Specialty

Most small businesses can be insured with a business owners policy, a package that bundles property, general liability and business income for low-hazard operations like offices and small retail shops. Many industries do not fit that package. A roofer needs coverage for work at height and for completed work that fails years later. A church needs abuse and molestation coverage. A bar needs liquor liability. A garage needs protection for customers' vehicles in its care. When a business has exposures like these, the carrier, the coverage forms and the questions on the application all change.

Smith Davis Insurance has written specialty accounts in Southwest Iowa and Eastern Nebraska since 1931. The industries we insure are grouped below. Where we have a dedicated page for an industry, it is linked.

What industries does Smith Davis insure?

Contractors and construction

Contractors are one of the largest parts of our commercial book. Every contractor program starts with general liability, workers' compensation and commercial auto, then adds tools and equipment coverage, umbrella limits and, for builders, builder's risk. See our contractors insurance page for how those pieces fit together.

Building contractors

• General contractors and home builders
• Remodelers
• Roofing contractors
• Carpentry and framing

Trade contractors

• HVAC contractors
• Electrical contractors
• Plumbing contractors
• Painting and drywall
• Alarm and security system installers
• Building maintenance contractors

Site and outdoor contractors

• Concrete and masonry
• Excavation and grading
• Landscaping and lawn care
• Snow removal
• Arborists and tree services
• Pool and spa contractors
• Septic contractors
• Water well drillers

Public entities

Local governments and schools carry exposures no private business has: elected and appointed officials making decisions on the public's behalf, roads and public buildings open to everyone, and fleets that range from patrol cars to school buses and snowplows. Public entity programs combine property, general liability, public officials liability, employment practices liability, auto and workers' compensation, and for schools, coverage for students, staff and activities.

• Counties
• Cities and towns
• School districts and schools

Churches and nonprofits

Religious and nonprofit organizations need coverage that protects volunteers, board members and the children and vulnerable adults they serve. Our church insurance page covers abuse and molestation, directors and officers, and the replacement cost questions that matter most for older buildings.

• Churches and religious organizations
• Nonprofit organizations

Restaurants, recreation and fitness

Hospitality and recreation businesses share two exposures standard policies handle poorly: alcohol and guests who are active on the premises. Iowa requires dram shop coverage to hold a liquor license; Nebraska does not, though many Nebraska establishments carry it anyway.

• Restaurants, bars and caterers
• Craft breweries
• Golf courses and country clubs
• Gyms and fitness studios

Healthcare

Healthcare operators need professional liability alongside general liability, plus abuse, employment practices and cyber coverage for patient data. Falls are the costliest claim in senior care. Our healthcare facilities insurance page covers both facilities and practices.

• Assisted living, home health and senior care
• Medical and dental practices

Agriculture

Farm operations need property coverage for buildings and machinery at current replacement cost, farm liability, and coverage for livestock and crops. We write farms and ranches across Southwest Iowa, including Pottawattamie and Harrison counties.

• Farms and ranches
• Livestock operations

Auto, trucking and transportation

Businesses that repair, haul or transport vehicles and people need more than a commercial auto policy. Garagekeepers coverage protects customers' vehicles in your care, and cargo and hired auto coverage fill gaps a standard auto form leaves open.

• Auto repair shops, body shops and dealers
• Tow trucks and auto transporters
• Trucking
• Limousine services
• School bus contractors

Manufacturing and industrial

• Manufacturers
• Scrap metal recyclers
• Printers and publishers

Retail and real estate

• Retail stores
• Real estate and property management
• Self-storage facilities

Professional and financial services

• Accounting firms
• Law firms
• Financial institutions
• Media and advertising agencies
• Technology services
• Security guard services

Don't see your industry? Call us at (712) 322-1600 in Iowa or (402) 331-7526 in Nebraska. This list is not complete, and we quote new classes regularly.

Why can't every business use a standard business owners policy?

Carriers decide eligibility by classification. Every business is assigned a class code that describes what it does, and each carrier publishes which classes it will write on a business owners policy and which it will not. A business outside those classes needs either a package built from separate coverage parts or a carrier that specializes in the industry.

The classification matters more than most owners realize. A business described one way on the application and operating another way can face a premium adjustment at audit, a denied claim, or a nonrenewal. The most common example we see is a business that has grown into new work since the policy was written: a handyman who now does roofing, a restaurant that added a bar, a gym that started youth programs. Each of those changes the class and often the carrier.

When no standard carrier will write a risk, it may be placed in the surplus lines market, where non-admitted insurers cover risks that are not available in the admitted market, often new or unusual exposures that are harder to price, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Surplus lines coverage can be the right answer, but it is not backed by the state guaranty fund the way admitted coverage is, so we place admitted coverage first whenever it is available.

How does Smith Davis quote a specialty account?

A specialty quote starts with understanding the operation, not filling out a form. We ask what the business actually does day to day, what has changed in the last few years, and what claims it has had. Then we match the account to the carriers that want that class. A captive agent can offer only one company's appetite; as an independent agency, we can compare several.

To quote most specialty accounts, a carrier will want:

• A description of operations, including any work added recently
• Three to five years of loss history from current and prior carriers
• Payroll and revenue by type of work
• Building details for each location: age, construction, roof age and updates
• Vehicles and drivers, if the business owns or uses vehicles
• Any written safety, screening or training programs

Specialty accounts are handled by our commercial lines department, led by Pam Kreitzinger, who has more than 39 years in the business. Gina Andersen, our Commercial Lines Account Manager, services accounts day to day, and Bob Sullivan, Director of Sales and Growth, leads new business quotes from our Papillion office. Our Council Bluffs and Logan offices write specialty coverage across Iowa and Nebraska as well. For general business coverage, see our commercial insurance page.

Frequently asked questions about specialty insurance

What is the difference between specialty insurance and commercial insurance?
Specialty insurance is a type of commercial insurance. The term describes programs built for a specific industry, with coverages and underwriting questions that a general business policy does not include.

Is specialty insurance more expensive?
Not necessarily. A carrier that understands an industry often prices it more accurately than a general carrier that writes it reluctantly. The cost depends on the operation, its loss history and the coverages selected.

My industry isn't listed. Can you still help?
Very likely. Call us and describe what your business does. If we cannot place it, we will tell you so.

Do you write specialty coverage in both Iowa and Nebraska?
Yes. All three offices are licensed in both states.

Last Updated: October 2026

Sources

• Surplus lines insurance and the non-admitted market: National Association of Insurance Commissioners