biBERK vs NEXT Insurance for contractors

Both sell small-business insurance online, straight to the business owner, and both let you talk to a licensed person instead. The difference is the balance sheet behind the policy. biBERK says on its about page that it was founded in 2015 and is part of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group, whose major insurance subsidiaries it says are rated A++ by A.M. Best. It sells direct, “without a middleman or insurance broker”, and says it costs up to 20% less than other insurers.

NEXT now trades as ERGO NEXT Insurance and says on its contractors page that it is part of the ERGO Group, a Munich Re company. It quotes in about 10 minutes, sells 100% online or through a U.S.-based advisor, and says you can save up to 25% in discounts that not every applicant gets. Both “up to” figures are marketing ceilings, not a price for your trade.

Neither insurer’s name decides whether a policy satisfies a board or a GC. The limits, the additional-insured wording and the class of work on the declarations page do; our contractor insurance cost guide explains why two quotes for the same business can sit far apart.

General liability is the policy a GC or a homeowner asks for first, and both insurers sell it to contractors. biBERK’s construction page names 6 policy types for general contractors: workers’ comp, general liability, a business owners policy, commercial auto, cyber and umbrella. It lists contractors installation, tools and equipment, and hired and non-owned auto among the endorsements you can add to a general liability policy, and says equipment or tool damage needs such an add-on. It publishes no starting price; its rate, it says, turns on the work you do, your location, your size and your claims history.

NEXT publishes starting prices, each with a footnote. General liability starts at $19 a month, and general liability with tools and equipment cover added starts at $38 a month; NEXT says neither figure is a promised price and both reflect premiums of active policies as of 2026-04-01. Its tools and equipment page calls the cover an add-on to general liability for contractors, for stolen tools, machinery, work clothing and safety gear and for accidental damage to equipment. NEXT also lists contractor’s errors and omissions for workmanship mistakes, which biBERK’s construction page does not name.

How the policy itself works, and which exclusions bite on a job site, is in our general liability insurance for contractors guide; if your work is design or advice, see general liability vs professional liability.

Both write workers’ comp for contractors, and neither says it writes every line in every state. biBERK’s state coverage map says it insures in all 50 states but that the coverage it provides varies by state, with a separate map for each policy type. NEXT’s workers’ comp page lists a starting price of $14 a month, with the same footnote that it is not a promised price; premiums follow payroll and class code. NEXT’s page names no state where workers’ comp is unavailable and says its coverage is not available in all states, so the quote form is where you find out.

In some states the question is closed before you compare anyone. Washington, for one, does not let a private carrier write it: L&I says you buy coverage from L&I or you are a certified self-insured employer. Check your own state before either quote, and see workers’ comp for contractors for how the premium is built.

A board that asks for a license bond wants a surety bond, not an insurance policy, and neither of these two is the surety. biBERK’s own bonded-and-insured article tells you to contact a surety company for the bond and biBERK for the insurance; it names no surety partner. NEXT’s contractor bond page says it does not issue contractor bonds directly and partners with Liberty Mutual Surety, where you choose your location and bond type online and get a quote if a bond is available for your location and trade.

So “bonded and insured” is two purchases with either insurer. The bond has its own rules: California’s contractor bond is $25,000 and must come from a surety licensed through the California Department of Insurance. Compare sureties in best surety bond companies, and see why the bond does not replace the policy in surety bond vs general liability insurance.

Both make the certificate a self-service job. biBERK’s certificate page offers free, unlimited certificates online and splits them into basic (a summary for your records) and custom (one that names another company as additional insured). NEXT’s contractors page offers unlimited, shareable certificates at no extra cost, downloaded or sent by email or text.

A certificate only reports the policy. If the GC’s contract asks for additional insured status or a waiver of subrogation, the policy needs that endorsement first; read certificates of insurance for contractors before you send one.

This page is not insurance or legal advice. Your board, your contract and a licensed agent decide what your business needs; each insurer’s policy wording governs its cover.