What Builders Mutual does

Builders Mutual Insurance Company is a private mutual insurance carrier founded in 1983 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, that writes commercial insurance exclusively for the construction industry. Operating under a mutual ownership structure (owned by its policyholders rather than external shareholders), the company serves more than 28,000 policyholders through 5,000+ independent insurance agents across nine states (NC, SC, TN, FL, GA, MD, MS, VA) and Washington D.C. The company is licensed and writes a focused portfolio of construction-tailored lines: workers' compensation (as monoline or multiline), a Commercial Package Policy (CPP) combining general liability with property, inland marine, and crime for contractors with payrolls over $1M, plus stand-alone general liability, property, inland marine, crime, commercial automobile, builders risk, and umbrella/excess liability. Underwriting is supported by risk management consulting, on-site safety services, and a branded content library (WorkSafe training, Put Your Guard Up guardrail initiative, Toolbox Talks video series) delivered in English and Spanish. Technology integrations with MedCall (telehealth), Safelite (auto glass claims), Nexar (AI dashcam discounts), and FleetWatch (driver monitoring) extend the claims service stack.

The business model is recurring subscription-based premium revenue with annual billing cycles, priced by quote based on payroll, classification codes, experience modifier, and claims history. Three writing companies — Builders Mutual, Builders Premier, and the recently launched Builders Alliance — enable risk segmentation across different contractor profiles. The company distributes dividends to eligible policyholders that demonstrate safety discipline ($3.5M to 13,300+ policyholders in 2026), and its mutual structure aligns long-term capital with the policyholder base rather than with public-market returns. The Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI), a 501(c)(3) founded by Builders Mutual in 2015 and funded at $5M through 2030, anchors an industry safety-research flywheel that also functions as a brand and thought-leadership asset. Distribution is exclusively through independent agents; the company does not sell direct to consumers, which is a defining channel characteristic for the model.

Name

Builders Mutual

Legal name

Builders Mutual Insurance Company

Website

https://buildersmutual.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Builders Mutual is a Raleigh-based mutual insurance company that writes commercial insurance products — including workers' compensation, general liability, property, auto, and builders risk — exclusively for the construction industry across nine southeastern and mid-Atlantic states. It serves 28,000+ policyholders through 5,000+ independent agents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Insurance

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Workers’ Compensation for High-Hazard & Specialty Trades (FSAJAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contractors BOP / Artisan Package (FSAJAFAD), Builders Risk / Course of Construction Insurance (FSAJACAF), Construction Specialty (Wrap-Ups/Builders Risk/Contractors) (FSAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Construction insurance
• Workers compensation coverage
• Commercial liability insurance
• Builders risk insurance
• Construction safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workers' Compensation Insurance: Core product providing coverage for medical care, rehabilitation, and lost wages for workers injured on the job. Available as monoline coverage or as part of multiline accounts.
2. General Liability Insurance: Protects business assets from covered claims including bodily injury, property damage, advertising injury, and medical payments. Available standalone or as part of package policies.
3. Commercial Package Policy (CPP): Comprehensive coverage for larger commercial contractors with payrolls exceeding $1,000,000. Combines general liability with property, inland marine, and crime coverage.
4. Property Insurance: Coverage for buildings, structures, business personal property, and third-party properties under the insured's control. Includes additional coverages for debris removal, fire service charges, and contamination cleanup.
5. Commercial Auto Insurance: Coverage for business vehicles including vans, pickups, dump trucks, and trailers. Includes liability, physical damage, medical payments, and uninsured motorist coverage.
6. Construction Risk Insurance: Flexible coverage for property during construction. Includes builders risk, installation coverage, and coverage for scaffolding, temporary structures, materials theft, and debris removal.
7. Inland Marine Insurance: Specialized coverage for contractors covering tools, machinery, equipment, fine arts, signs, scheduled property, accounts receivable, and electronic data processing.
8. Crime Insurance: Broad coverage including employee theft, forgery, robbery, and burglary. Covers money, securities, and tangible property with intrinsic value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Builders Mutual underwrites and delivers a portfolio of commercial insurance products — Workers' Compensation, General Liability, Commercial Package Policy, Property, Commercial Auto, Inland Marine, Crime, Builders Risk, and Umbrella/Excess Liability — exclusively to construction contractors (residential, commercial, and specialty trade) across nine southeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S. states. Coverage is bundled with risk management services including the WorkSafe safety training library, Put Your Guard Up guardrail safety initiative, Toolbox Talks videos, and on-site risk management consulting.

