Cajun Underwriters
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
Program: Louisiana Select Homeowners Rates and Rules Manual (HO-RM), dated October 2023, for Cajun Underwriters assuming policies from Louisiana Citizens under the HO 2000 program. Preferred / eligible risks (HO-2/HO-3 owner-occupied forms) - 1–4 family dwellings, owner-occupied as the insured’s primary residence; each unit occupied by no more than two families; building at least 50% occupied. - Properties in average to good condition, with no uncorrected code violations. - Properties used exclusively for private residential purposes, with only incidental occupancies allowed per manual rules. - Dwellings not built over or partially over water unless easily accessible by emergency vehicles; not accessible by boat only. - Swimming pools fully enclosed by an approved fence and with NO diving board or slide. - Acceptable pet exposures only: no history of injury and not among restricted breeds or exotic animals. - Eligible purchaser-occupants under long-term installment contracts and occupants under life estate arrangements when Coverage A meets replacement cost requirements, with additional insured endorsements for non-occupant owners as outlined. Form/occupancy eligibility - HO 00 02 / HO 00 03: owner-occupants of 1–4 family dwellings meeting the above occupancy and condition requirements. - HO 00 04: tenants/contents coverage for occupants of units when building coverage is carried elsewhere; may also be used for co-owners occupying other apartments when only one policy carries building coverage. - HO 00 06: unit-owners (condominiums) with Coverage A limits from $5,000 to $350,000 and Coverage C $10,000–$175,000. Coverage limits and structure - Homeowners coverage forms HO 00 02, 03, 04, 06 written with standard HO 2000 relationships: - Coverage A (Dwelling) for HO 00 02 and HO 00 03: minimums typically $50,000–$75,000 up to $750,000; Coverage B at 10% of A for 1–2 family and 5% for 3–4 family (with option to increase B up to 50% of A for additional premium on HO-2/3). - Coverage C typically 50% of A (1–2 family), 30% of A (3-family), 25% of A (4-family); cannot be changed for HO-2/3. - Coverage D: 30% of A for HO 00 02/03; 30% of C for HO 00 04; 50% of C for HO 00 06. - Section II Coverage E personal liability and Coverage F medical payments follow standard HO liability; Coverage E can be increased per Rule 601; minimum med pay $1,000. Key underwriting restrictions and declined exposures - Occupancy/usage: - Must be primarily residential; occupancy in each family unit limited to one family plus up to two roomers/boarders (or two families) per unit as detailed in the eligibility rule. - Building cannot be less than 50% occupied. - Location/physical: - Property cannot be accessible only by boat. - Property cannot be built wholly or partially over water unless emergency-vehicle access is straightforward. - No properties with uncorrected building or safety code violations. - Swimming pools: - Must be fenced in with an approved fence. - No pools with diving boards or slides. - Animals (liability underwriting): - No exotic animals of any kind (defined as vertebrate species not naturally occurring in any U.S. ecosystem, including hybrids – examples: lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas, primates, bears, elephants, bison, antelopes, deer, poisonous snakes). - No pets with any history of causing injury. - No ownership of dogs of the following breeds or any mix including them (regardless of percentage): Akita, American Bulldog, Catahoula Leopard, Chow, Doberman Pinscher, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Terrier, or Wolf. - No dogs ever trained/used as guard or attack dogs, or trained/used in military or police work, or breeds historically bred for fighting. Geographic / program notes - Manual is explicitly for assuming Homeowners (including condo unit-owners) policies from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, written on behalf of Cajun Underwriters. - Program is Louisiana-focused; apply only to Louisiana risks that meet Citizens-assumption and Cajun program rules. - Specialized for hurricane-exposed, coastal property business; broader company marketing emphasizes coastal property expertise and use of independent agents. Rating and credits - Uses Cajun Underwriters Select Homeowners Program rules, rates, forms and endorsements where not otherwise modified by the Louisiana Select manual. - Includes rating rules for construction class, protection class, wind mitigation discounts, inflation guard, deductibles (including wind/hail), actual cash value roof surfacing endorsement for wind/hail, and various optional endorsements (e.g., loss assessment, enhanced roof replacement, incidental occupancies) per Parts III–VI. Submission and servicing expectations (operational) - Write on HO 2000 program using appropriate form (HO 00 02, 03, 04, 06) and apply all mandatory coverages in Sections I and II; partial or monoline coverage is not allowed (Homeowners policy must include all coverages). - Confirm eligibility factors at binding: owner-occupied primary residence status where required, building and unit occupancy counts, absence of prohibited animals, pool safety controls, and absence of code violations or over-water/boat-only access issues. - Use additional insured endorsement HO 04 41 where there is a non-occupant joint owner, seller under installment contract, or other co-owner interest needing building and premises liability coverage. - Maintain Coverage A at or above required percentage of replacement cost (e.g., life estate situations) to qualify for homeowners forms and replacement cost provisions. - For Louisiana Citizens assumption business, apply the Louisiana Select manual first; if not addressed, default to Cajun Underwriters’ standard Select Homeowners Program rates and rules. - Servicing rules include minimum premium, whole-dollar premium rounding, assessments/fees and conditions for transfer/assignment and waiver of premium as outlined in Part II. Broker / producer notes - Cajun Underwriters distributes via independent agents; agents must place business that fits the stated eligibility and coastal property appetite. - Agent FAQs and agent login are available on the main site for operational questions, policy servicing, and electronic processing; underwriting changes or bulletins are expected to be distributed through these channels and via program manuals. - Agents should screen for prohibited dog breeds, exotic animals, pool hazards, over-water and boat-only locations, and code issues before submission, as these are clear decline factors.