From the First Shovel to the Final Inspection, Your Build Deserves Real Coverage

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Your homeowners policy won't cover a property under construction — and most standard policies weren't designed to. Builder's risk insurance fills that gap, covering your project from groundbreaking through the certificate of occupancy so a storm, a theft, or an act of vandalism doesn't derail what you're building.

What Builder's Risk Insurance Actually Covers

Builder's risk is a specialized form of construction insurance that protects the structure, materials, and equipment tied to a building project during the construction period. It's designed for the specific risks an unoccupied, actively developing site carries — risks that fall outside the scope of a standard homeowners or commercial property policy.

What Does Life Insurance Cover?

Life insurance is more than a payout—it’s a plan that ensures your family’s future stays on track, even if you’re no longer there to lead it. From mortgage protection to legacy planning, the right policy offers financial security and peace of mind.

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Types of Life Insurance We Offer:

Term Life Insurance

Affordable, time-limited protection designed to cover your family during key years—like raising children or paying off your home.

Whole Life Insurance

Lifelong coverage that builds cash value over time. A great option for estate planning, final expense coverage, or long-term savings.

Universal Life Insurance

Flexible protection that combines lifelong coverage with adjustable premiums and a savings component.

Final Expense Insurance

A simple, affordable way to ensure funeral costs and other end-of-life expenses are covered—so your family isn’t left with unexpected bills.

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Fire and Lightning

A fire at a construction site can wipe out weeks of progress and thousands of dollars in materials. Builder's risk covers fire and lightning damage to the structure and materials on-site, so a single incident doesn't mean starting over from scratch.

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Wind and Hail

In the Texas Panhandle, wind and hail aren't seasonal concerns — they're year-round realities. Builder's risk covers wind and hail damage during the construction period, which matters especially here, where a spring storm can do serious damage to a partially framed structure.

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Theft of Materials and Equipment

An unoccupied construction site is a target. Builder's risk covers theft of building materials, fixtures, and equipment on-site during the covered period. Whether it's copper wiring, lumber, or tools left overnight, you're not absorbing that loss out of pocket.

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Vandalism During Construction

Before the locks are on the doors and the lights are on, construction sites are vulnerable. Builder's risk covers vandalism that occurs during the covered period — so damage done before you've ever moved in doesn't come out of your project budget.

Who Needs Builder's Risk Coverage in Texas

Builder's risk isn't just for large commercial projects. Anyone with a financial stake in a construction project has an insurable interest — and may need their own coverage.

 

  • Homeowners building a new primary residence — your existing homeowners policy does not extend to a property under construction
  • Barndominium owners — from the slab pour to the final walkthrough, the build phase carries risks your future barndominium policy won't cover retroactively
  • Renovation and addition projects — significant remodels on existing structures often require builder's risk to cover the work in progress
  • Contractors and builders — contractors may carry their own builder's risk, but that doesn't always mean the property owner is covered; we help both parties understand where their obligations begin and end
  • Rural and agricultural property owners — outbuildings, shops, and ag structures under construction on farm and ranch land need coverage too

How the Coverage Timeline Works

Builder's risk coverage begins at groundbreaking and runs through the certificate of occupancy — or through a defined project completion date. Once construction is complete and the structure is ready for occupancy, builder's risk typically converts to a standard homeowners or property policy.

 

At Herring Agency, we coordinate both sides of that transition. We write the builder's risk policy when your project starts and have your permanent coverage ready to step in when construction wraps up. You don't have to find a new agent or start the process over — we handle it from the first nail to the final inspection.

Building a Barndominium? We Cover Both Phases

If you're building a barndominium in Texas, you're dealing with a coverage situation most agencies aren't equipped to handle. Builder's risk covers the construction phase. Once your barndo is complete, it needs a dedicated barndominium insurance policy — and that's a product most standard carriers won't write.

 

We're one of the few agencies in Texas writing barndominium insurance statewide, and we've been doing it long enough to rank among the top results in Google and AI search for barndominium coverage in Texas. If you're building a barndo, we can set you up with the right coverage at every stage — construction through completion — through a single agency that already knows the product.

Why Texas Builders and Property Owners Work With Herring

We've been placing insurance in the Texas Panhandle since 1975. Builder's risk is one of the specialty lines we write regularly — for new home builds, barndominium projects, rural outbuildings, and commercial construction across Amarillo and the surrounding region.

 

  • Independent agency representing 20+ carriers, including specialists in construction and builder's risk coverage
  • Deep familiarity with Panhandle weather exposures — wind, hail, and severe storm coverage is built into how we approach every construction policy
  • No automated phone systems — when you call, a real person answers
  • We work with both property owners and contractors to make sure coverage obligations are clearly understood on both sides
  • When your build is complete, we're already positioned to transition you into permanent coverage without starting over

Serving Builders and Property Owners Across the Panhandle

We write builder's risk coverage for clients in Amarillo and throughout the surrounding Texas Panhandle — including Canyon, Bushland, Claude, Dumas, and Dalhart. For barndominium construction, we write policies across the entire state of Texas.

 

If your project is in Amarillo or anywhere in the Panhandle, give us a call at 806-355-6596. We'll walk you through what builder's risk covers, what it costs, and how it fits into your overall coverage plan from construction through completion.

Builder's Risk Insurance — Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I need builder's risk insurance if I'm building a new home in Texas?

    Yes — your existing homeowners policy does not cover a property under active construction. Builder's risk fills that gap from groundbreaking through the certificate of occupancy. Without it, damage from fire, storm, theft, or vandalism during the build comes out of your pocket.

  • Does builder's risk insurance cover theft of materials at a construction site?

    It does. Builder's risk covers theft of building materials, fixtures, and equipment on-site during the covered period. Construction sites are a common target for material theft, and this coverage is one of the primary reasons property owners carry it.

  • How long does a builder's risk policy last?

    Builder's risk policies are written for a defined construction period — typically from groundbreaking through the certificate of occupancy or a project completion date. Once construction is complete and the structure is ready for occupancy, the builder's risk policy ends and a standard homeowners or property policy takes over.

  • I'm building a barndominium — what insurance do I need during construction vs. after it's done?

    During construction, you need builder's risk coverage. Once your barndominium is complete and ready for occupancy, it needs a dedicated barndominium insurance policy. We write both, and we coordinate the transition so there's no gap in coverage between the end of your build and the start of your permanent policy.

  • Does the contractor's insurance cover me as the property owner during construction?

    Not necessarily. A contractor may carry their own builder's risk or general liability coverage, but that coverage protects the contractor's interest — not yours. As the property owner, you have a separate insurable interest in the structure and materials. We can help you understand what your contractor's policy covers and where your own builder's risk policy needs to pick up.

Ready to Cover Your Build?

Builder's risk is one of those coverages that's easy to overlook until something goes wrong on-site. We make it easy to get the right policy in place before your project starts — and to have permanent coverage ready when construction wraps up. Call us at 806-355-6596 or request a quote online and we'll take it from there.