Product overview

Builders Mutual offers a comprehensive portfolio of commercial insurance products exclusively for the construction industry. The core product suite includes Workers' Compensation (available as monoline or multiline), a Commercial Package Policy (CPP) combining general liability with property/inland marine/crime, General Liability, Property, Inland Marine, Crime, Commercial Automobile, and Builders Risk coverage. Optional umbrella/excess liability is available across most lines. Supporting service modules include WorkSafe safety training (Know the Basics and Drive to Protect programs), Put Your Guard Up guardrail safety initiative, Toolbox Talks video library, Premium Audit services, and Claims Management with single-point contact handling. A three-company structure (Builders Mutual, Builders Alliance, and Builders Premier) enables greater risk segmentation through differentiated underwriting pricing. The company also provides risk management consulting through field consultants who assist with workplace hazard analysis and OSHA compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workers' Compensation Insurance Workers' compensation insurance for residential, commercial, and specialty trade contractors that covers medical care, physical rehabilitation, and lost wages for workers injured on the job. Available as monoline coverage or as part of a multiline account.
• General Liability Insurance Insurance protecting business assets from covered claims for which the business is legally responsible. Covers bodily injury, property damage, advertising and personal injury liability, and medical payments. Includes coverage for independent contractors and contractual liability.
• Commercial Package Policy (CPP) A competitive package of coverages for larger commercial contractors with payrolls over $1,000,000 and general contractors. Bundles general liability as the core with property, inland marine, and/or crime coverages and automatic but flexible features.
• Property Insurance Coverage for buildings, structures, business personal property, and third-party properties under the insured's control. Includes additional coverages for debris removal, property preservation, fire service expenses, and contamination cleanup. Optional coverages include replacement cost and inflation protection.
• Commercial Auto Insurance Coverage for commercial vehicles including vans, pickup trucks, dump trucks, box trucks, and trailers. Protects alongside other commercial property coverages with liability, physical damage, medical payments, and uninsured motorist coverage available for owned, non-owned, leased, temporary, substitute, and newly acquired vehicles.
• Inland Marine Insurance Specialized coverages for contractors covering loss of tools, machinery, equipment, fine arts, signs, scheduled property, accounts receivable, and valuable documents and records. Also available with electronic data processing coverage.
• Crime Insurance Broad coverage including employee theft, forgery and alteration, and robbery and burglary. Covers money (currency, checks, bank bills, money orders), securities, and other tangible property with intrinsic value.
• Builders Risk Insurance Flexible coverage for property during the course of construction for general contractors on new residential, new commercial, or renovation and remodeling projects. Includes coverage for scaffolding, temporary structures, material theft, debris removal, fences, trees, and outdoor property.
• Umbrella/Excess Liability Insurance Supplemental liability coverage providing protection and peace of mind, available for commercial general liability, employers liability, and automobile liability.
• Builders Alliance A third writing company implemented by Builders Mutual as an underwriting pricing tool providing Workers' Compensation coverage options similar to those offered by Builders Mutual and Builders Premier. Builders Alliance received an 'A' rating from AM Best upon launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dividend distributions to 13,300+ eligible policyholders totaling $3.5 million in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and support.

• Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026JSI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded by Builders Mutual more than a decade ago. JSI funds research and educational tool development through grants with select industry and university partners. Builders Mutual committed $5 million in funding through 2030, having contributed over $1.34 million since 2015.
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2025Diamond sponsorship of NAHB's HBCU Student Leadership Program, which works with 10 HBCU residential construction programs and nearly 300 students to provide leadership skills, industry connections, and career development.
• Safety MakerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2024Collaborated with Safety Maker on the 5th Annual Guardrail Safety Week initiative to promote guardrail safety awareness and proper installation practices.
• MedCallsupportTechnology or Integration24/7, on-demand, phone and video-based emergency medical services for policyholders who may have experienced a workplace injury. Provides telehealth program options for construction industry injuries.
• SafelitesupportTechnology or Integration24/7 dedicated service for auto glass claims. Partnership expedites claims process by allowing policyholders to report glass claims directly through the Builders Mutual Safelite self-service portal.
• NexarsupportTechnology or IntegrationAI-powered dashcam technology partnership offering exclusive discounts to policyholders. Dashcams capture video footage in accidents to help reduce auto claims impact.
• FleetWatchsupportTechnology or Integration1-800 How's My Driving stickers service for driver monitoring. Other drivers can report risky behavior. Policyholders using this service receive reduced insurance rates.
• NCCI (National Council on Compensation Insurance)supportOthersMike Gerber, President and CEO of Builders Mutual, elected to NCCI Board of Directors. NCCI serves as a leading source for workers' compensation data, insights, and solutions for more than 100 years.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AmTrust Financial Services: Workers' compensation and small commercial specialty insurer writing small-business risks including construction trades. Closely comparable niche-commercial carrier model, though AmTrust serves a national footprint versus Builders Mutual's 9-state regional reach.
• EMPLOYERS (EIG): Workers' compensation specialist insurer focused on small businesses, with a meaningful concentration in construction, healthcare, and restaurants. Most directly comparable pure-play workers' comp specialist with similar niche-vertical focus and small-business distribution model.
• Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company: Mutual insurance carrier writing personal, commercial, and niche lines including construction contractor packages. Highly comparable mutual structure and regional carrier profile with a similar premium audit and agent-driven distribution model.
• EMC Insurance Companies: Mutual insurance group writing commercial lines with a strong focus on workers' compensation and specialty contractor risks across the Midwest and South. Directly comparable mutual carrier with construction/contractor exposure and multi-state regional footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Cincinnati Financial: Large mutual property and casualty insurer with a multi-line portfolio and select construction/contractor exposure via independent agents. Comparable mutual ownership and agent distribution model but materially broader scope than Builders Mutual's construction-exclusive focus.
• Westfield Insurance: Mutual property and casualty carrier writing commercial, personal, and specialty lines through independent agents across the Midwest and East. Comparable mutual structure, agent distribution, and specialty contractor offering, though with a much broader portfolio mix.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance: National multi-line P&C carrier with a substantial workers' compensation and contractor-focused commercial book. Directly competes in the same independent-agent channel for construction contractor accounts, with deeper geographic reach and product breadth.
• Travelers: Large national P&C carrier with a dedicated Construction industry practice covering contractors, builders risk, and workers' comp. Competes for the same independent-agent contractor placements as Builders Mutual at greater scale and broader product offering.
• Sentry Insurance: Mutual P&C insurer with a strong middle-market and niche-commercial focus including contractor programs. Comparable mutual structure and agent distribution model; serves a broader regional and product footprint than Builders Mutual.

Emerging players

• Builders & Tradesmen's Insurance Services: Niche agency/program manager focused on contractors and construction trades, distributing workers' comp and commercial packages through appointed agents. Closely aligned vertical focus and construction-only appetite, though operating as an agency/program manager rather than a direct carrier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/buildersmutual

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Builders Mutual