biBERK Insurance: Agent's Guide 2026

biBERK is the direct-to-small-business arm of Berkshire Hathaway, offering commercial insurance with the financial backing of one of the most recognized names in global finance. Launched in 2015 as a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), biBERK was built to sell small business coverage online -- cutting out the traditional distribution chain to offer lower premiums. For independent agents, the story is more nuanced: biBERK runs a partner program that allows agents to earn commissions while still giving clients access to Berkshire-backed pricing. If you serve micro and small businesses, biBERK's A++ financial strength and competitive pricing make it a carrier worth understanding and potentially adding to your carrier panel.

TLDR: biBERK carries an AM Best A++ (Superior) rating through its parent, National Indemnity Company / Berkshire Hathaway. The carrier writes workers' comp, BOP, general liability, commercial auto, and professional liability for small businesses. Ideal for agents who serve micro-to-small businesses and want Berkshire Hathaway financial strength at competitive price points through biBERK's partner program.

Company Overview

biBERK Insurance Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which itself sits within Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. The carrier was founded in 2015 with a straightforward premise: use technology to sell small business insurance directly to business owners, removing layers of distribution cost and passing the savings on as lower premiums.

The "bi" in biBERK stands for "business insurance," and "BERK" references Berkshire. The company operates from Omaha, Nebraska -- the same city as Berkshire Hathaway's headquarters. biBERK's policies are issued by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company and underwritten by the National Indemnity group of companies, giving the carrier access to the extraordinary surplus and financial stability of the Berkshire Hathaway insurance group.

AM Best rates the National Indemnity group at A++ (Superior) -- the highest Financial Strength Rating available. This rating reflects what AM Best calls "balance sheet strength of the strongest level" and the exceptional capital position of the Berkshire Hathaway insurance operations. For agents, placing business with biBERK means placing it with one of the most financially secure insurance organizations in the world.

While biBERK does not report standalone premium volume separately from its parent, the carrier has grown steadily since launch and writes in all 50 states. Berkshire Hathaway's overall commercial insurance operations generated $31.4 billion in earned premiums in 2024, though biBERK represents a small fraction of that total as a growing digital platform.

Products and Appetite

biBERK's product line is focused squarely on small business -- typically businesses with fewer than 100 employees and under $5 million in annual revenue. Here is what they write and who they write it for.

Workers' Compensation

Workers' compensation is one of biBERK's strongest lines. The carrier writes WC across a broad range of small business classes, including offices, retail, restaurants, contractors, cleaning services, and light manufacturing. biBERK's WC pricing tends to be competitive for low-to-moderate hazard classes, and the online quoting process makes it easy to get a bindable quote quickly.

biBERK writes workers' comp in most states, excluding monopolistic fund states (Ohio, North Dakota, Washington, Wyoming). Pricing is based on NCCI class codes (or state bureau codes), payroll, and the employer's experience modification rate.

Business Owner's Policy (BOP)

biBERK's BOP bundles commercial property, general liability, and business income coverage for small businesses. The program targets standard small business classes: offices, retail stores, restaurants, salons, professional services firms, and light contractors. Coverage options include equipment breakdown, hired/non-owned auto, and employee dishonesty endorsements.

The BOP is designed for businesses with relatively straightforward exposures. If your client has multiple locations, complex property schedules, or high-value inventory, a more traditional carrier may be a better fit. For a single-location business with standard property and liability needs, biBERK's BOP is price-competitive and fast to quote.

General Liability

Standalone general liability is available for businesses that need GL without property coverage. This is common for contractors who work at client sites, home-based businesses, and businesses that lease space where property coverage is the landlord's responsibility. biBERK writes GL for a broad range of class codes including contractors, consultants, cleaning services, and personal care businesses.

Commercial Auto

biBERK writes commercial auto for small business fleets, typically one to ten vehicles. Coverage includes liability, physical damage, uninsured/underinsured motorist, medical payments, and hired/non-owned auto. The commercial auto program is best suited for contractors, service businesses, and delivery operations with light-to-medium vehicles.

Professional Liability

biBERK offers professional liability (E&O) coverage for professional services firms including consultants, IT professionals, accountants, architects, engineers, and real estate agents. This coverage protects against claims arising from professional advice, services, or errors in the work product.

Target Classes and Sweet Spot

Industries biBERK writes well: Restaurants, retail stores, offices and professional services, cleaning and janitorial services, contractors (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting, general), beauty and barber shops, medical offices, fitness studios, and nonprofits.

