South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association

What South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association does

The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association (SCWHUA), established by the South Carolina Legislature in 1971, is the state-mandated residual property insurance market of last resort providing wind and hail coverage exclusively within the state's designated coastal area. It serves coastal homeowners, manufactured/mobile home owners, condominium unit owners, and commercial property owners in five South Carolina counties (Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Georgetown, and Horry) who are unable to obtain wind and hail coverage through the standard private insurance market. All property and casualty insurers writing business in South Carolina are required by law to participate in funding the Plan and sharing in its losses or profits.

The Association operates four standardized policy programs: Dwelling (WHP1), Manufactured Home (WHM1), Commercial (WHC1), and Condominium Unit-Owners (WHA1), with maximum limits of $1.3 million for personal risks and $2.5 million for commercial risks. Underwriting, rating, and zone assignment (Zone 1 / Zone 2) are performed in-house by a small professional staff, while policy issuance is executed exclusively through licensed South Carolina insurance producers — by statute, the Association maintains no captive agents. Supporting infrastructure includes a producer-facing website (scwind.com) offering Quick Quote rating, an Eligibility Check tool, and member-company portals.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual insurance premiums, supplemented by an $8 per-policy fee that funds the inspection program. Producer commissions differ by certification status (10% for certified agencies versus 5% for non-certified). Governance rests with a 17-member Board (11 insurance company representatives, 2 coastal insurance agents, 4 consumer representatives), and the organization is managed by professional staff independent of any single member insurer. A system-wide rate increase is scheduled for 2/1/2026 under Bulletin 25-02.

Name

South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association

Legal name

South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association

Website

https://scwind.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association is the state-mandated residual insurance market of last resort providing wind and hail coverage to coastal property owners in five South Carolina counties who cannot obtain such coverage through the standard private market, distributed exclusively through licensed insurance producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wind and Hail Property Insurance

NAICS

Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Surplus Lines Property (CAT/High-Hazard) (FSAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Wind and hail insurance
• Residual market insurance
• Coastal property coverage
• Catastrophe insurance underwriting
• Property insurance association

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: The Association generates revenue through annual insurance premiums collected from policyholders. All policies are written for one year only, with continuation requiring submission of a new application and payment of premium annually. Premiums are calculated based on property characteristics, location (Zone 1 or Zone 2), deductible selection, and coverage amounts requested.
2. Policy Fees: A $8 policy fee is charged for each policy. This fee supports the inspection program used by the Association and is paid each policy period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association is a residual property insurance market established by South Carolina state legislation in 1971. It provides wind and hail insurance coverage for coastal residential and commercial properties that standard insurers decline to cover, operating exclusively through licensed insurance producers across South Carolina.

Product overview

The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association (SCWHUA) operates as a residual property insurance market, providing wind and hail coverage exclusively for coastal properties in South Carolina. The organization is not a technology platform but an insurance association that offers four main insurance products: Dwelling Program (WHP1) for single-family homes, Manufactured Home Program (WHM1) for mobile/modular homes, Commercial Program (WHC1) for commercial properties, and Condominium Unit-Owners Policy (WHA1). The Association also provides supporting online tools including Quick Quote for online rating and Eligibility Check for territory verification. All business must be processed through licensed insurance producers; the Association does not write or service business directly with consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dwelling Program (WHP1)

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.42% of policies issued by the Association are submitted by certified agencies (as of June 2005)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: Florida's state-created residual property insurance market of last resort. Citizens is the most direct functional analog to SCWHUA: a legislatively mandated insurer writing wind/coastal property coverage for homeowners who cannot obtain it in the standard market, funded by industry assessments.
• Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA): Texas's residual-market windstorm insurer for 14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County. Twia performs nearly identical economic functions to SCWHUA: writing wind/hail coverage for coastal properties that the private market declines, with industry-funded assessments.
• North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA / NC Beach Plan): North Carolina's residual-market property insurance mechanism serving designated Beach and coastal areas. Directly comparable to SCWHUA in mandate, structure, and coastal-wind focus, including industry assessment backing and producer-only distribution.
• Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation: Louisiana's residual property insurance market of last resort. Like SCWHUA, Citizens LA writes coastal property coverage for applicants unable to obtain insurance in the voluntary market, with industry-funded assessments and producer intermediation.
• Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association: Mississippi's state-created wind pool covering coastal counties along the Gulf. Closely mirrors SCWHUA in product scope (windstorm coverage for coastal residential and commercial risks) and regulatory structure.
• Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association: Alabama's FAIR-plan-style residual property insurance mechanism. While not strictly wind-only, it provides comparable residual-market coverage for coastal/altered-risk Alabama properties and shares the industry-assessment funding model.
• Georgia Underwriting Association: Georgia's residual-market property insurance mechanism providing basic property coverage for applicants unable to obtain it through standard carriers. Comparable residual-market function with industry assessment backing, though Georgia has less coastline than SC.
• Virginia Property Insurance Association: Virginia's residual-market property insurance association, including coastal wind-zone exposures along the Virginia coast. Directly comparable in mandate and producer-based distribution model.

Regional players

• Citizens' Insurance Association (South Carolina FAIR Plan equivalent): If a separate SC FAIR-plan entity exists for non-wind hazards, it would be a regional/state-level peer completing the residual-market offering for SC properties. Functionally adjacent to SCWHUA but covers different perils.

Others

• Wright National Flood Insurance Company (writes NFIP on behalf of FEMA): Write-Your-Own carrier for the National Flood Insurance Program. Although it underwrites a different peril (flood vs. wind/hail), Wright is adjacent to SCWHUA's coastal book because SCWHUA operates a Single Adjuster Program that coordinates wind-and-flood claims — making flood carriers an ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association