Financial strength and market type
- Financial strength: AM Best A (Excellent) — admitted carrier in California
- Market type: Admitted specialty lines carrier — licensed and regulated by the California Department of Insurance
What properties this carrier writes
Residential earthquake for single-family homes, condominiums, townhomes, and renters in California. Writes both standard and harder-to-place risks including older construction, masonry, and hillside properties where other markets may decline.
Policy structure
Deductible options: Percentage deductibles from 5% to 25% of dwelling limit. Availability of lower deductible options is subject to construction, foundation, year built, and retrofit status.
Coverage parts available: Dwelling, personal property, loss of use / ALE, and building code upgrade. Policy form terms and coverage structures may differ from CEA — important to compare forms when evaluating options.
Why brokers include this carrier
AM Best A rating provides financial strength confidence. Admitted status means California CDI oversight and guarantee fund protection. Palomar has historically had strong appetite for residential earthquake in California and competitive pricing on many property types.
What to review before binding
As with all carriers, underwriting appetite and pricing can shift with portfolio conditions and reinsurance market cycles. Annual renewal terms may differ from initial placement. Older masonry and unretrofitted raised-foundation homes may face higher deductible requirements or inspection requests.
Broker access and submission
Palomar is one of the primary private market alternatives brokers compare against CEA. For properties where CEA pricing is unfavorable — hillside homes, older construction, high Coverage A values — Palomar is frequently one of the first private markets accessed.
The Best Earthquake Insurance application collects all the construction, foundation, retrofit, and coverage detail that brokers need to submit to these markets. A completed application is reviewed by Bollinsure, which shops the available carrier set for your specific property profile.
Compare all carriers Bollinsure accesses
Bollinsure shops your completed application across all available markets to find the best fit for your property. Review each carrier's appetite, financial strength, and form terms:
California Earthquake Authority (CEA) · GeoVera · ICW Group · Arrowhead · Munich Re · QBE · AXIS Capital · Lloyd's of London · Homeowners of America · Specialty and E&S markets