Premium range: biBERK targets accounts in the $500 to $15,000 annual premium range per line. The carrier's online model is optimized for smaller accounts that can be quoted, bound, and serviced without heavy underwriter involvement.

What they avoid: Large or complex risks, heavy manufacturing, long-haul trucking, cannabis, bars/taverns with high liquor exposure, and accounts requiring manuscript endorsements or specialty underwriting. biBERK is not designed for mid-market or large commercial -- that role belongs to other Berkshire Hathaway entities like Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI).

Geographic focus: All 50 states and D.C. Workers' comp excludes monopolistic fund states.

Quoting and Technology

biBERK was built as a technology-first insurance company. The entire quoting, binding, and policy management process is designed to happen online.

Online quoting: Agents using the partner program can access biBERK's quoting platform to generate quotes in minutes. The system asks a short series of questions about the business -- industry, location, employee count, payroll, revenue -- and returns a bindable quote in most cases. For standard classes, the process typically takes under 10 minutes from start to quote.

Portal experience: biBERK's online platform handles quoting, binding, policy documents, endorsements, certificate requests, and billing. The interface is clean and modern -- a reflection of its digital-first design. Compared to legacy carrier portals, biBERK's platform feels fast and intuitive.

Certificate of insurance: Policyholders and agents can generate certificates of insurance (COIs) directly from the platform, which is useful for clients who need quick turnaround on COI requests from landlords, general contractors, or clients.

Integration: biBERK's direct model means the carrier does not offer traditional IVANS download or deep AMS integration. Agents who rely heavily on automated policy download to their agency management system should factor this into their workflow considerations.

Commission Structure

biBERK's original model was direct-to-business with no agent involvement. The company has since introduced a partner program that allows agents and brokers to earn commissions on biBERK policies.

Commission rates through the biBERK partner program are generally lower than traditional carrier appointments -- consistent with biBERK's low-cost distribution model. Based on publicly available information and agent feedback:

• Workers' comp: ~5-8%
• BOP / GL: ~7-10%
• Commercial auto: ~5-8%
• Professional liability: ~7-10%

These rates are below the industry average for independent agent carriers. The trade-off is that biBERK's pricing to the end customer is often lower, which can mean higher close rates on competitive quotes. For agents, the calculation comes down to whether the volume of wins at lower commission rates produces more total income than fewer wins at higher rates with traditional carriers.

Honest assessment: If maximizing per-policy commission is your priority, biBERK will not be your lead carrier. Where biBERK earns its place is when you need a competitive quote backed by the strongest financial rating in the market -- particularly for workers' comp and BOP accounts where the client is price-sensitive.

Appointment Process

Getting set up with biBERK's partner program is straightforward:

1. Apply online: Visit the biBERK Partners page and complete the application.
2. Requirements: You need a valid property & casualty license in your state and active E&O coverage.
3. Approval timeline: The partner program approval process is typically faster than traditional carrier appointments -- most agents report approval within one to two weeks.
4. No volume requirements: Unlike many carrier appointments that require minimum premium volume, biBERK's partner program does not impose strict production minimums to maintain your partnership.

biBERK does not require agents to go through an aggregator network, though some networks include biBERK as part of their carrier panel. The low barrier to entry makes biBERK accessible to newer agencies and solo agents who may not yet meet the production thresholds of major carriers.

Claims Handling

biBERK's claims process reflects its digital-first approach, with the added backing of Berkshire Hathaway's claims infrastructure.

Reporting: Claims are reported online through the biBERK claims portal or by phone. The online intake process is simple and designed for business owners to complete without agent assistance, though agents can file on behalf of their clients.

Handling: biBERK's claims are handled by experienced adjusters within the Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company organization. The carrier benefits from Berkshire Hathaway's deep bench of claims professionals and established vendor networks for property repairs, medical management, and legal defense.

Reputation: As a relatively newer carrier, biBERK does not have the decades-long claims track record of carriers like Travelers or Erie. However, the Berkshire Hathaway backing means claims are paid from one of the strongest balance sheets in the insurance industry -- there is no concern about the carrier's ability to pay claims. Agent feedback on biBERK claims handling is generally positive for straightforward small business claims, though the experience is less personalized than regional carriers with dedicated agent-facing claims teams.

Workers' comp claims: biBERK provides managed care coordination for workers' comp claims, including return-to-work programs and medical cost containment. The quality of WC claims handling is an important factor for agents whose clients have active claims.

biBERK Quoting Process for Agents

Here is how quoting through biBERK's partner portal works in practice, from application to bound policy.

