Why Contractors Keep Getting Non-Renewed and How to Fix It

Carriers don't non-renew at random

A non-renewal feels arbitrary when the letter arrives, but there's almost always a readable reason. The common ones:

• Loss frequency. Several small claims can worry a carrier more than one large one — frequency suggests a pattern.
• Severity. One big claim, especially on a class the carrier is already nervous about.
• Class-code creep. Your operations drifted into work the carrier didn't underwrite — a residential remodeler who started doing commercial, a painter who added exterior height work.
• Payroll/revenue growth beyond the carrier's appetite for your tier.
• Audit issues. Uninsured subs reclassified as employees, payroll that ballooned past the estimate.

How to position for renewal

Document your safety practices, close open claims, get your class codes right, and prepare for audit before it happens. For Workers Comp, a clean return-to-work program and accurate payroll reporting protect your ex-mod. The work happens 60–90 days before renewal, not the week of.

When it's time to move to E&S

If the standard market has run out of appetite, the excess & surplus (E&S) market exists for exactly this. Pricing runs higher and conditions are stricter, but the coverage is available — and a few clean years can route you back to the standard market. We work both, and we tell you straight which one you're in. Start with a quote and we'll read your loss runs honestly.