Find where to place any insurance risk

Search real carrier suggestions from independent insurance agents. Built from hundreds of peer discussions about hard-to-place risks.

1498
Discussions
1705
Agent Replies
146
Carriers Referenced

Browse by Insurance Niche

Each niche page shows which carriers are most recommended by agents, state-specific insights, and real placement discussions.

Homeowners & Hard-to-Place Property Insurance

Older homes, prior claims, unusual construction, coastal exposure, and non-standard features like wood shake roofs or...

184 discussions 116 replies
Top carriers: Chubb, Travelers, Safeco

General Contractor & Artisan Insurance

Contractors face complex coverage needs: GL, workers comp, tools/equipment, builder's risk, and completed operations....

140 discussions 136 replies
Top carriers: Thimble, Progressive, Hartford

Personal Auto & Hard-to-Place Vehicle Insurance

Salvage titles, exotic and high-value vehicles, young or high-risk drivers, SR-22 requirements, and modified vehicles...

135 discussions 133 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, State Farm, Hagerty

Trucking & Commercial Auto Insurance

Nuclear verdicts have made trucking one of the hardest commercial auto classes to place. New ventures, long-haul...

78 discussions 37 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, biBERK, GEICO

Workers Compensation Insurance

High mod rates, new ventures, and high-risk class codes (roofing, trucking, staffing) are the most common hard-to-place...

77 discussions 46 replies
Top carriers: biBERK, Hartford, Employers

Farm, Ranch & Equine Insurance

Diverse operations (crop, livestock, agritourism, equine), remote locations, seasonal exposures, and specialized...

76 discussions 74 replies
Top carriers: State Farm, Erie, Progressive

Assisted Living & Group Home Insurance

Abuse and molestation exposure, medication management liability, regulatory compliance, and high-severity claims make...

72 discussions 25 replies
Top carriers: Hartford, CNA, Progressive

Bar & Restaurant Insurance

Liquor liability is the main sticking point. Late-night hours, live entertainment, and high employee turnover compound...

61 discussions 33 replies
Top carriers: USLI, Kinsale, Hartford

Professional Liability & E&O Insurance

Coverage varies dramatically by profession. Attorneys, architects, engineers, and healthcare professionals each have...

46 discussions 6 replies
Top carriers: USLI, Hiscox, RT Specialty

Auto Dealer & Garage Insurance

Garage liability, dealer open lot coverage, test drive exposure, and garagekeepers legal liability create a complex web...

44 discussions 79 replies
Top carriers: GEICO, Progressive, RT Specialty

Food Truck Insurance

Food trucks combine auto, property, general liability, and sometimes liquor risks into one policy. Commissary kitchen...

42 discussions 59 replies
Top carriers: USLI, Erie, NEXT

Pest Control & Exterminator Insurance

Chemical application liability, property damage from treatments, and environmental exposure create significant risk....

38 discussions 61 replies
Top carriers: Markel, RT Specialty, Philadelphia

Salon & Spa Insurance

Chemical exposure claims, slip-and-fall liability, and professional liability for services like chemical peels or...

38 discussions 8 replies
Top carriers: State Farm, Fair Plan, USLI

Flood Insurance

NFIP limits ($250K residential, $500K commercial) leave many properties underinsured. Private flood markets are growing...

37 discussions 31 replies
Top carriers: Citizens, Foremost, Cincinnati

Wedding & Event Venue Insurance

Liquor liability at events, large crowd management, vendor coordination requirements, and weather-related cancellation...

35 discussions 48 replies
Top carriers: Allstate, Travelers, Progressive

Vacant Property Insurance

Standard homeowners and commercial property policies typically exclude or severely limit coverage once a property has...

34 discussions 10 replies
Top carriers: Foremost, Liberty Mutual, American Modern

Cannabis & Dispensary Insurance

Federal illegality creates unique challenges. Most admitted carriers won't touch cannabis. Agents must navigate surplus...

33 discussions 12 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, Cincinnati, State Farm

Daycare & Childcare Insurance

Abuse and molestation coverage requirements, strict licensing mandates, and the inherent vulnerability of the...

32 discussions 18 replies
Top carriers: Markel, Progressive, Foremost

Umbrella & Excess Liability Insurance

High limits, underlying coverage requirements, and risk profiles with multiple exposures (boats, young drivers, rental...

