Local Louisiana US Assure Insurance Agents

Builders Risk Coverage for Louisiana Construction Projects

Aubert Insurance Agency, serving Covington and Slidell since 1910, places US Assure builders risk coverage for new construction and remodels throughout Louisiana. As an independent agency, they can quote residential and commercial projects online, explain the exclusions in plain language, and help you bind coverage before a named storm restriction takes effect.

US Assure acts as the exclusive program administrator for a builders risk plan insured by Zurich. The program covers residential and commercial projects in all 64 Louisiana parishes. That reach is useful in St. Tammany, where one builder may have a custom home under way in Abita Springs and a spec house going up in Lacombe at the same time.

Builders risk covers the structure while it is being built. Lumber, windows, roofing, and framing are all exposed at this stage, often before anyone lives on site or the house can be locked. In Louisiana, the usual threats are wind, theft of materials, and fire. A finished-home policy is not designed to handle any of these during construction.

Pricing for a Zurich builders risk policy in Louisiana starts at a $375 minimum premium. The final cost depends on the project type and location. A remodel in Slidell and a new build on the north shore may come in at very different numbers.

How Named Storm Restrictions Typically Apply in Louisiana

Most carriers that write property coverage along the Gulf use what the industry calls a binding moratorium. Once a tropical system is named and enters a defined geographic box in the Gulf of Mexico, the carrier may stop issuing new policies in the threatened area. Some carriers draw that box with latitude and longitude lines. Others trigger the restriction when a watch or warning covers certain parishes.

The restriction often reaches beyond new business. During a moratorium, a carrier may also refuse to:

• Increase limits on an existing policy
• Add a new location or project
• Lower a wind or named storm deductible
• Change the property address on the policy

These moratoriums are routine during hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. They usually lift once the storm moves out of the box or dissipates. Your agent cannot override them, and they do not consider whether your job is well inland or how much your project budget may have grown.

After a storm passes, state rules can affect how claims are handled. Under the Louisiana Department of Insurance's Emergency Rule 50, effective June 18 through July 22, 2026, insurers were given 60 days to begin loss adjustment on property claims in storm-impacted parishes. The text of the rule is available through the LDI's emergency rule filing, and the industry compliance summary explains how it applies in practice.

Timing Your Policy Before a Storm Approaches

The most common mistake is waiting until the slab is poured or the framing crew shows up before buying coverage. Bind the policy as soon as you have a permit and a start date. If the project value increases partway through, request the endorsement in April or May, before the season starts. Do not wait until a system is already forming in the Gulf.

US Assure Policy Options for New Construction and Remodels

New construction and remodels use different policies because the risks are different. A new build begins with no structure, so everything going up is new value. A remodel starts with a house that already has a value, and many carriers are reluctant to insure that existing structure under a construction policy.

US Assure handles this with a qualification rule. Clients are generally required to invest at least 20% of the existing structure's value into the renovation before the existing building can be insured. For example, on a $300,000 home, that means a renovation budget of at least $60,000.

For residential new construction under $500,000, agents can use the XPressBIND system for a faster application. Major structural remodels move more slowly, because they require stamped engineering plans for underwriting review before a quote can be finalized.

Quoting Requirements for Builders and Property Owners

Collecting this information before you call can cut days off the quoting process. Licensed Louisiana agents can quote and issue policies online for projects valued up to $10 million. That only works if the application data is complete.

• Total Completed Value (project budget): This figure includes labor, overhead, and materials. It excludes the cost of the land. If you underestimate it, you may end up underinsured at claim time.
• Construction type: Frame, joisted masonry, masonry noncombustible, and similar classes each rate differently.
• Protection class: This is based on the distance to the nearest fire station and hydrant. Rural lots in northern St. Tammany may rate differently from sites inside Covington city limits.
• Site security measures: Fencing, lighting, cameras, and locked storage for materials can all affect eligibility and pricing.
• Project address and start date: These are needed for wind exposure and policy term.
• Policy term: Estimate the build schedule realistically. Weather delays in Louisiana are common.
• For remodels: You will need the value of the existing structure, the renovation budget, and engineering plans if the work is structural.

Larger commercial projects follow a different track. Projects valued up to $75 million are eligible but require manual underwriting review, so plan extra lead time for those.

Common Questions About Louisiana Builders Risk Insurance