Zurich North America has launched a new Fronted Master Builders Risk (MBR) insurance solution to meet rising demand for streamlined coverage on large, complex construction projects.
The product is designed for multi-billion-dollar programs that require significant capacity, cross-border coordination, and long-term coverage continuity.
Patrick McBride, head of construction property at Zurich North America, said the product was developed after an e-commerce client requested what became one of the largest MBR programs ever assembled.
“Since its initial introduction, we’ve rapidly scaled Zurich’s fronted MBR solution into a global offering,” he said. “Brokers and customers immediately grasped the benefits.”
According to Zurich, the model has already supported more than $80 billion in insurable values.
The Zurich Global Fronted MBR model combines underwriting, risk engineering, claims handling, and multinational coverage integration into one policy.
Zurich issued the fronting policy and transfers the remaining exposure to a panel of reinsurers, enabling efficient capacity deployment and reducing administrative complexity for brokers and insureds.
Tobias Cushing, head of construction at Zurich North America, said the approach addresses a key market challenge: “We’re seeing projects that are larger, more complex, and longer in duration. This solution simplifies the process, offers contract certainty, and provides multi-year continuity in a single structure.”
The product targets owners and contractors managing multiple projects worth more than $250 million, particularly those spanning domestic and international markets. It offers multi-year terms, globally consistent coverage and reduced risks of non-currency, the company said.
Another feature is the automation of the project enrollment process, which has traditionally been manual. The company said this allows to speed up multinational coverage integration, premium calculations and document generation.
Kelly Kinzer, head of Specialties at Zurich North America, said the program reflects Zurich’s 25-year track record in construction insurance.
“Traditional programs couldn’t meet the scale. Few carriers could deliver a solution of this scope in such a streamlined format,” Kinzer said.
