Farmer Brown Insurance
Farmer Brown Insurance is a privately held, multi-carrier insurance brokerage founded in 1996 that serves contractors, restaurant owners, food truck operators, and small businesses across all 50 U.S. states via a digital-first bilingual English/Spanish quoting platform with same-day certificate of insurance issuance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Farmer Brown Insurance does
Farmer Brown Insurance (legal entity: John M. Brown Insurance Agency Inc.) is a privately held, founder-owned independent insurance brokerage established in 1996 by John M. Brown and headquartered at 21750 Hardy Oak Blvd Suite 104 #58548, San Antonio, Texas. The firm operates as a multi-carrier broker distributing policies from 15+ A-rated insurance carriers — including The Hartford, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, Travelers, Tokio Marine HCC, Hiscox, AmTrust, USLI, Distinguished Programs, Attune, Dovetail, Appalachian Underwriters, Pathpoint, and Tapco Underwriters — across all 50 U.S. states to small commercial and personal-lines customers. The platform is delivered through a digital-first motion: customers complete online quote forms at farmerbrown.com, receive an instant estimate and verified quotes from 3+ carriers, then bind coverage via phone consultation with inside-sales agents available 24/7 at (888) 973-0016, with same-day certificate of insurance issuance.
The product portfolio centers on contractor insurance (general liability, workers' compensation, builder's risk, commercial auto, surety bonds, commercial umbrella for trades including carpentry, concrete, drywall, electrical, excavation, painting, plumbing, and roofing), restaurant and food-service insurance (general liability, property, liquor liability, workers' comp, commercial auto, business interruption, and BOPs segmented by cuisine type and state), food truck and cart insurance (hot dog, juice, coffee, ice cream, pizza, taco, BBQ, burger variants), and adjacent small-business lines (retail, events, hotels, manufacturing, technology, vacant property, condominium, apartment buildings), plus personal lines (homeowners and auto) primarily as a cross-sell. The full website is bilingual English/Spanish, addressing the Spanish-speaking contractor and restaurant-owner demographic nationwide.
The revenue model is commission-based: as a licensed broker, Farmer Brown earns carrier commissions and volume-based overrides on new policy placements and annual renewals, supplemented by administrative and bundling facilitation. Pricing is determined by underwriting carriers based on risk profile, payroll, revenue, location, and class code, with the brokerage layer offering instant online estimates, 10-15% discount negotiation via agent consultation, and same-day coverage availability for builder's risk and COI issuance. The company claims to have served over 21,683 contractors and business owners over its 30-year history with a 90%+ annual policy renewal rate and operates with a 1-10 employee headcount, indicating a lean, owner-operated structure heavily reliant on carrier-side processing infrastructure.
Farmer Brown Insurance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Farmer Brown Insurance
- Legal name
- John M. Brown Insurance Agency Inc.
- Website
- https://farmerbrown.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Farmer Brown Insurance is a privately held, multi-carrier insurance brokerage founded in 1996 that serves contractors, restaurant owners, food truck operators, and small businesses across all 50 U.S. states via a digital-first bilingual English/Spanish quoting platform with same-day certificate of insurance issuance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Farmer Brown Insurance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Insurance Brokerage
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines) (FSAEADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Restaurants, Bars & Food Service BOP (FSAJAFAG), Mid-Market Commercial Package (Package Policies) (FSAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Farmer Brown Insurance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Farmer Brown Insurance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Farmer Brown acts as a licensed insurance broker/agency earning commissions from multiple insurance carriers for each policy placed. As a 'full service insurance brokerage' that shops multiple carriers on behalf of customers, the company receives commission overrides and volume-based bonuses from its carrier partners (The Hartford, GEICO, Nationwide, Travelers, etc.). Revenue is generated on both new policy placements and annual renewals. No direct premium pricing to end customers is set by Farmer Brown — pricing is determined by the underlying carriers based on risk assessment.
