QBE earthquake insurance

QBE is an AM Best A+ rated global carrier with specialty earthquake capacity for California residential properties — often accessed through E&S and surplus lines channels for non-standard risks.

Carrier overview

Financial strength and market type

  • Financial strength: AM Best A+ (Superior) — global specialty insurer with strong catastrophe lines expertise
  • Market type: Admitted and non-admitted (surplus lines) — availability depends on the specific program; confirm status on any quote
Underwriting appetite

What properties this carrier writes

Specialty residential and commercial earthquake in California. QBE has appetite for higher-value, non-standard, and harder-to-place properties that may not fit standard admitted market programs.

Deductibles and coverage

Policy structure

Deductible options: Percentage deductibles per program and property type. E&S placements may offer different deductible structures than admitted programs.

Coverage parts available: Dwelling, personal property, loss of use, and building code upgrade depending on program and form. Specialty form terms should be reviewed carefully — E&S forms can differ materially from standard admitted policy language.

Strengths

Why brokers include this carrier

AM Best A+ global carrier with deep catastrophe lines expertise. QBE's specialty lines division has significant California earthquake experience. Higher capacity for complex or high-value risks.

Considerations

What to review before binding

QBE's earthquake programs are typically accessed through specialty wholesale brokers and MGAs rather than directly through retail agents. E&S or surplus lines placement means no California guarantee fund protection. Premium and availability can vary with reinsurance market cycles.

How to access

Broker access and submission

QBE is part of the specialty market toolkit for California earthquake brokers — particularly useful for high-value, masonry, or otherwise non-standard risks. Bollinsure's broker relationships include specialty and E&S market access, which is where QBE placements typically occur.

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.

Other markets we shop on your behalf

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 · AXIS Capital · Lloyd's of London · Homeowners of America · Specialty and E&S markets

See the full carrier market overview →