Columbia Lloyds Insurance Co
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
Scope / Products - Columbia Lloyds Insurance Company (CLIC) writes homeowners/property business marketed through independent agents, primarily in Texas (also OK/AR, but the referenced guideline is clearly Texas-focused).([columbialloyds.com](https://www.columbialloyds.com/?utm_source=openai)) - The referenced "Underwriting Guidelines – CLIC" PDF addresses personal dwelling risks (homeowners/low-value dwelling style business) under the Columbia Lloyds homeowners program.([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/images/Underwriting%20Guidelines%20-%20CLIC.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Preferred / Acceptable Business - Owner-occupied 1–2 family dwellings where the applicant is the owner or mortgage holder of all covered dwellings. - Standard, non-farm residential risks with no business exposures, no prohibited animals, and no serious prior loss history. - Dwellings with protective devices (central station fire/smoke alarms, local alarms, sprinklers) and/or fire-resistive construction are encouraged; specific premium credits are outlined (e.g., 8% for central station fire or smoke, 5% for fire/police department alarms, 3% for local alarms, 15% credit for fire-resistive construction).([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/pages/help.aspx?utm_source=openai)) Unacceptable Applicants - Any applicant or household member convicted of crimes such as blackmail, burglary, embezzlement, extortion, false pretenses, forgery, larceny, malicious destruction of property, robbery, or theft. - Any applicant or household member convicted of, arrested for, or charged with arson, fraud, or other crimes related to an insurance claim. - Applicants who have filed bankruptcy within the past 3 years. - Applicants currently in default on a mortgage. - Applicants who have filed more than one fire or other non-weather-related claim in the past 3 years. - Applicants must be owners or mortgage holders of all covered dwellings; non-owner applicants are not acceptable.([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/pages/help.aspx?utm_source=openai)) Unacceptable Property / Risk Characteristics - Rooming or boarding houses. - Mobile homes, unless attached to a permanent foundation (otherwise declined). - Dwellings with wood-burning stoves or standalone space heaters as primary or significant heating source. - Farm and ranch property (farm exposures and rural farm risks are outside appetite for this program). - Vacant or unoccupied dwellings. - Seasonal or secondary dwellings. - Townhomes, apartments, or condominiums. - Dwellings that are currently for sale. - Dwellings in foreclosure, litigation, or any legal dispute concerning ownership/possession. - Dwellings with more than 2 individual family units (e.g., triplex or larger multi-family structures). - Dwellings under the course of construction. - Any risk used in the conduct of a business, including but not limited to childcare or assisted-living activities for compensation. - Any risk with farm animals, exotic or unusual pets, or ferocious/dangerous dogs (including but not limited to Chow, Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Doberman Pinscher and mixes/crosses) or any animal with a prior history of biting or attacking; no homeowners or liability coverage is written on such risks.([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/pages/help.aspx?utm_source=openai)) Geographic & Catastrophe Restrictions (Texas-focused) - All coastal Tier 1 counties are classified as "Restricted" for this homeowners program. - A minimum 2% deductible applies in Tier 2 counties (wind/hail/cat-exposed areas away from immediate coast). - Minimum $500 deductible applies for the remainder of the state. - The guideline lists specific restricted ZIP codes for new business (as of February 2015), primarily in and around the Houston/Gulf Coast region; these ZIPs are closed or highly restricted for new business and must be treated as non-target or refer-to-company areas for new submissions.([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/images/Underwriting%20Guidelines%20-%20CLIC.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Submission / Documentation Requirements - A fully completed, signed application must be obtained and uploaded/attached to the policy record. - Agents are expected to review each risk carefully prior to issuance to verify that it complies with all published underwriting guidelines. - The guidelines emphasize that issuing policies outside of underwriting rules can result in loss of coverage and heightened E&O exposure for the agent.([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/images/Underwriting%20Guidelines%20-%20CLIC.pdf?utm_source=openai)) Producer / Broker Operational Notes - Columbia Lloyds distributes through independent agents; producers are expected to perform frontline underwriting and self-police adherence to the guidelines. - It is explicitly the agent’s responsibility to: (1) evaluate each risk, (2) confirm compliance with the guidelines (eligibility, occupancy, animals, prior losses, property type), and (3) maintain required documentation (signed application) in the file and/or company system. - Any new business in restricted counties or listed restricted ZIP codes should be treated as outside normal appetite unless the carrier or MGA provides explicit approval; deviations can increase E&O exposure and risk of coverage disputes at claim time.([agentree.com](https://www.agentree.com/pages/help.aspx?utm_source=openai)) Key Practical Takeaways for Frontline Underwriters / Agents - Target: standard, owner-occupied 1–2 family dwellings with clean loss history, no adverse financial/criminal background, no animal/agricultural or business exposures, primarily in non-coastal Texas territories. - Avoid/decline: farm or ranch-type properties; properties with wood stoves/space heaters; multi-family >2 units; any business-use dwelling; vacant/for-sale/foreclosure properties; mobile homes off permanent foundation; dwellings under construction; townhome/condo/apartment risks; any risk with prohibited animals or bite history. - Carefully screen applicants for bankruptcy in past 3 years, mortgage defaults, and frequency/type of prior claims. - Apply coastal/Tier 1 and Tier 2 restrictions, including minimum deductibles and blocked ZIP codes, when quoting or binding. - Always secure and upload a signed, fully completed application, and treat these guidelines as binding; exceptions require explicit company approval.