There was a time not long ago when home insurance was largely taken for granted.
No more. Today the conversation around home insurance often includes words like insurability, concentration management, and E&S (excess and surplus) insurance. One recent study concludes for every 10% increase in home insurance costs, home values can decline by approximately 4.6%, eroding margins, marketability, and buyer motivation.
The good news is, builders don’t have to go it alone. Insurance experts like Westwood Insurance Agency understand the stakes have never been higher in helping builders tackle a runaway affordability crisis.
That help is considerable and goes far beyond its traditional role in the buyer’s journey. This evolving service dimension helps risk-averse local, regional, and national production builders advance their business with more assurance, according to industry veteran Tom Kriby.
Changing Insurance Dynamics
Kriby leads Westwood’s client development and partnerships team. Westwood is a leader in home insurance, now working with dozens of the country’s top builders and posting a 2025 Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 92. An NPS of 80 or above is considered world class, the highest recognition in customer satisfaction.
“Home insurance dynamics have changed in recent years,” Kriby says. “The old rank order once was:
- Sign-up ease and simplicity
- Cost
- Availability
Today that sequence is inverted. Availability is now the first concern.”
Kriby says the new builder-agency model is more comprehensive, recognizing it’s no longer business as usual. At Westwood, for example, this broadband approach supports the builder throughout the entire project lifecycle, from land acquisition to post-sales brand building.
“Top builders now see the insurance piece with a classic beginning, middle, and end story arc,” the industry veteran reports. Kriby offers his insights on what that means for builders:
- Beginning Support: Development Insight & Pre-Underwriting
Builder development pros work with a variety of site assessment tools to minimize building risk. What they don’t have is homeowners insurance expertise and claims experience to draw from when considering a new development.
“That’s where an insurance expert like Westwood comes in,” Kriby says, noting his team is increasingly busy handling builder requests. “A single carrier can help with a single touch point. As a leading independent agency, Westwood draws from more than 50 carriers, allowing us to blend insights from several carriers in a single area. It’s decision support few can match.” Early insight helps builders more confidently assess development risk, mitigating downstream surprises that can impact insurability, pricing, or project feasibility.
Once a Westwood builder-partner greenlights construction, Westwood pre-underwrites each home, which allows the builder to embed home insurance in the sales offer.
An embedded, upfront offer accomplishes two things: 1) Ends any availability suspense; and 2) Presents the home buyer with a realistic, sharp pencil quote they can immediately accept or compare to others. Buyers appreciate this extra level of convenience and peace of mind, Kriby says.
- Middle Support: Mortgage and Sales Team Education
“Builders want to communicate expertise to buyers, lenders, and other stakeholders,” Kriby says. “It’s our mission to keep the builder’s mortgage and sales teams thoroughly informed on local and national home insurance trends. No conjecture or speculation. The staff can respond to questions and concerns with fact-based information. That helps address buyer concerns early and reinforce trust.”
- END SUPPORT: Closing Certainty is Just the Beginning
“We made our name by helping builders close on time, every time,” admits Kriby. “But that’s just the beginning. The builder needs to see their insurance partner as a trusted extension of their brand. The buyer experience on Day One with any carrier may be great. But what about Day 365? Or three years and beyond?” Third-party validation like an elite NPS score is peace of mind your buyers will receive long-term white glove care, which translates well with referrals and second purchases.
Home building is tough enough without facing difficult home insurance matters on your own. Today, more than ever, it makes sense to work with a home insurance expert that focuses on supporting success across the entire building lifecycle. Weigh your options. As you do, consider the advantages Westwood Insurance Agency represents to your team.
Learn more about how Westwood Insurance Agency can help you achieve your 2026 business goals.