- Same-Day Coverage & Administrative Fees: The company promotes same-day coverage availability and same-day certificate issuance, suggesting administrative fees or carrier facilitation fees are embedded in the policy placement process. Revenue is also derived from bundling multiple policies (Builders Risk + homeowners + auto) for contractors and property owners, increasing commission per customer.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Annual | Builders Risk Insurance — approximately 30 cents per $100,000 (new construction) to 65 cents per $100,000 (renovation) |
| Subscription | Annual | General Liability Insurance for Contractors — $1,200 to $3,500 per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Restaurant General Liability — $800 to $4,000 per year depending on restaurant type |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coffee Truck Insurance — $100 to $300 per month ($1,200 to $3,600 per year) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Juice Cart Insurance — $45 to $250 per month depending on coverage type |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ice Cream Truck Insurance — $100 to $250 per month for full policy |
| Subscription | Monthly | Hot Dog Cart Insurance — $35 to $95 per month for general liability |
| Usage-based | Annual | Workers' Compensation Insurance — approximately $2,000 per year per $100,000 of payroll |
| Subscription | Annual | Liquor Liability Insurance — $600 to $10,000+ per year depending on establishment type |
| Subscription | Annual | Commercial Auto Insurance — $2,200 to $9,500 per year depending on vehicle type |
| Subscription | Annual | Business Owners Policy (BOP) for Restaurants — $1,500 to $8,000+ per year |
| Usage-based | Annual | Texas Workers' Compensation — $3,000 to $8,000 per year for small crew |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Farmer Brown Insurance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Farmer Brown Insurance is a multi-carrier insurance brokerage that shops and binds commercial and personal insurance policies on behalf of contractors, restaurant owners, food truck operators, and small businesses across all 50 U.S. states. Customers complete an online quote form or call a 24/7 line and receive same-day quotes from 15+ A-rated carriers, with certificates of insurance (COI) issued the same day as policy binding. The company sources policies from carriers including The Hartford, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, Travelers, Tokio Marine HCC, Hiscox, AmTrust, USLI, Distinguished Programs, Attune, Dovetail, Appalachian Underwriters, Pathpoint, and Tapco Underwriters, without bearing underwriting risk, and serves in both English and Spanish.
Product overview
Farmer Brown Insurance is a full-service insurance brokerage platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial and personal insurance products across all 50 U.S. states. The core offering centers on a multi-carrier brokerage model that aggregates rates from multiple A-rated insurance providers including The Hartford, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, Travelers, Tokio Marine HCC, Hiscox, AmTrust, and others. The platform's primary products include Builder's Risk Insurance, General Liability Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance, Property Insurance, Commercial Auto Insurance, and Business Owners Policies (BOP). Specialized industry verticals cover restaurants (with variants for Italian, Mexican, Thai, Indian, family, and fast food establishments), food trucks and carts, contractors across multiple trades (carpentry, concrete, drywall, electrical, excavation, painting, plumbing, roofing), events and entertainment, retail businesses, hotels, manufacturing, and technology companies. Personal lines include homeowners and auto insurance. Additional services include surety bonds, liquor liability, inland marine coverage, commercial umbrella insurance, and certificate of insurance issuance. The company emphasizes digital quote capabilities with same-day coverage availability and offers bilingual English/Spanish service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Builder's Risk Insurance Specialized insurance covering contractors and property owners during new construction or renovation projects, protecting building equipment, construction costs, and property damage at the job site.
- General Liability Insurance Broad third-party liability coverage for contracting businesses against property damage or bodily injury to non-employees, including medical and lawsuit expenses.
- Workers Compensation Insurance Coverage for businesses when employees are injured on the jobsite, paying medical expenses, employee wages during recovery, and related lawsuit expenses.
- Property Insurance Coverage for vacant, occupied, commercial, or residential buildings against physical damage including theft, vandalism, weather, fire, and construction failure.
- Surety Bonds Contractual bonds that protect all parties involved in contractual agreements to ensure contract completion, including license and permit, bid, payment, and performance bonds.
- Commercial Auto Insurance Coverage for vehicles used for business purposes, including food delivery, limousine/black car, livery, rideshare, taxi, and trucking insurance.
- Business Owners Policy (BOP) Insurance Bundled coverage combining general liability and commercial property insurance at reduced cost for small to mid-size businesses.
- Commercial Umbrella Insurance Additional liability coverage activated when primary policy limits are exhausted, providing extra liability protection for contractors and businesses.
- Condominium Association Insurance Coverage for condo associations including property, general liability, fidelity bond, directors and officers liability, and building ordinance coverage.
- Apartment Building Insurance Insurance coverage for apartment buildings and multi-family residential properties.
- Vacant Property Insurance Coverage for vacant buildings and homes not currently occupied, protecting against property damage and liability.
- Restaurant Insurance Comprehensive insurance for restaurants covering general liability, property, workers comp, commercial auto, liquor liability, and business interruption, with cuisine- and state-specific variants (Italian, Mexican, Thai, Indian, family, fast food).
- Food Truck and Cart Insurance Mobile food business insurance covering BBQ trucks, burger trucks, coffee carts/trucks, ice cream trucks, juice carts, pizza carts/trucks, taco carts/trucks, and other mobile food carts.
- Contractor Insurance (Specialized Trades) Insurance packages for specialty contractor trades including carpentry, concrete, drywall, electrical, excavation, painting, plumbing, and roofing contractors.
- Events Insurance Insurance for events industry professionals including bands, caterers, concerts, dancers, farmers markets, festivals, gig workers, mobile DJs, one-day events, photographers, videographers, and weddings.
- Retail Insurance Insurance for retail businesses including bakeries, clothing stores, dance studios, gift shops, grocery stores, hardware stores, hookah/vape lounges, pet stores, Pilates studios, stationery shops, toy stores, and veterinary clinics.
