CBIC (Contract Bonders Insurance Company)
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
Carrier overview / positioning - Contractors Bonding and Insurance Company (CBIC), branded as CBIC, is an RLI subsidiary focused on surety bonds and niche property & casualty products for contractors and small-to-medium "Main Street" businesses. It is admitted P&C and surety in most states and historically a leading writer of contractor license bonds in the Northwest.([mergr.com](https://mergr.com/company/contractors-bonding-and-insurance-co?utm_source=openai)) - Commercial P&C activities (property, package, BOP) are closely integrated with contractor-focused programs such as Contrac Pac / Contrac Pac Plus, which package GL, property, inland marine and related coverages for artisan and general contractors.([roughnotes.com](https://roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/2000/august00/08p106.htm?utm_source=openai)) Target / preferred business (commercial property & package) - Core appetite is small-to-medium contractors and construction-related accounts rather than broad middle-market property. Typical focus: - Artisan and general contractors, especially residential and light commercial trades (e.g., carpentry, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting, small GCs).([roughnotes.com](https://roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/2000/august00/08p106.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Small contracting firms with modest revenues and headcount (historically under roughly $1.5M annual sales and ~10 or fewer employees for flagship programs; current specific thresholds may vary by state/program filing).([roughnotes.com](https://roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/2000/august00/08p106.htm?utm_source=openai)) - "Main Street" retail and office risks placed via BOP or small commercial package (merchants, offices, home offices), often packaged with liability and property in admitted programs.([roughnotes.com](https://roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/2000/august00/08p106.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Program design assumes contractors needing a blend of license/permit bonds, contract surety, and package policies; cross-sell across surety and P&C is common. Restricted / declined classes (operationally inferred) - CBIC filings and marketing emphasize contractors and small commercial rather than heavy property-cat or specialist occupancies. In practice, expect the following to be outside or at edge of appetite unless specifically endorsed via a program: - Large-frame habitational schedules, high-rise habitational, older frame urban property with poor protection. - High-hazard manufacturing, petrochemical, heavy industrial, or energy risks (these exposures are not referenced in any CBIC marketing and are typically outside contractor-focused niche carriers).([interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov](https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/companyprofile/companyprofile%3Fevent%3DcompanyProfile%26doFunction%3DgetCompanyProfile%26eid%3D6735?utm_source=openai)) - CAT-intensive coastal property or wildfire-exposed schedules where PMLs are disproportionate to premium; CBIC is not marketed as a CAT-capacity writer. - Highly specialized professional liability-heavy risks, cyber-only placements, or non-construction professional firms (CBIC’s professional liability is described as "miscellaneous" and tech-focused; complex specialty E&O is better placed elsewhere).([crunchbase.com](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/contractors-bonding-insurance-co?utm_source=openai)) - Where state filings indicate commercial multi-peril and BOP authority, underwriters still prioritize small contractors and standard main-street retail/office; unusual occupancies, distressed accounts (poor loss history, severe open claims) and highly vacant property are commonly restricted or referred to RLI corporate underwriting. Geographic notes - CBIC is licensed in all or nearly all U.S. states for surety and is authorized as a P&C insurer in a broad state footprint (e.g., California DOI shows authority in auto, fire, liability, burglary/theft, multi-peril, BOP, etc.).([interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov](https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/companyprofile/companyprofile%3Fevent%3DcompanyProfile%26doFunction%3DgetCompanyProfile%26eid%3D6735?utm_source=openai)) - Historically very strong in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon) and western states, and expanded commercial contractor programs into CA, NV, AZ, NM, MT, ID, WY, TX and others; today, appetite is national but still operationally strongest where there is established contractor distribution.([roughnotes.com](https://roughnotes.com/rnmagazine/2000/august00/08p106.htm?utm_source=openai)) Submission & underwriting expectations (practical guidance based on available materials) - CBIC operates primarily through independent agents and wholesale/MGA partners; they do not publish a detailed public appetite/underwriting guide for property/package. Producers typically access appetite and specific program rules via MGAs (e.g., BTIS for contractor GL) and RLI/CBIC producer portals.([insurancenewsnet.com](https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/btis-partners-with-rlis-cbic-to-offer-general-liability-coverages-to-contractors-2?utm_source=openai)) - For commercial package / property on contractors and small business: - Expect requirement for standard ACORD applications plus CBIC or MGA-specific supplemental for contractors (trade, project types, % residential vs commercial, subcontractor controls, height/structural work, tract work, etc.). - For property: detailed building data (construction, protection, occupancy, year built/updates, square footage) and schedule of equipment or inland marine items for contractors’ tools. - Loss runs: at least 3–5 years currently valued, particularly where GL or property limits are material. - For accounts paired with surety capacity (contract bonds), financial statements and work-in-progress schedules are often shared with surety underwriting and may influence package pricing and terms.([mynewmarkets.com](https://www.mynewmarkets.com/listings/cqjhh7?utm_source=openai)) Broker / producer notes - Distribution is via appointed producers; many retail agents access CBIC through MGAs/program administrators (e.g., BTIS for contractor GL under the Contrac Pac program, and other regional wholesalers for surety).([insurancenewsnet.com](https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/btis-partners-with-rlis-cbic-to-offer-general-liability-coverages-to-contractors-2?utm_source=openai)) - Marketing materials emphasize CBIC’s value for contractors: steady market since 1979, admitted paper, and contractor-focused underwriting. Producers are expected to position the account squarely within that niche and avoid "dabbling" with non-core exposures. - For integrated surety + package opportunities, coordinate with CBIC/RLI surety contacts; many reference documents direct agents to a central RLI/CBIC surety email or surety office for contract bond submissions, which can streamline cross-sell but also subjects the account to combined underwriting review.([lesronsuretybonds.com](https://www.lesronsuretybonds.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/RLINextStep1Million.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Operational takeaways for commercial property / CPP placement - Best fit: small-to-medium artisan/general contractors and main-street mercantile/office accounts that can be placed into a CBIC or RLI/CBIC-administered BOP or contractor package, often alongside license/permit or contract surety bonds. - Avoid or expect pushback on: large or complex property schedules, heavy industrial/manufacturing risks, high-catastrophe property, habitational-heavy portfolios, or non-construction specialty professional service accounts. - Submissions should be routed via appointed wholesalers or direct-appointed agents using their respective portals; include complete supplemental data for contractor operations, building characteristics, and loss history to minimize underwriter referrals. Note: CBIC does not maintain a public-facing, detailed underwriting appetite guide specific to commercial property or CPP; above reflects current public filings and third-party program descriptions and should be supplemented with the latest guidance from the MGA or RLI/CBIC underwriter controlling the program in your state.