29 discussions 23 replies
Top carriers: USLI, RLI, Auto-Owners

Hotel & Motel Insurance

Swimming pool liability, liquor exposure, older buildings, high-crime locations, and extended-stay properties create...

29 discussions 17 replies
Top carriers: Auto-Owners, Scottsdale, Foremost

Roofing Contractor Insurance

Roofing is one of the highest-risk contractor classes. Workers comp rates are steep, and GL claims from property damage...

26 discussions 4 replies
Top carriers: Kinsale, Allstate, Northfield

Church & Nonprofit Insurance

Churches face unique exposures including abuse and molestation liability, counseling E&O, large gathering risks, and...

25 discussions 54 replies
Top carriers: USLI, GuideOne, Liberty Mutual

Apartment & Habitational Insurance

Older buildings, high unit counts, mixed-use properties, and coastal locations make habitational risks increasingly...

23 discussions 38 replies
Top carriers: Auto-Owners, Foremost, Erie

Mobile & Manufactured Home Insurance

Wind and hail exposure, age restrictions, and park location risks make mobile homes one of the most common...

23 discussions 4 replies
Top carriers: Foremost, American Modern, Kinsale

Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Insurance

Standard homeowners policies typically exclude commercial rental activity. Airbnb's host protection has coverage gaps,...

22 discussions 3 replies
Top carriers: OPENLY, Openly, State Auto

Gas Station & Convenience Store Insurance

Underground storage tank (UST) environmental liability is the main barrier. Pollution cleanup costs can be...

21 discussions 19 replies
Top carriers: Travelers, Zurich, Hartford

Boat & Marine Insurance

High-value vessels, liveaboard usage, charter operations, and hurricane zones create placement challenges. Many...

18 discussions 10 replies
Top carriers: American Modern, Foremost, Progressive

Staffing Agency Insurance

Workers comp is the biggest hurdle — staffing agencies place workers across multiple class codes, often in high-risk...

17 discussions 17 replies
Top carriers: State Farm

Landscaping & Lawn Care Insurance

Property damage from mowing (thrown rocks, damaged irrigation), herbicide/pesticide application liability, and seasonal...

17 discussions 7 replies
Top carriers: Ladder, Acuity, CNA

Cleaning Business Insurance

Theft and dishonesty bond requirements, property damage from cleaning chemicals, and workers comp for physically...

17 discussions 12 replies
Top carriers: Liberty Mutual, Hiscox, NEXT

Pressure Washing Insurance

Property damage from high-pressure water is the primary liability concern. Surface etching, paint stripping, water...

15 discussions 32 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, Coterie, Erie

Cyber Insurance & Data Breach Coverage

Rapidly evolving threat landscape, inconsistent policy forms across carriers, and difficulty sizing appropriate limits...

14 discussions 15 replies
Top carriers: Markel, Chubb, Great American

Bounce House & Amusement Insurance

Child injury risk, setup/takedown liability, and weather-related incidents make this class extremely hard to place....

13 discussions 291 replies
Top carriers: USLI, Philadelphia, West Bend

Tow Truck Insurance

On-hook/in-tow coverage for customer vehicles, roadside work zone liability, and garagekeepers exposure for stored...

13 discussions 18 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, BHHC, Travelers

Pet Insurance

Pre-existing condition exclusions, breed restrictions, age limitations, and wide variation in coverage terms make...

12 discussions 4 replies
Top carriers: Various carriers

Gym & Fitness Center Insurance

Participant injury risk, equipment liability, and 24-hour access models create unique exposures. CrossFit and martial...

12 discussions 31 replies
Top carriers: K&K, Liberty Mutual, Francis L Dean

Hot Shot Trucking Insurance

Hot shot operators often use personal vehicles (like dually pickups) for commercial hauling, creating a gray area...

12 discussions 218 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, Argo, Lloyds

Kennel & Pet Boarding Insurance

Animal injury, escape, and death claims create significant liability exposure. Dog-on-dog aggression incidents, kennel...

11 discussions 0 replies
Top carriers: West Bend, Foremost, USLI

Tattoo & Piercing Shop Insurance

Bloodborne pathogen exposure, allergic reaction claims, and professional liability for unsatisfactory work create...

10 discussions 16 replies
Top carriers: RT Specialty, Hiscox, Berkshire Hathaway

Tree Service & Arborist Insurance

Tree work is one of the highest-risk contractor classes alongside roofing. Falling limbs, property damage to structures...