- Hotel Insurance Insurance coverage for hotel properties and hospitality businesses.
- Manufacturing Insurance Insurance coverage for manufacturing businesses.
- Technology Insurance Insurance coverage for technology and hardware businesses.
- Small Business Insurance General bundled insurance coverage tailored for small businesses, including BOP, general liability, commercial property, workers' comp, and commercial umbrella.
- Homeowners Insurance Coverage protecting residential property and personal belongings for homeowners.
- Car Insurance Personal auto insurance coverage available through partner carriers including Progressive and GEICO.
- Liquor Liability Insurance Coverage protecting restaurants and bars against claims arising from alcohol served to customers, including dram shop liability.
- Inland Marine Insurance Coverage for specialized or mobile equipment not typically protected under standard property insurance.
- Certificates of Insurance Document issuance service providing proof of insurance coverage, including contractor certificates and mortgage certificates, delivered same day as policy binding.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 21,683 contractors and business owners served over 30 years with 90%+ annual policy renewal rate
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Farmer Brown Insurance
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Farmer Brown Insurance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Farmer Brown Insurance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- The HartfordcoreThe Hartford is a major U.S. property and casualty insurer providing commercial lines coverage. Farmer Brown distributes The Hartford's insurance products as a licensed broker. The Hartford logo appears prominently in Farmer Brown's carrier section with address at One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155.
- GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company)coreGEICO is a direct-to-consumer auto and home insurer subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Farmer Brown offers GEICO products for personal auto and home insurance. GEICO logo appears in Farmer Brown's personal lines carrier section.
- NationwidecoreNationwide is a Fortune 100 insurance and financial services company. Farmer Brown distributes Nationwide products as a broker. Address: One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH.
- Progressive InsurancecoreProgressive Insurance is a major U.S. auto and home insurer. Farmer Brown displays the Progressive logo for personal auto/home products at 6300 Wilson Mills Rd, Mayfield Village, OH 44143.
- TravelerscoreTravelers is a leading U.S. property and casualty insurer. Farmer Brown distributes Travelers products through its brokerage platform. Address: 485 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
- Tokio Marine HCCmajorTokio Marine HCC is a specialty insurance group. Farmer Brown distributes Tokio Marine HCC products, particularly specialty lines. Address: 13403 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77040.
- Hiscox InsurancemajorHiscox is a specialist insurer for businesses and high-value individuals. Farmer Brown distributes Hiscox products. Address: 104 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60603.
- AmTrust FinancialmajorAmTrust Financial is a specialty insurance company. Farmer Brown distributes AmTrust products. Address: 59 Maiden Lane, 43rd Floor, New York, NY 10038.
- USLI (United States Liability Insurance Group)majorUSLI is a specialty insurer focused on small business and professional liability. Farmer Brown distributes USLI products. Address: 190 S. Warner Road, Wayne, PA 19087.
- Distinguished ProgramsmajorDistinguished Programs provides specialty insurance programs for restaurants, hotels, and related businesses. Farmer Brown distributes Distinguished products. Address: 1180 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10036.
- Attune InsurancemajorAttune Insurance is a technology-driven small business insurer backed by AIG and JPMorgan Chase. Farmer Brown distributes Attune products. Address: 40 Exchange Place, Suite 1900, New York, NY 10005.
- Dovetail Insurance (a Victor Company)majorDovetail Insurance is a specialty insurance managing general agent (MGA) backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Victor Insurance Group. Farmer Brown distributes Dovetail products. Address: 231 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60604.
- Appalachian Underwriters Inc.minorAppalachian Underwriters is a wholesale insurance broker. Farmer Brown distributes Appalachian products. Address: 100 Interstate Blvd, Rocky Top, TN 37769.
- PathpointminorPathpoint is a specialty lines MGA. Farmer Brown distributes Pathpoint products. Address: 995 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103.
- Tapco UnderwritersminorTapco Underwriters is a specialty insurance MGU/MGA. Farmer Brown distributes Tapco products. Address: 3060 S Church St, Burlington, NC 27215.
- Google AdWords (Google LLC)majorFarmer Brown uses Google AdWords for paid search advertising to drive targeted traffic for insurance product queries. The company also uses Google AdWords remarketing to re-engage website visitors with targeted display ads across the Google Display Network.
- AdRoll (Semantic Sugar, Inc.)minorFarmer Brown uses AdRoll remarketing services to display behavioral advertising to previous website visitors across third-party websites, supporting customer re-engagement and conversion funnel optimization.
- Contractors Liability (contractorsliability.com)minorContractorsliability.com is an affiliate/referral partner website that drives traffic to Farmer Brown. The site features the Contractors Liability logo as a partner on farmerbrown.com's Partners section, suggesting a co-marketing or white-label referral arrangement.
