Commercial Insurance for Large & Mid-Market Accounts

Focus West designs, markets, and services complete commercial insurance programs for businesses with roughly $100,000 to $2,000,000+ in annual premium. At that size, program structure, your own loss data, and carrier selection move the number far more than shopping a rate — so that is where we do the work.

Short answer: If your combined premium for workers' compensation, general liability, auto, property, and umbrella is six or seven figures, you have options a small account does not: loss-sensitive structures (large deductible, retrospective rating, self-insured retentions), group captives, negotiated claims handling, and an experience mod you can actively manage. We build the program, take it to the markets that write your class, and then stay involved in claims and renewals. Request a proposal →

Who this page is for

$100K to $2M+ in total annual commercial premium
Roughly 50 to 1,000+ employees, or a large field payroll
Multi-location or multi-state operations (CA, OR, WA, NV, ID, UT, AZ, HI)
Higher-hazard classes: construction, manufacturing, distribution, trucking, hospitality groups
An experience mod above 1.00 you want brought down — or below 1.00 you want rewarded for
Renewals arriving with rate increases, new exclusions, or collateral demands
Owners weighing a captive, large deductible, or self-insurance for the first time
Contract-heavy businesses that live on certificates and additional-insured wording

What changes when the account gets large

	Small account	Large / mid-market account
How premium is priced	Class-code rates and carrier filed rules	Your own loss history, payroll trends, and negotiated credits/debits
Program structure	Guaranteed cost only	Guaranteed cost, large deductible, retrospective rating, SIR, dividend plans, group captive
Carrier access	Standard and small-business markets	National carriers, regional specialists, wholesale/E&S, program administrators, captive facilities
Claims	Carrier adjusts, you wait	Reserve reviews, closing strategy, TPA coordination, return-to-work programs that protect the mod
Renewal	Quote arrives 30 days out	A 120-day plan: loss analysis, mod projection, marketing strategy, proposal, stewardship
Data	A loss run at renewal	Loss stratification, frequency/severity trends, benchmarking against your class

Program structures we design and place

Every one of these is a trade between fixed cost, cash flow, and how much of your own risk you retain. We model the options against your actual losses before recommending one — see the loss-sensitive programs guide for how each works.

Guaranteed cost, negotiated — a fixed premium, but marketed to multiple carriers with schedule credits, dividend plans, and payroll-audit strategy built in.
Large deductible — you fund losses below a per-claim deductible (commonly $100K to $1M) in exchange for a lower fixed premium; the carrier handles claims and the excess. Fits stable, well-controlled loss experience.
Retrospective rating — premium is adjusted after the policy period based on incurred losses, inside a negotiated minimum and maximum. Rewards a good year without the collateral of a deductible plan.
Self-insured retention (SIR) — you adjust and pay claims within the retention, typically with a TPA; the policy attaches above it.
Group captive — you co-own the insurer with similar, safety-minded businesses and keep the underwriting profit and investment income you would otherwise hand to a carrier. Typically fits accounts of about $250K+ in premium with better-than-average losses. How captives work →

How we work a large account

Discovery (120+ days before renewal). Operations walk-through, contracts and certificate requirements, current program review, and what your leadership actually wants the program to do.
Loss analysis and mod strategy. Five years of loss runs stratified by size and cause; experience mod verified and projected; open reserves flagged for review before the unit-stat date.
Structure and marketing plan. We agree which structures to model and which carriers, wholesalers, program markets, or captive facilities see the submission — and we control the market so carriers compete instead of blocking each other.
Proposal. Side-by-side options with total cost of risk, cash-flow timing, collateral, and coverage differences called out in plain English.
Bind and implement. Certificates, contract wording, filings, safety and loss-control resources, and claims reporting procedures set up before day one.
Stewardship. Quarterly claims reviews, mid-term loss-control follow-up, and a written stewardship report so next year's renewal starts from data, not from scratch.

Services included for large accounts

Claims advocacy — we sit between you and the adjuster: reserve challenges, closing strategy, subrogation, and coordination with a dedicated third-party claims partner.
Experience mod management — annual worksheet verification with the WCIRB or NCCI, error correction, projection before renewal, and a return-to-work program that keeps small claims from becoming mod points.
Contract and certificate management — insurance-requirement review for the contracts you sign, additional-insured and waiver wording matched to your policies, and certificate turnaround measured in hours.
Safety and loss control — coordination of carrier loss-control services, safety program documentation, and DOT/OSHA-facing support for fleets and job sites.
Payroll and audit strategy — class-code and dual-wage reviews, subcontractor certificate tracking, and pre-audit reconciliation so the audit confirms the premium instead of inflating it.
Benefits alongside P&C — group medical, level-funded and self-funded plans, and ancillary lines, so one team sees your whole cost of people and risk.

Industries we place at this size

Contractors and construction (general, specialty, and heavy civil), manufacturing, wholesale distribution and warehousing, transportation and trucking fleets, restaurant and hospitality groups, healthcare and home care, security and staffing, agriculture, and professional firms. High-hazard and hard-to-place classes are welcome — that is usually where the structure work matters most.

Renewal within 120 days? Let's start now.

Request a proposal → · Call (714) 988-3863 to speak with a licensed advisor

FAQ

What premium size do you consider a "large account"?

We build dedicated programs for accounts from roughly $100,000 in combined annual premium up to $2,000,000 and beyond. Below that, our 24-hour quick quotes are usually the faster path; above it, loss-sensitive and captive structures come into play.

Do you replace our current broker, or work alongside them?

Either. Many clients start with a no-obligation program review or a second opinion on one line, then consolidate. If you engage us as broker of record, we take over the full marketing, claims, and stewardship cycle.

How early before renewal should we talk?

Ideally 120 days out. That leaves time to correct the experience mod before it is promulgated, get reserves reviewed, and market the account properly instead of accepting whatever arrives 30 days before expiration.

Is a large deductible or captive always cheaper?

No. Loss-sensitive programs reward controllable losses and stable cash flow; a bad year can cost more than guaranteed cost. That is why we model every structure against your actual losses and tell you when the answer is "stay guaranteed cost."

Which states can you place coverage in?

California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii, with multi-state programs coordinated from our San Diego office. See workers' comp by state.

General information from Focus West Insurance Solutions (CA Lic. #0M32679); not coverage, legal, tax, or financial advice. Program availability, eligibility, collateral, and pricing vary by carrier, underwriting, loss history, and state. Loss-sensitive and captive programs involve retained risk and are not suitable for every business. Related: loss-sensitive programs · captive programs · X-Mod explained · all guides.