S & H Underwriters
S & H Underwriters provides financial, homeowners insurance, dwelling Insurance, and commercial insurance services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersEast Montpelier, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What S & H Underwriters does
S & H Underwriters (operating as XPT: S&H Underwriters) is a Vermont-based Managing General Agent (MGA) and excess and surplus lines insurance broker founded in 1998 by Betty and Patrick Sikora. The company serves retail insurance agents throughout the Northeast United States — its primary geographic focus — while maintaining underwriting capabilities in all U.S. states except Alaska. In September 2021, S&H was acquired by XPT Specialty LLC, a strategic operating company that subsequently broadened the firm's carrier relationships and underwriting capacity. The company's revenue is derived primarily from commissions earned on policies bound through binding authority contracts with twelve 'A' and 'A+' rated carriers, including Admiral, Arch, Atlantic Casualty, Carolina Casualty, Century Surety, Crum Forster, IAT, Kinsale, Lexington, Lloyds of London, USLI, and Western World Insurance.
The product portfolio spans personal lines (homeowners HO3/HO4/HO6/HO8, vacant dwellings, builders risks, flood), commercial lines (property, general liability, products liability, inland marine, umbrella/excess up to $10M+, liquor liability, garage, professional liability/E&O, D&O, EPL, environmental liability), and specialty programs including a cannabis insurance program covering cultivators, manufacturers, laboratories, retail shops, and lessors risk. Underwriting authority is notable: in-house binding on property limits up to $6 million, vacant dwellings up to $6 million building value, and homeowners TIV up to $100 million on a submit basis. The firm also offers prize indemnification and weather insurance as specialty add-ons.
S&H distributes through a channel-partner model exclusively targeting retail agents rather than end insureds, with digital self-service as a key enabler. The company launched an online HO3 homeowners rating tool in October 2017 and an ARTI (Artisan Contractor Rate Indicator) covering 140+ classification codes in November 2018, both enabling bindable quotes without login. An online vacant property rater offers 17.5% commission. Supporting infrastructure includes an ePay payment portal via ePayPolicy and premium financing through Imperial Premium Finance Specialists (IPFS). Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, with leadership still anchored by founders Betty and Patrick Sikora post-acquisition.
S & H Underwriters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- S & H Underwriters
- Legal name
- S & H Underwriters, Inc.
- Website
- https://www.sh-underwriters.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- S & H Underwriters provides financial, homeowners insurance, dwelling Insurance, and commercial insurance services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
S & H Underwriters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Surplus Lines Insurance Underwriting
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines) (FSAEADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- High Net Worth Personal Lines (E&S) (FSAJAGAO), Professional Liability (E&O) (FSAJAGAC), Excess Casualty (Lead/Umbrella/XS) (FSAJAGAA)
Keywords
Where S & H Underwriters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Montpelier
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
S & H Underwriters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Brokerage Commissions: As an MGA and surplus lines broker, S&H Underwriters earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing and underwriting insurance policies. The company maintains binding authority contracts with multiple commercial carriers including Admiral, Arch Insurance, Atlantic Casualty, Carolina Casualty, Century Surety, Crum Forster, IAT, Kinsale Insurance, Lexington, Lloyds, USLI, and Western World Insurance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Special Event Liability - up to $1,000,000/$2,000,000 limits |
| Subscription | Annual | Environmental Liability - minimum premiums |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
S & H Underwriters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
S&H Underwriters is an MGA and surplus lines insurance broker that provides binding authority contracts with 'A' and 'A+' rated carriers for retail insurance agents. The company underwrites and places Personal Lines (homeowners, vacant dwellings, builders risks, flood), Commercial Lines (property, general liability, inland marine, umbrella/excess, liquor liability, garage, professional/E&O, D&O, EPL, medical, environmental), and Specialty Surplus Lines (cannabis, prize indemnification, weather) coverage across all US states except Alaska.
Product overview
XPT: S&H Underwriters is an MGA (Managing General Authority) and surplus lines broker offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products spanning Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Specialty Surplus Lines. The core offering includes Property/Packages, General Liability, Inland Marine, Umbrella/Excess Liability, Liquor Liability, Garage, Professional Liability/E&O, Management Liability (Non-Profit and For-Profit D&O), Employment Practices Liability, Medical Related Risks, Environmental Liability, and Personal Lines products (Homeowners, Vacant Dwellings, Builders Risks, Flood). Specialty programs include Cannabis Insurance and Miscellaneous Coverage (Prize Indemnification, Weather Insurance). The company provides two web-based online rating platforms: ARTI for Artisan Contractor quotes and an HO 3 Rating Tool for homeowners insurance, enabling retail agents to obtain bindable quotes through web portals. Carriers are 'A' and 'A+' rated with binding authority contracts. Founded in 1998, acquired by XPT Specialty LLC in September 2021.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Property/Packages Insurance Property insurance product underwriting Mercantile/Manufacturing Risks, Apartments/Dwellings, Vacant Buildings, Builders Risks, Condominiums, and Homeowners Associations with up to $6,000,000 in-house binding authority, with excess property and flood coverage available.