9 discussions 9 replies
Top carriers: Scottsdale, Canopy Blue, Lloyds

Vape Shop Insurance

Product liability for e-cigarette devices (battery explosions, health claims) is the primary concern. Evolving FDA...

8 discussions 6 replies
Top carriers: Various carriers

Dump Truck Insurance

Dump trucks face high liability exposure due to heavy loads, road damage potential, and frequent claims. Many standard...

7 discussions 9 replies
Top carriers: Progressive, Kemper, NatGen

Turo & Car-Sharing Insurance

Most personal auto policies exclude commercial car-sharing. Turo's built-in coverage has gaps, and finding carriers...

6 discussions 3 replies
Top carriers: Shelter, State Farm, Progressive

Car Wash Insurance

Vehicle damage claims from equipment malfunction, chemical damage to paint, and customer slip-and-fall injuries are...

6 discussions 7 replies
Top carriers: NEXT, biBERK, Nationwide

Laundromat Insurance

Equipment breakdown, water damage from plumbing failures, and fire risk from dryers create unique property exposures....

6 discussions 15 replies
Top carriers: Travelers, Hartford, Progressive

Pawn Shop Insurance

Firearms inventory, high-value goods, robbery exposure, and regulatory compliance make pawn shops a specialty class....

6 discussions 1 replies
Top carriers: Kinsale, USLI

Hookah Lounge Insurance

Tobacco-related liability, fire risk from hot coals, indoor air quality concerns, and late-night entertainment...

5 discussions 7 replies
Top carriers: Various carriers

Pool Service & Cleaning Insurance

Drowning liability exposure, chemical handling risks, and property damage from leaks or equipment failure make pool...

5 discussions 2 replies
Top carriers: CNA, Nautilus

Pet Grooming & Animal Care Insurance

Animal injury and death claims are the primary concern. Grooming injuries (cuts, burns, heat stroke during drying) can...

3 discussions 3 replies
Top carriers: Liberty Mutual

General Insurance Discussions

Agency operations, carrier reviews, surplus lines, builders risk, and other insurance topics that span multiple categories.

87 discussions 45 replies

How WhereToPlace Works

WhereToPlace.com aggregates real placement discussions from thousands of independent insurance agents. When an agent asks "where do I place this risk?" and other agents share which carriers they've used successfully, we capture that knowledge and make it searchable.

Every carrier recommendation on this site comes from a real agent who has actually placed that type of risk. This means the suggestions are practical and current, not theoretical. We update our data daily to keep carrier recommendations fresh.

Whether you're looking for who writes dump truck insurance in Texas, which carriers take cannabis dispensaries, or where to place a vacant commercial building, WhereToPlace gives you the starting point with real carrier names from agents who've been there.

Most Recommended Carriers

These carriers appear most frequently in agent discussions about hard-to-place risks. Click any niche above to see which carriers are recommended for that specific risk type.

Progressive 138 USLI 61 Travelers 60 State Farm 57 Erie 55 Foremost 43 Chubb 42 Markel 36 GEICO 34 NEXT 32 Kinsale 30 Safeco 29 Hartford 28 Auto-Owners 28 Allstate 26 American Modern 25 RT Specialty 25 Liberty Mutual 24 Hiscox 23 Nationwide 22

Frequently Asked Questions

What is WhereToPlace.com?

WhereToPlace.com is a free search tool for independent insurance agents. It aggregates 1498 real agent discussions about hard-to-place insurance risks, making it easy to find which carriers write specific niches based on actual placement experiences.

How are carrier recommendations determined?

Every carrier recommendation comes from real independent insurance agents discussing their placement experiences. When agents share which carriers they've successfully used to write specific risks, we capture and index that information. Carriers mentioned more frequently rank higher.

What types of insurance risks are covered?

WhereToPlace covers 49 insurance niches including commercial auto, trucking, restaurants, contractors, cannabis, vacant properties, short-term rentals, and many more hard-to-place risks. Each niche has its own dedicated page with carrier recommendations and agent discussions.

How often is the data updated?

Our data is updated daily. We continuously monitor agent discussions to capture new carrier recommendations and placement experiences, ensuring the information stays current and relevant.

Is WhereToPlace.com free to use?

Yes, WhereToPlace.com is completely free for all independent insurance agents. There are no subscriptions, sign-ups, or paywalls. Our goal is to help agents find placement options faster.