- Builders Risk (buildersrisk.net)minorBuildersrisk.net is a partner website that generates referral traffic to Farmer Brown for Builders Risk insurance products. Listed in the Partners section of farmerbrown.com.
- Small Business Liability (smallbusinessliability.com)minorSmallbusinessliability.com is a partner/referral website that drives small business insurance leads to Farmer Brown. Listed in the Partners section of farmerbrown.com.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Farmer Brown Insurance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Embroker: Embroker is a digital commercial insurance brokerage focused on tailored coverage for small and mid-sized businesses, including professional liability and specialty lines. Comparable as a tech-enabled commercial broker targeting complex SMB accounts.
- NEXT Insurance: NEXT Insurance is a digital-first carrier/broker providing small business insurance (general liability, workers' comp, commercial auto) for contractors, restaurants, and similar SMB verticals. It is the most direct competitor to Farmer Brown's digital SMB insurance model, with a focus on instant-bind online policies.
- Smart Financial: Smart Financial is a digital insurance comparison platform distributing commercial and personal lines from multiple carriers across the U.S. Comparable as a multi-carrier online brokerage serving small business and contractor customers.
- Thimble: Thimble offers on-demand short-term small business insurance (general liability, professional liability) for gig workers, contractors, and event vendors, primarily through a digital/app-based experience. Comparable as a digital SMB insurance competitor in the contractor and event vendor spaces.
- CoverWallet: CoverWallet is a digital insurance brokerage for small and mid-sized businesses, offering multi-carrier quotes across commercial lines. Acquired by Aon, it competes with Farmer Brown for digital-first SMB insurance customers in overlapping verticals.
- Simply Business: Simply Business is an online insurance marketplace connecting SMB customers with multiple carrier quotes, including contractors and restaurants. It shares Farmer Brown's digital multi-carrier brokerage motion and SMB customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Progressive Commercial: Progressive is one of the largest U.S. auto and small commercial insurers, with a strong direct-to-consumer digital channel. It is a Farmer Brown carrier partner for personal auto/home and competes for the same SMB customer base through its own commercial lines.
- The Hartford: The Hartford is a major U.S. P&C insurer with a strong small business insurance franchise, including contractor and restaurant coverage. It is one of Farmer Brown's largest carrier partners but also operates a competing direct SMB distribution channel.
- Hiscox Insurance: Hiscox is a specialty small business insurer offering direct digital small commercial insurance, including contractor and professional liability coverage. It is both a Farmer Brown carrier partner and a competitor in the same niche via Hiscox's direct SMB platform.
Emerging players
- Coterie Insurance: Coterie Insurance is an insurtech MGA providing small commercial insurance with an API-driven, instant-bind platform targeting SMBs including contractors and retailers. It overlaps with Farmer Brown's digital SMB insurance motion but operates at a different stage and scale.
Market position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Customer concentration
Farmer Brown Insurance social profiles
Digital presenceFarmer Brown Insurance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Farmer Brown Insurance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Farmer Brown Insurance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Farmer Brown Insurance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Farmer Brown Insurance 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 Farmer Brown Insurance
What does Farmer Brown Insurance do?
Farmer Brown Insurance is a multi-carrier insurance brokerage that shops and binds commercial and personal insurance policies on behalf of contractors, restaurant owners, food truck operators, and small businesses across all 50 U.S. states. Customers complete an online quote form or call a 24/7 line and receive same-day quotes from 15+ A-rated carriers, with certificates of insurance (COI) issued the same day as policy binding. The company sources policies from carriers including The Hartford, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, Travelers, Tokio Marine HCC, Hiscox, AmTrust, USLI, Distinguished Programs, Attune, Dovetail, Appalachian Underwriters, Pathpoint, and Tapco Underwriters, without bearing underwriting risk, and serves in both English and Spanish.
Is Farmer Brown Insurance a public or private company?
Farmer Brown Insurance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Farmer Brown Insurance founded?
Farmer Brown Insurance was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Farmer Brown Insurance based?
Farmer Brown Insurance is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Farmer Brown Insurance make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Insurance Brokerage Commissions are the primary driver. The others are same-Day Coverage & Administrative Fees.
Who are Farmer Brown Insurance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Embroker, NEXT Insurance, Smart Financial, Thimble, CoverWallet and Simply Business. Broad incumbents are Progressive Commercial, The Hartford and Hiscox Insurance. Coterie Insurance is listed as an emerging player.
Does Farmer Brown Insurance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Farmer Brown Insurance.
What industry is Farmer Brown Insurance in?
Farmer Brown Insurance's product category is Commercial Insurance Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAD, Wholesale Insurance Brokerage (Excess & Surplus Lines), with a secondary code of FSAJAFAG, Restaurants, Bars & Food Service BOP. Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6411.