Through an independent insurance broker. Most insurance companies only accept applications from brokers, and the specialty insurers that write roofing, demolition, height work, new businesses, and past claims never quote online at all. An online decline means you do not fit a website's short list, not that you cannot be insured. Who this is for: owners who tried two or three online sites and got "we cannot offer a quote at this time."
The short version
- Online instant quotes come from a few insurers built for standard, low-risk businesses. Everyone else is declined by design.
- Most commercial insurers sell only through brokers they have a contract with. You never see them online because they have no public application.
- Specialty insurance companies exist to cover what the standard ones turn down. Only a broker can reach them.
- Common online declines: roofing, demolition, work at height, New York, residential construction, new ventures, and past claims.
- Send the broker your declines, your claims history for the last few years, and a plain description of your work. The reason you were declined decides where to go next.
Why did the online companies decline me?
Instant quote sites are built for volume. They pick a short list of job categories, states, and histories their insurers want, and the software says no to everything else. It is a filter, not a judgment of your business.
| Why the website said no | What it usually means | Who does write it |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing, demolition, or work at height | Higher injury and damage rates than the site's insurers accept | Insurers that run a program for your trade, plus specialty companies a broker can reach |
| New York, or another state the site does not serve | Labor law and claim costs in some states keep online insurers out | Standard insurers that work through brokers, plus specialty companies that write that state |
| Residential construction | Some insurers avoid homeowner lawsuits and construction defect claims | Insurers that price residential work on purpose, usually with an add-on page for it |
| New business, no history | No claims history and no prior policy to price from | Programs built for brand new businesses, plus insurers that count the owner's years in the trade |
| A prior claim or a lapse | The software treats any claim or gap as a stop sign | Insurers that read what actually happened, plus specialty companies if needed |
| Unusual mix of work | Your business does not fit one box | A real person who reads your description instead of a form. That means going through a broker. |
Where does the rest of the insurance market live?
The websites you tried are a small corner of the market. Most insurance companies that cover contractors have no public application at all, and only take business from brokers they work with. Behind those sit the specialty companies, which exist to cover exactly the work the first two turn down, and which a broker reaches through a middleman. For the detail, see admitted versus non-admitted insurers.
How do I reach those companies?
- Find one independent broker who writes your trade. Ask which insurers they can quote and whether they can reach the specialty companies. See how to find an insurer that understands your business.
- Tell them exactly who declined you online. Those insurers will not quote you again through the broker, so they get skipped.
- Send a complete package. Your claims history report from your insurer (called loss runs) for 3 to 5 years, payroll and sales by job category, a plain description of your work, your subcontractor practices, and any contract driving your requirements.
- Ask for the market list. Who quoted, who declined, and why, in writing.
- Compare coverage before price. A specialty quote may carry a higher deductible or a narrower policy, and there is a state tax and fee on top. Read it. If you were declined for being new, see insurance for a new business with no history.
What if I am declined by the broker's markets too?
Ask for every decline in writing with the reason. The reason is the map. If it is a fixable fact, such as missing subcontractor certificates or an unexplained claim, fix it and go back. If it is your trade in your state, a different broker with different specialty contacts may still find a market.
What this looks like in real life
Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.
The setup: A new siding and gutter company in New York, two owners and one employee, about $260,000 in expected first year sales. The owners have 15 years of trade experience but the business is four months old.
What went wrong: Three online sites decline within a minute: new business, New York, and work at height. Their first general contractor will not let them on site without a certificate showing $1,000,000 of general liability.
What it cost: Illustrative numbers: a broker sends one application to three standard insurers and one wholesaler. All three decline in writing for the new venture. Most states, New York included, let a broker use a specialty insurer only after a set number of standard insurers have said no in writing, commonly three. Your broker documents that. The wholesaler returns a specialty quote at about $7,400 for general liability, plus roughly $300 in state premium tax and fees. They sign in eight days and start the job.
The fix: The online declines were a filter, not a verdict. The insurer that said yes has never had a website.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where can I get business insurance if online companies won't quote me?
From an independent broker. Most insurers only quote through brokers they have a contract with, and the specialty companies that write roofing, height work, new businesses, and past claims never quote online. A broker sends one application to those markets for you.
Q: Does being declined online mean I am uninsurable?
No. It means you do not fit a website's short list of standard categories. Roofers, demolition contractors, New York businesses, and new ventures are declined online every day and insured through brokers every day.
Q: My broker found a company I have never heard of. Is that safe?
Specialty insurance companies are how roofers, demolition contractors, and new businesses get covered. Expect a state tax and, in some states, a small filing fee on top of the premium. In almost every state there is no backstop fund if the company ever went broke, so ask your broker for the company's financial strength rating before you buy.
Q: Will a specialty policy cost a lot more than the online quote would have?
Sometimes it is close, sometimes 20 to 40 percent more plus tax and fee, depending on your trade, state, and history. Those figures are illustrative. Since the online insurer would not quote you, the real comparison is a specialty policy against no policy at all.
Q: How fast can a broker get me a quote after an online decline?
A few business days for a standard insurer, one to two weeks for specialty companies, once you send a complete package. Your claims history, payroll by job category, and a clear description of your work speed it up.
Q: Is there a plan of last resort if everyone declines me?
For workers comp, nearly every state has a plan of last resort, either an assigned risk plan or the state fund, and it accepts employers that meet its rules. It can still turn you away if you owe a prior insurer premium or will not allow a safety visit. In North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming the state fund is the only insurer, and in Texas workers comp is elective for most private employers. There is no such plan for general liability.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Taking a business the online companies declined and shopping it to appointed insurers and specialty markets that never quote online is a large part of what we do.
- Free contract review. Send us the contract or bid documents and we mark up the insurance section in plain English, whether or not you buy anything from us.
- Free, instant certificates. Clients issue their own certificates of insurance online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge.
- Markets you cannot reach online. One application, shopped across many insurance companies for general liability, workers comp, auto, umbrella, and pollution coverage.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Your contract and your policy wording control in every case. Requirements vary by customer, by state, and by insurance company, so have a licensed advisor review your own contract and your own policy before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated September 2026.