Surplus Lines (E&S)

Coverage placed with specialty, non-standard insurers for hard-to-place or unusual risks the standard market won’t touch. Our happy place.

Surplus lines — also called excess & surplus (E&S) — is the specialty market that covers risks the standard, “admitted” insurers won’t take. It’s where the unusual, the high-hazard, and the just-plain-weird find a home.

Because these carriers aren’t bound by state rate and form filings, they have the freedom to price and word coverage for one-of-a-kind risks — a haunted-house attraction, a new type of business, a property with a rough claims history. The trade-off is that they’re non-admitted, so they aren’t backed by the state guaranty fund.

Access usually runs through a specialty wholesaler, and placing coverage here typically requires showing that admitted carriers declined the risk first.

We insure weird things →

This is a friendly general explanation, not legal or policy language. Exact coverage depends on your policy, carrier, and state. 🤝

Written and reviewed by the We Insure Things team — licensed independent insurance agents. Last reviewed July 23, 2026. Questions? Ask a licensed agent.