Financial strength and market type
- Financial strength: Lloyd's market overall rated AM Best A (Excellent) — individual syndicate capacity backed by Lloyd's Central Fund and Society guarantee structure
- Market type: Non-admitted (surplus lines) — Lloyd's policies in California are E&S placements not covered by the California guarantee fund
What properties this carrier writes
High-value, unusual, historic, non-standard, and hard-to-place California residential earthquake risks. Lloyd's syndicates have appetite for risks that admitted and standard specialty markets may decline, including historic adobe homes, extremely high values, and complex multi-structure properties.
Policy structure
Deductible options: Bespoke per placement. Lloyd's syndicates can structure deductibles flexibly based on the risk — percentage, flat, or split deductibles are all possible depending on syndicate appetite and negotiation.
Coverage parts available: Fully bespoke — Lloyd's earthquake policies can be crafted to cover specific exposures, sublimits, and structures not available on standard admitted forms. This flexibility is both the key advantage and the key complexity of Lloyd's placements.
Why brokers include this carrier
Deepest capacity and most flexible underwriting for complex, high-value, and unusual earthquake risks. Lloyd's Central Fund backing provides strong overall market financial security. Bespoke policy language can address exposures that standard forms exclude.
What to review before binding
Lloyd's placements require a surplus lines licensed broker with Lloyd's coverholder or correspondent access. Non-admitted status means no California guarantee fund protection. Bespoke policies require careful review — broader coverage language can also create ambiguity. Lloyd's earthquake is not appropriate for standard residential placements where admitted market options exist.
Broker access and submission
Lloyd's is the market of last resort and of exceptional risk for California earthquake. For most residential homeowners, admitted market options (CEA, Palomar, GeoVera, ICW) are preferable. Lloyd's becomes relevant for historic properties, very high values, or commercial-adjacent residential risks where admitted options are exhausted.
The Best Earthquake Insurance application collects all the construction, foundation, retrofit, and coverage detail that brokers need to submit to these markets. A completed application is reviewed by Bollinsure, which shops the available carrier set for your specific property profile.
Compare all carriers Bollinsure accesses
Bollinsure shops your completed application across all available markets to find the best fit for your property. Review each carrier's appetite, financial strength, and form terms:
California Earthquake Authority (CEA) · Palomar Specialty · GeoVera · ICW Group · Arrowhead · Munich Re · QBE · AXIS Capital · Homeowners of America · Specialty and E&S markets