The Commercial Property Submission Checklist Underwriters Wish You Used

Before you touch a form

Verify the property address against a parcel record. Protection class, flood zone and catastrophe territory all hang off it, and a wrong address invalidates every downstream input.

The account block

Everything an underwriter needs to identify the risk and open a file.

• Legal named insured, entity type and FEIN
• Mailing address and each premises address, numbered consistently across every form
• Effective and expiration dates, and the carrier or program being approached
• Years in business and prior carrier

The property block

This is what the property underwriter rates from.

• Construction class, year built, square footage, number of stories
• Roof covering and year of last roof, wiring, plumbing and HVAC updates
• Sprinkler type and coverage, alarm type and central-station status
• Public protection class, distance to hydrant and responding fire station
• Building and BPP limits per location, valuation basis and coinsurance
• Requested deductibles including any percentage wind or hail deductible

The story block

Three to five years of loss runs, a short narrative for each loss with corrective action and completion date, and a paragraph on what makes this account worth writing. Underwriters remember the accounts that arrive explained.

The final pass

Check that location numbering matches across the 125 and each supporting section, that named insured and dates agree everywhere, and that nothing is blank where the honest answer is zero. Blank reads as missing; zero reads as answered.