Insurance · No reputation warning
Zurich Review
Zurich North America's construction unit, placed through brokers, offering builders risk, casualty, professional liability and contract surety for large projects
Quick verdict
Zurich is best for Large contractors, general contractors and project owners on major commercial projects that need builders risk, casualty, professional liability or contract surety through a construction broker. Quote speed: Through a construction insurance broker. Pricing: Quoted per account or project through a broker. Built around large construction projects, placed only through brokers, and priced per account or project, so it is not a practical option for small service trades.
About Zurich
Zurich North America, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, is the North American business of Zurich Insurance Group, which was founded in 1872. Zurich says its US business serves over 90% of the Fortune 500 and employs nearly 9,000 people in the United States. In January 2025 it grouped its Construction, Surety and Financial Lines businesses into a new Specialties business unit.
Construction is one of Zurich's specialty businesses. Zurich says it has served construction customers for more than 25 years and has nearly 100 construction risk engineers. Its construction offering includes builders risk, casualty coverage, professional liability and contract surety bonds. In August 2025 it launched a Fronted Master Builders Risk program for owners and contractors with pipelines of large projects, which it says is ideal for projects over $250 million and has supported over $80 billion in insurable values. In December 2025 it added a builders risk product for data center projects, available from January 2026 on a project-specific, non-admitted basis.
Zurich pairs coverage with risk engineering. It has piloted construction fleet video telematics and uses camera-enabled coaching on large jobsites; Zurich says a pilot across nine New York projects valued at over $2 billion cut workers' compensation claim frequency by more than 50 percent before it made the program available nationwide in late 2025.
Zurich's construction materials focus on large projects, owners and contractors, and its programs are placed through brokers. A small trades shop looking for a quick small business policy should look at small business carriers and brokers instead.
The trade-off: Zurich brings large-project builders risk, casualty and surety capacity plus risk engineering, but it works only through brokers, pricing is set per account or project, and its offering is aimed at large construction rather than small service trades.
How it works
Zurich's construction coverage is placed through insurance brokers. A broker with construction experience submits your company or project details (operations, payroll, fleet, project values and contracts) to Zurich's construction underwriters, who can quote builders risk, casualty, professional liability or contract surety, often alongside risk engineering services. Some products, such as Zurich's data center builders risk, are written on a project-specific, non-admitted basis. The broker manages placement and service, and pricing is quoted per account or project.
Pros & cons
What works
-
Large-project builders risk
Zurich's Fronted Master Builders Risk program is aimed at projects over $250 million and, Zurich says, has supported over $80 billion in insurable values.
-
Construction and surety together
Zurich groups Construction, Surety and Financial Lines in one Specialties unit and offers contract surety bonds alongside construction coverage.
-
Risk engineering
Zurich says it has nearly 100 construction risk engineers and runs jobsite camera coaching and fleet telematics programs.
-
Long construction track record
Zurich says it has served construction customers for more than 25 years and has insured over 250 data center projects.
-
Global parent
Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, founded in 1872, which Zurich says serves over 82 million customers in more than 200 countries.
What doesn't
-
Built for large construction
Zurich's construction materials focus on large projects, owners and contractors; a small trades shop is outside that focus.
-
Broker-placed
Coverage is placed through brokers; there is no self-serve small business purchase.
-
Complex placement
Large-project programs such as master builders risk take broker time and detailed project information to structure.
-
Some products are non-admitted
Zurich's data center builders risk is written on a project-specific, non-admitted basis, which your broker should explain.
-
Quoted per project
Pricing is set per account or project through a broker, so there is no way to compare prices without a submission.
Coverage
- Insurance lines
- general liabilityworkers compcommercial autobuilders risksurety bondsprofessional liability
- Geographic coverage
- Placed through brokers for US projects; some products, such as data center builders risk, are written on a project-specific, non-admitted basis
- Premiums
- Quoted per account or project through a broker
- Quote speed
- Through a construction insurance broker
- Trade coverage
- General ContractorsRoofingElectricalPlumbingHVAC
- Affiliate program
- Unknown. No public publisher affiliate program confirmed (broker-placed for large construction).
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 Zurich's current reviews at the source.
Frequently asked
Who is Zurich construction insurance for?
Owners and contractors on large projects. Zurich's construction offering includes builders risk (with a master builders risk program aimed at projects over $250 million), casualty, professional liability and contract surety, placed through brokers.
How do I get Zurich coverage?
Through an insurance broker that places construction business with Zurich. The broker submits your operations and project details to Zurich's construction underwriters, and pricing is quoted per account or project.
Does Zurich offer surety bonds for contractors?
Yes. Zurich North America has a Surety business, grouped with Construction and Financial Lines in its Specialties unit, and it lists contract surety bonds among its construction offerings.
Is Zurich right for a small contractor?
Zurich's construction programs focus on large projects and are placed through brokers. A small trades shop can compare small business policies from the other carriers and digital brokers on this page.
Other insurance providers
ERGO NEXT (formerly NEXT Insurance)
Tier ADigital small-business insurer, renamed ERGO NEXT in 2026 and owned by Munich Re's ERGO, selling general liability, BOP, workers' comp and professional liability online and through agents
Hiscox
Tier ASpecialty insurer with Lloyd's roots going back to 1901, selling general liability, professional liability (E&O), BOP and cyber to US small businesses online and through brokers
Simply Business
Tier AOnline insurance marketplace owned by Travelers: one application, quotes from several carriers, buy online
Insureon
Tier AOnline insurance agency owned by Hub International since 2022: one application, quotes from several carriers, licensed agents on call
Thimble
Tier ADigital MGA owned by Arch Insurance since 2023: liability coverage by the job, month or year, bought online, in its app or by phone
The Hartford
Tier AHartford, Connecticut insurer dating to 1810 that sells small business policies online, by phone and through independent agents