- General Liability Insurance Commercial General Liability coverage for ISO-classified risks with in-house binding authority, including Products Liability, Railroad Protective Liability, Owners Contractors Protective Liability, and Special Event Liability up to $1M/$2M.
- Inland Marine Insurance Inland Marine coverage suite including Accounts Receivables, Bailees Customers Goods, Contractors Equipment, Computers, Signs, Installation Floaters, Solar Farms/Panels, Vendor Booths/Carts, and Personal Jewelry/Articles Floaters.
- Umbrella/Excess Liability Insurance Umbrella and Excess Liability coverage with limits up to $10,000,000 and higher, requiring AM Best B+ XV or A-VII underlying carriers and specific underlying limits.
- Liquor Liability Insurance Liquor liability coverage up to $1,000,000 within binding authority (for certain states), with optional Assault and Battery coverage, covering convenience stores, breweries, wineries, caterers, grocery stores, restaurants, and taverns/bars.
- Garage Related Insurance Coverages Garage insurance programs including a Non-Franchised Dealer Program (VT, ME, NH, CT) with up to $1M/$3M Garage Liability and a Non-Admitted Program offering up to $5M Garage Liability and Garagekeepers up to $1M per lot/$150K per vehicle.
- Professional Liability/E&O Insurance Professional Liability/E&O coverage including an in-house binding authority E&O program covering Actuaries, Architects & Engineers, Consultants, Home Inspectors, Lawyers, Property Managers, Software Designers, Tax Preparers, and 40+ other professional categories.
- Non Profit Management Liability Insurance Directors and Officers coverage for not-for-profit organizations with less than 500 employees and revenue under $50M, including Third Party EPL Coverage and Employment Practices Liability, with defense outside the limit and no Hammer Clause.
- For Profit D&O and Management Liability Combined D&O and corporate securities liability for publicly traded companies up to $10,000,000 limits, plus Management Liability for privately held companies with optional EPL and fiduciary liability and full prior acts coverage.
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance Stand-alone or combined-with-D&O Employment Practices Liability coverage for discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation claims, with Third Party Coverage, Wage & Hour defense, and no intentional acts exclusion.
- Medical Related Risks Insurance Combined CGL and Professional Liability for medical-related accounts such as Acupuncture, Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, Home Care Providers, Group Homes, Outpatient Clinics, Medical Testing Laboratories, and Medical Product Manufacturing.
- Environmental Liability Insurance CGL, Pollution, and Professional Liability for environmental risks including Contractors Pollution Liability, Environmental Consultants/Engineers, Waste Facilities, Site-specific Pollution, Underground Storage Tanks, and Mold, with minimum premiums starting at $2,500.
- Homeowners Insurance HO3, HO4, HO6 and HO8 homeowners policy forms covering mid-high value properties, older homes, secondary/seasonal residences, and rental exposures, with TIV in-house authority up to $6 million and up to $100 million on submit basis.
- Vacant Dwelling Insurance Vacant property coverage with in-house binding authority up to $6,000,000 building values, packaged with Liability up to $1,000,000, available as 3-month, 6-month, and annual policies with a 17.5% commission via the Online Vacant Property Rater.
- Builders Risks/Buildings Under Renovation Builders Risk coverage for new construction, gut/rehab projects, and cosmetic updating with in-house authority up to $6 million TIV and $1,000,000 liability, higher values available on submit basis.
- Flood Insurance/Excess Flood Insurance Primary flood and excess flood coverage for both Personal and Commercial Risks (excluding risks with prior flood loss history or Flood Zone V locations).
- Cannabis Insurance Program Specialty insurance program for cannabis, CBD, and hemp-related businesses (Cultivators, Manufacturers, Laboratories, Retail Shops, and Lessors Risk), covering Premises Liability, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Cyber Liability, and Workers Compensation.
- Prize Indemnification Insurance Coverage for promotional contests (half-court shots, fishing derbies, hockey shots, field goals, Hole In One) insuring car, cash, boat, or any prize value up to $1,000,000.
- Weather Insurance Event weather protection for fairs, festivals, corporate events, fund raisers, trade shows, and concerts, covering Rainfall, Snowfall, Temperature, Wind & Lightning perils.
- ARTI - Artisan Contractor Online Rate Indicator Web-based online rate indicator tool for artisan contractors enabling rate indications for 140 classification codes with no login required, producing bindable quotes through a 14-step submission process; referred classes (Snow Removal, Welding, GC, Roofing) receive manual underwriting review.
