Pacific Specialty
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
Operational underwriting guidance for Pacific Specialty based on currently published material and known product positioning: PREFERRED / TARGET HOME & CONDO RISKS (INCLUDING SPP ENDORSEMENTS) - Standard personal lines customers with well-maintained, owner-occupied homes/condos written on Pacific Specialty HO forms (HO-6 manual referenced). - Desirable scheduled personal property (SPP) items: individually owned jewelry, furs, cameras, fine arts, etc., used for personal (not business) purposes and properly documented. - Jewelry: individually owned personal jewelry made of precious metals and stones, adequately described and appraised when required. Appraisals less than 30 days old required for items over $2,500; higher limits per item allowed with underwriting approval. - Furs: individually owned, non-business-use furs within stated per-item and total limits; higher total schedules require underwriter review. RESTRICTED OR SUBMIT-ONLY HOME / SPP CLASSES - SPP mid‑term additions are submit‑only: can only be added mid‑term if accompanied by an appraisal dated no more than 30 days prior to the requested effective date; underwriter review is required for mid‑term additions. - Any scheduled item above the published per‑item reference limit and any total schedule exceeding the agency binding authority (e.g., total SPP schedule > $50,000) must be submitted to underwriting for approval. - Property types ineligible for SPP: property held by merchants or dealers, property held by or on loan to museums/art galleries/art institutions, or items used in the insured’s business or profession. - Loose stones, damaged or chipped stones are not eligible for jewelry scheduling. - Soft-stone jewelry (e.g., amethyst, opal, turquoise, pearl) requires producer verification that stones are properly maintained before binding. DECLINED / INELIGIBLE EXPOSURES (HOME-RELATED SPP) - Business-use property, dealer inventories, museum/gallery/loaned items, and property held for sale are declined under SPP forms. - Corporately held or commercial-purpose items are outside the personal lines SPP guidelines. GEOGRAPHIC NOTES - Pacific Specialty operates as an admitted insurer in all 50 states, with a strong property focus in California and other catastrophe-exposed states; however, wildfire and cat aggregation management have led to tightened capacity and moratoria at times. Agents should confirm current binding authority and moratorium status (especially in high wildfire or cat-prone ZIPs) via producer portal or underwriting bulletins before binding new home or SPP business. - Within California, some rating and eligibility nuances apply by county (e.g., separate SPP rating for Los Angeles County / Palm Springs vs remainder of state) and may signal different appetite or pricing in higher-crime or higher‑theft areas. BOAT / WATERCRAFT - Pacific Specialty writes boat and personal watercraft coverage as part of its specialty personal lines portfolio (per company profile). Appetite generally centers on individually owned pleasure-use boats and PWCs, with typical market norms: private pleasure use only, no commercial or racing use, and conventional, well-maintained hulls and engines. - Expect restrictions or declinations for: commercially used vessels, racing craft, experimental or non-commercially manufactured boats, airboats/hydroplanes, or risks with adverse loss history. Agents should verify specific boat program underwriting guides and binding limits in the producer portal, as these are state- and program-specific and subject to change. SUBMISSION & BINDING EXPECTATIONS (HOME / SPP) - All personal lines business is expected to be quoted and bound through Pacific Specialty’s online rating facility available via the “Producers Only” login on the company website. Producers must use the rating facility for quoting, rating, and binding whenever possible. - For online-bound policies: the producer must fully complete the application in the system, then obtain signatures from both producer and applicant after binding. The signed application and any required supporting documents must be retained and/or submitted per current submission procedures. - For policies not bound online: a current Pacific Specialty residential property application must be fully completed and signed by both applicant and producer. Required down payment or full premium must accompany the application, and the complete submission (application + disclosures + payment + required supporting docs) must be mailed or submitted to Pacific Specialty or its representative within the specified number of days from the requested effective date (e.g., 15 days if paid in full; shorter time frame when using direct-bill installments). - For SPP endorsements: - Mid-term additions are submit-only and must include an appraisal dated within 30 days for items being added mid-term. - Any total SPP schedule above the agency binding limit and any item above the per‑item limit must be referred to underwriting before binding. - Applications must include adequate descriptions with typical appraisal details (weight, mounting, distinguishing characteristics, stone characteristics including four Cs for jewelry, serial numbers, storage details, and usage frequency). BROKER / PRODUCER NOTES - Access to detailed underwriting manuals (e.g., HO-6 Manual, dwelling fire manual) is through the Pacific Specialty producer portal; PDF manuals stress adherence to all underwriting rules and current submission procedures. - Producers are expected to: - Follow all published underwriting rules exactly when binding without prior approval. - Confirm and comply with any temporary binding restrictions or moratoria, particularly in catastrophe-prone regions. - Ensure application completeness, including all required signatures, appraisals, and documentation before or immediately after binding. - Verify and document where high-value items are stored when not worn/used and how frequently they are used, especially for higher-value jewelry. - Items or schedules outside stated limits, unusual exposures, or risks in high-hazard areas should be submitted for underwriter review rather than bound at the agency level. This summary should be used as a high-level operational guide; always defer to the most current manuals, bulletins, and state-specific program guides available within the Pacific Specialty producer portal for final eligibility, rate, and form rules.