1. Apply through the partner portal. Visit biberk.com/partners and submit your agency details. You need an active P&C license and current E&O coverage. Approval typically comes within one to two weeks -- faster than most traditional carrier appointments.

2. Enter the risk details. Once approved, log into the partner portal and start a new quote. The system asks for basic business information: industry/class code, business address, employee count, annual payroll (for WC), and revenue. The interface is streamlined -- expect fewer questions than a traditional ACORD application.

3. Receive an instant quote for eligible classes. For standard small business classes (offices, retail, restaurants, contractors, cleaning services, professional services), biBERK's system returns a bindable quote in minutes. The platform handles rating, class code lookup, and territory factors automatically. Non-standard or borderline risks may be flagged for underwriter review, which adds one to two business days.

4. Review coverage options. The quote includes base coverage with optional endorsements. You can adjust limits, deductibles, and add-ons like hired/non-owned auto, equipment breakdown, or employee dishonesty directly in the portal before presenting to your client.

5. Bind same-day for clean accounts. If the account meets biBERK's underwriting guidelines and has no flags (prior losses, licensing issues, claims history), you can bind coverage the same day. Policy documents, dec pages, and COIs are generated immediately in the portal.

6. Commission paid on a standard cycle. Commissions are tracked in the partner portal dashboard. Rates run in the 5-10% range depending on line of business -- lower than traditional carriers, but offset by biBERK's competitive pricing and higher close rates on price-sensitive accounts. Payments follow a standard monthly cycle.

The entire process -- from entering business details to binding coverage -- can happen in a single sitting for straightforward risks. That speed is biBERK's primary value proposition for agents: less time per quote, faster turnaround for clients, and fewer back-and-forth rounds with underwriting.

biBERK Appetite by Class Code

The table below summarizes biBERK's general appetite for common small business classes. Appetite levels reflect typical underwriting outcomes -- individual accounts may vary based on loss history, location, and specific operations.

How to read this table: "Strong" means biBERK actively writes this class and you can expect instant quotes for clean accounts. "Moderate" means the carrier writes it but may have tighter underwriting criteria or limited coverage options. "Limited" means selective acceptance -- expect underwriter review and possible declination. "Declined" means biBERK does not write this class as a general rule.

A few notes on specific classes:

• Plumbing and electrical contractors are among biBERK's best small commercial classes, particularly for workers' comp. If your client is a licensed plumber or electrician with clean loss history and fewer than 25 employees, biBERK should be one of your first quotes.
• Restaurants are a strong fit provided they are not bars or taverns with high liquor liability exposure. Standard dine-in and fast-casual restaurants quote well.
• General contractors get a "Moderate" rating because biBERK's appetite narrows for GCs doing larger residential or commercial projects. Handyman-type GCs and small remodel contractors fit better than GCs running $2M+ jobs.
• Trucking and heavy manufacturing are outside biBERK's program entirely. These classes need specialty markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does biBERK's partner program work for agents?

The biBERK partner program allows licensed agents and brokers to earn commissions on policies sold through biBERK. You apply at biberk.com/partners, receive a unique agent link or code, and earn commission on every policy that originates through your referral. The program is designed to be lightweight -- there are no production minimums or complex appointment agreements.

Is biBERK's A++ rating its own or its parent's?

biBERK's policies are issued by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, which is rated through the National Indemnity group by AM Best. The A++ (Superior) rating belongs to the issuing entity, so policyholders have the full financial backing of the Berkshire Hathaway insurance group. This is not a "shared" or affiliate rating -- it is the actual Financial Strength Rating of the company writing the policy.

How does biBERK pricing compare to traditional carriers?

biBERK's direct-to-business model allows the carrier to price below many traditional carriers for standard small business risks. The savings come from lower distribution costs -- biBERK does not maintain a traditional agency force with full commissions and override programs. For straightforward small business workers' comp, BOP, and GL, biBERK's pricing is often 10-20% below traditional carrier quotes, though results vary by class and state.

Can I use biBERK alongside other carriers on my panel?

Yes. Many agents use biBERK as a supplemental market for accounts where price is the primary buying factor or where the client's risk profile fits biBERK's sweet spot. biBERK's A++ rating and competitive pricing make it a strong option to include in multi-carrier quoting alongside your primary appointed carriers.

Does biBERK offer any coverage for mid-market accounts?

No. biBERK is designed specifically for small businesses. Accounts that need limits beyond standard small commercial, multi-location programs, or complex coverage structures should be placed with mid-market carriers. For larger accounts within the Berkshire Hathaway family, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) handles mid-market and large commercial risks.