- HO 3 Online Rating Tool Web-based homeowners insurance quoting portal providing instant quotes for Primary and Secondary homes with HO3 policy forms, auto-populated applications from quote data, and immediate underwriter review for referred submissions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 17.5% commission for vacant property business quoted using online Vacant Property Rater
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use S & H Underwriters
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
S & H Underwriters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
S & H Underwriters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Admiral InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner providing surplus lines coverage options through S&H Underwriters' binding authority.
- Arch InsurancecoreCarrier partner providing hazardous transportation coverage and other specialty insurance products.
- Atlantic Casualty InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner for surplus lines coverage.
- Carolina CasualtycoreInsurance carrier partner for commercial and specialty coverage.
- Century Surety InsurancecoreSurety insurance carrier partner for specialty coverage.
- Crum ForstercoreInsurance carrier partner providing TRIA disclosure coverage and specialty risk products.
- IAT InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner for specialty coverage.
- Kinsale InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner for surplus lines coverage.
- Lexington InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner for specialty and excess coverage.
- Lloyds of LondoncoreGlobal insurance market partner providing specialty coverage including TRIA disclosure products.
- USLIcoreInsurance carrier partner for specialty coverage.
- Western World InsurancecoreInsurance carrier partner for surplus lines coverage.
- Imperial Premium Finance Specialists (IPFS)minorPremium financing partner for installment payment options on insurance policies. Finance agreements must be sent within 14 days of policy effective date with both insured and producer signatures required.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
S & H Underwriters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RPS (Risk Placement Services): One of the largest wholesale insurance distributors in the US, placing E&S and specialty business for retail agents. Directly comparable as a wholesale brokerage/MGA serving the same channel with similar carrier-binding model.
- Amwins: National wholesale insurance broker and managing underwriter with extensive E&S and specialty programs. Highly comparable business model focused on placing hard-to-place risks with retail agents.
- CRC Insurance Group: Wholesale insurance broker distributing specialty and surplus lines products to retail agents across the US. Direct competitor with similar MGA/binding authority structure.
- Burns & Wilcox: Specialty insurance wholesale broker placing complex personal and commercial lines through retail agents. Comparable in product breadth, channel model, and surplus lines focus.
- Brown & Riding: Wholesale insurance broker and program manager focused on E&S and specialty lines. Comparable channel and product mix including hard-to-place personal and commercial risks.
- NSM Insurance Group: Specialty insurance program manager and MGA serving niche verticals (similar to S&H's cannabis and artisan contractor focus). Comparable program-administration and binding authority model.
- Jencap: Wholesale insurance broker specializing in commercial E&S, excess casualty, and professional lines. Comparable in serving retail agents with specialty commercial binding capabilities.
- Novatae Risk Group: Specialty wholesale broker and MGA offering E&S and standard lines across personal and commercial classes. Comparable niche/specialty positioning with retail agent channel.
- K&B Underwriters: Surplus lines and specialty insurance wholesale broker serving retail agents with binding authority contracts. Closely aligned in size, channel, and product focus.
Others
- Target Markets Program Administrators Association: Industry association for program administrators and MGAs — adjacent peer as a network/ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, useful for understanding competitive landscape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
S & H Underwriters social profiles
Digital presenceS & H Underwriters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
S & H Underwriters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
S & H Underwriters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
S & H Underwriters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about S & H Underwriters
What does S & H Underwriters do?
S&H Underwriters is an MGA and surplus lines insurance broker that provides binding authority contracts with 'A' and 'A+' rated carriers for retail insurance agents. The company underwrites and places Personal Lines (homeowners, vacant dwellings, builders risks, flood), Commercial Lines (property, general liability, inland marine, umbrella/excess, liquor liability, garage, professional/E&O, D&O, EPL, medical, environmental), and Specialty Surplus Lines (cannabis, prize indemnification, weather) coverage across all US states except Alaska.
Is S & H Underwriters a public or private company?
S & H Underwriters is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was S & H Underwriters founded?
S & H Underwriters was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is S & H Underwriters based?
S & H Underwriters is headquartered in East Montpelier, United States, in the North America region.
How does S & H Underwriters make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Brokerage Commissions.
Who are S & H Underwriters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RPS (Risk Placement Services), Amwins, CRC Insurance Group, Burns & Wilcox, Brown & Riding, NSM Insurance Group, Jencap, Novatae Risk Group and K&B Underwriters. Target Markets Program Administrators Association is listed as an others.
Does S & H Underwriters have an API?
No public API is recorded for S & H Underwriters.
What industry is S & H Underwriters in?
S & H Underwriters's product category is Surplus Lines Insurance Underwriting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAD, Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines), with a secondary code of FSAJAGAO, High Net Worth Personal Lines (E&S). Its NAICS code is 52421 and its SIC code is 6411.