Bamboo Insurance
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
Program / form: - California HO-3 homeowners program written on Sutton National Insurance Company paper. Dwelling limits: minimum $70,000, maximum $1,500,000. - Policies written on an annual term only (up to 12 months). Preferred / target risks: - Single-family dwellings occupied by the titled owner and used principally for private residential purposes. - Owner-occupied risks with no more than two roomers or boarders. - Risks that meet standard inspection and eligibility guidelines; company reserves the right to inspect a large percentage of properties. Key eligibility points: - HO-3 homeowners form only. - Owner includes purchasers under mortgage or land sale/contract of sale. - Other insurance on the same property allowed only when it covers perils not covered by the HO-3 (e.g., separate flood policy). Restricted / submit-for-approval areas: - All eligibility is explicitly subject to “SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL” and “UNACCEPTABLE RISKS” sections in the manual; if risk characteristics fall into those sections, producer must submit to underwriter before binding. - Company may impose temporary geographic or capacity-based restrictions by ZIP code or 2.5 km radius for catastrophe management; new business and limit increases may be restricted even if the risk is otherwise eligible. Declined / unacceptable (operational view): - Any risk falling into the manual’s UNACCEPTABLE RISKS section (e.g., severe condition issues, non-eligible occupancies, or hazards) must not be bound; must be declined or referred as directed by the guide. Geographic and catastrophe management notes: - CA-only HO-3 program (this guide is expressly for California HO-3). - Catastrophe management allows carrier to suspend binding authority in specified situations: - General catastrophe events (e.g., floods, mudslides, fires, designated tropical storm, depression, hurricane, other disasters) – producers must call to confirm binding is open before binding when aware of such conditions. - Earthquake-related: when an earthquake ≥5.0 on the Richter scale occurs, binding is restricted for the day of the event and 30 days following, within 150 miles of the epicenter; a ≥5.0 aftershock starts a new 30-day restriction. Restrictions apply to new business and to endorsements that increase exposure; renewals without increased exposure are not affected. - Capacity / concentration: ZIP codes capped at 1.5% of total program insured value; any 2.5 km radius area capped at $150M TIV. Once caps are hit, new business and limit increases will be temporarily restricted. Submission & binding requirements (producers): - Producers may bind acceptable risks only when: - Every question on the application is fully answered (with explanations as needed), and - Application is properly signed by both applicant and producer, and - Down payment premium is collected and all binding requirements are met. - Effective date of coverage cannot be earlier than the date and time the application is completed, signed, down payment collected, and all binding conditions satisfied. - Applications billed directly to the mortgagee may be submitted without payment. - Producers should contact Bamboo Customer Service for questions or when uncertain about binding restrictions before binding during adverse events. Producer / broker operational notes: - Binding authority is automatically suspended when the company issues catastrophe or emergency binding restrictions; producers must not bind during these periods, and any applications with effective dates that violate restrictions will be rejected with no coverage in force. - Renewals are generally permitted during catastrophe binding suspensions, provided there is no increase in coverage or exposure beyond normal automatic adjustments. - Certain underwriting guidelines can be waived for book transfers where The Company is offering replacement policies for a mass transfer from another carrier. - Customer service contact for binding, eligibility and underwriting issues is provided in the manual, and producers are instructed to use it to confirm restrictions and clarify questions. Practical takeaways for front-line placement: - Focus on standard, owner-occupied single-family homes in California within $70,000–$1,500,000 Coverage A. - Verify no disqualifying factors under the carrier’s UNACCEPTABLE RISKS and SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL sections before binding; when in doubt, submit to underwriting. - Always confirm binding status during wildfire threats, large storms, or earthquakes; expect and comply with temporary suspensions. - Ensure complete, signed applications and initial premium collection (unless mortgagee-billed) prior to binding and avoid backdating effective dates. - Monitor geographic capacity—risks in heavily written ZIP codes or dense high-value pockets may not be bindable even if otherwise eligible.