARD
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies is a property and casualty insurance group based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Berkshire Hathaway acquired it through National Indemnity Company in late 2012; Warren Buffett's 2012 shareholder letter described Guard as a Wilkes-Barre company that writes workers compensation insurance, primarily for smaller businesses. It took the Berkshire Hathaway GUARD name in 2013. Berkshire's 2025 annual report says GUARD primarily offers commercial insurance products to small and medium-sized businesses and sells through independent agents, wholesale brokers and managing general agents.
GUARD's product pages include a businessowners policy (property and liability bundled in one policy), workers compensation, commercial auto, commercial umbrella liability and excess and surplus lines coverage, and it has an industry page for artisan contractors. For a small trades shop, that means one agent can place workers comp, a BOP, vehicles and an umbrella with the same carrier.
GUARD has also been shrinking. Berkshire reported that GUARD's written premiums fell 16.3% in 2024 and 32.6% in 2025 as it exited unprofitable lines and tightened underwriting standards, with lower volume in personal lines, businessowners and workers compensation business. Contractor classes GUARD wrote a few years ago may no longer fit its appetite, so an agent's current guidelines matter.
The trade-off: GUARD pairs Berkshire backing with a small-business product set, but you can only reach it through an agent or broker, premiums are quoted per account, and its recent underwriting pullback makes approval less certain. Its Berkshire sibling biBERK sells small business insurance directly online if you would rather not use an agent.
How it works
GUARD sells through independent agents, wholesale brokers and managing general agents rather than directly. You give an agent who writes GUARD your trade, payroll, vehicles and property details, and the agent quotes and places coverage such as a businessowners policy, workers compensation, commercial auto or a commercial umbrella, subject to GUARD's current underwriting guidelines. The agent handles binding, certificates and service. Premiums are quoted per account.
Pros & cons
What works
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Berkshire Hathaway ownership
GUARD is part of Berkshire Hathaway's primary insurance group.
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Built around small business
Berkshire describes GUARD as primarily offering commercial insurance to small and medium-sized businesses, and GUARD has an industry page for artisan contractors.
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Workers' comp roots
GUARD started out writing workers compensation for smaller businesses, which Buffett highlighted when Berkshire bought it in 2012.
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Core lines with one carrier
BOP, workers compensation, commercial auto and commercial umbrella are all on GUARD's product list, so a small shop can keep core coverage with one carrier.
What doesn't
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Agent or broker required
GUARD sells through independent agents, wholesale brokers and managing general agents; there is no direct online purchase.
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Shrinking book, tighter underwriting
Berkshire reported GUARD's written premiums fell 32.6% in 2025 after a 16.3% drop in 2024 as it exited unprofitable lines and tightened underwriting.
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Quote required
Premiums are quoted per account through an agent, so you cannot compare prices without a quote.
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Appetite varies by class and state
Eligible contractor classes and products vary, so confirm that an agent who writes GUARD can place your trade in your state.
Coverage
- Insurance lines
- bopworkers compcommercial autogeneral liabilityumbrella
- Geographic coverage
- Product availability and eligible classes vary by state; confirm with an agent who writes GUARD
- Premiums
- Quoted per account through an agent based on trade, payroll, vehicles and property
- Quote speed
- Through an independent agent, wholesale broker or MGA that writes GUARD
- Trade coverage
- HVACPlumbingElectricalRoofingGeneral ContractorsLandscaping & Lawn CarePaintingHandyman Services
- Affiliate program
- Unknown. No public publisher affiliate program confirmed (agent-distributed carrier).
Reviews and complaints at the source
We do not copy third-party review scores onto this page: they change often and we could not verify them. Read Berkshire Hathaway GUARD's current reviews at the source.
Frequently asked
Who owns Berkshire Hathaway GUARD?
Berkshire Hathaway. National Indemnity Company, a Berkshire subsidiary, acquired GUARD in late 2012, and it took the Berkshire Hathaway GUARD name in 2013. GUARD is based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
How do I get a GUARD quote?
Through an independent agent, wholesale broker or managing general agent that writes GUARD. GUARD does not sell direct, and premiums are quoted per account. If you want to buy online, Berkshire's biBERK sells small business insurance directly at biBERK.com.
Does GUARD insure contractors?
GUARD has an artisan contractors industry page and offers a businessowners policy, workers compensation, commercial auto and a commercial umbrella. After tightening underwriting in 2024 and 2025, eligibility depends on your class and state, so ask your agent about GUARD's current appetite.
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