KW specialty 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
Program focus - Non‑admitted California homeowners program written on KW Specialty Insurance Company paper, targeting homes and condos that do not qualify for the admitted market but show clear pride of ownership and are well maintained with appropriate risk mitigation.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Preferred / target business - Homes and condos of any age in good repair with demonstrated maintenance. - HO‑3: 1–4 family dwellings, owner‑occupied, rental, seasonal, short‑term rental, and owner‑occupied with roomers/boarders.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - HO‑6: 1‑family condo units. - Accepts a broad range of structure types under HO‑3: detached and semi‑detached homes, townhomes/row homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), tiny homes, yurts, shipping‑container homes, pole‑barn conversions/barndominiums, straw‑bale homes, geodesic domes, prefabricated/modular homes, manufactured homes, and other stand‑alone structures (e.g., sheds, garages, carports, gazebos, horse barns).([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Construction types: frame, masonry, masonry veneer, log, post‑and‑beam, concrete, and metal. - Supports alternative/innovative housing strategies such as cohousing, micro‑units, off‑grid dwellings, micro‑farms (small‑scale farm use), room rental/boarders (including Airbnb), and vacation rentals (e.g., VRBO), subject to guidelines.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Key limits and coverage structure - HO‑3 TIV limits by dwelling type (selected examples): - Detached / semi‑detached / townhome: up to $1,500,000 TIV. - Accessory dwelling unit: up to $1,000,000 TIV. - Tiny home and yurt: up to $200,000 TIV. - Shipping‑container home and pole‑barn conversion/barndominium: up to $400,000 TIV. - Straw‑bale: up to $1,500,000 TIV; geodesic dome up to $700,000 TIV. - Prefabricated home: up to $1,500,000 TIV; manufactured home: up to $250,000 TIV; stand‑alone structure: up to $400,000 TIV.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - HO‑6 TIV limits: most eligible dwelling types up to $500,000 TIV; tiny homes up to $200,000. Wildfire / brush & catastrophe management - Detailed defensible‑space and fuel‑management requirements for risks with moderate, high, or very high wildfire scores, including: - No combustible debris (firewood, pine needles, dry leaves, mulch/wood chips) within 5 feet of any structure; non‑combustible ground surface (dirt, gravel, pavers, concrete) around all perimeters. - No trees/branches in contact with roofs or structures; no juniper shrubs/trees within 5 feet; dead/diseased vegetation must be removed. - Under‑deck areas must be clear of combustibles; grass within 5 feet must be irrigated and maintained at ≤6 inches, often requiring automatic sprinklers.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) - Company may impose temporary binding restrictions in specific geographic areas due to catastrophe or exposure management; during suspensions, no new business or exposure‑increasing endorsements may be bound until lifted.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) General underwriting rules & appetite notes - Policy term: 12 months only; cancellations and premium‑bearing endorsements calculated pro rata, subject to minimum earned premium. - ISO protection class codes used for rating. - Business is surplus lines / non‑admitted only; forms and rates are not filed as admitted and may change by program.([dev.jebrown.net](https://www.dev.jebrown.net/Carrier/KWSpecialty?utm_source=openai)) Geographic focus / restrictions - Guide is explicitly labeled “California Homeowners Product & Underwriting Guide”; appetite, limits, and rules are specific to California placements. - Separate internal exposure‑management rules allow KWS to restrict binding in selected CA regions (e.g., wildfire‑prone areas) at its discretion.([jebrown.net](https://www.jebrown.net/pdf/KWS_20200609-California%20Homeowners%20Product%20and%20Underwriting%20Guide.pdf)) Submission & processing expectations - Written via delegated program/MGA platform (e.g., JE Brown) using KWiQ technology; renewals are user‑triggered and not auto‑generated, so agencies must initiate renewal activity. - Risks not clearly meeting eligibility may require underwriting referral (“Submit risks”) per guide; carriers expect documentation on unique structures (tiny homes, yurts, container homes, etc.), including construction details and values within stated TIV ranges. - Catastrophe and exposure‑based binding suspensions require agents to confirm binding availability on the intended effective date before committing coverage. Broker / producer notes - All business is written on KW Specialty Insurance Company paper on a non‑admitted basis; program is positioned as a solution for “tough‑to‑place” dwellings across many occupancy and structure types, often where standard CA homeowners markets have declined to quote.([dev.jebrown.net](https://www.dev.jebrown.net/Carrier/KWSpecialty?utm_source=openai)) - Agents should set surplus‑lines expectations with insureds (non‑guaranteed renewals, potential for binding moratoria in CAT events, and no guaranty‑fund backing typical of admitted carriers).