The documentation gap in residential construction IS YOUR LOSS PROBLEM.
Construction & engineering absorbed $2B in nuclear jury verdicts in 2024. GL rates for residential construction are rising 5–10% annually. The single factor separating defended claims from paid ones: whether an independent quality record existed before the dispute began.
$31.3B
total nuclear verdict value 2024
5–35%
casualty rate increases expected 2025–26
10 yr.
statute of repose in many states
$8.75B
Projected by 2033; $5.36B in 2024
Construction defect litigation is “evergreen” per Seyfarth Shaw’s 2025 Commercial Litigation Outlook—and the forces accelerating it are structural. A 500,000+ worker labor shortage is producing defect claims on a 1–3 year lag. AI-assisted plaintiff firms pattern-match builder defects across entire portfolios in days. Insureds with ICC-certified quality records at every construction phase represent a materially different risk profile than those without one.
UNDERWRITING PAIN POINT
No independent quality verification between draws
Standard draw inspections confirm percentage of completion —not code compliance, not workmanship. Underwriters pricing residential GL and builders’ risk are pricing projects where quality inside the walls is effectively unverifiable until a claim surfaces.
VQA CHANGES THIS
ICC-certified gate reports at every phase
Partner with Vanguard QA to eliminate costly rework, protect your schedule, and hand over projects with confidence. Our ICC-certified inspectors provide independent, technology-driven QA that saves builders time, money, and headaches on every build.
UNDERWRITING PAIN POINT
Wood-frame and residential for-sale face the hardest market
WTW’s 2025 Marketplace Realities flags residential for-sale as
highest-scrutiny. GL rates are rising mid-to-high single digits. Underwriters writing these risks need data to distinguish the well-managed build from the liability waiting to happen.
VQA CHANGES THIS
Documented risk differentiation for underwriting credit
VQA’s gate documentation gives underwriters the empirical basis to separate preferred-risk builders. Builders with ICC-verified phase documentation are not the same risk as those without—and your pricing model can reflect that when the data supports it.
UNDERWRITING PAIN POINT
Sub defect patterns are invisible until class action
The mechanism that converts single-home claims into class actions is pattern discovery—same sub, same phase, same defect across multiple units. Underwriters have no visibility until plaintiffs’ counsel surfaces it. By then, one GL policy has become multiple.
VQA CHANGES THIS
CAPA documentation by trade and phase
VQA’s corrective action records track defects by sub, phase, and project. Patterns are addressed before they become discoverable—and the correction record demonstrates insured diligence, which is the threshold defense in defect litigation.
What underwriters are already rewarding:
WTW’s 2025 Construction Marketplace Realities notes that larger contractors using technology, data analytics, and performance indicators are achieving better risk profiles and improved renewal terms. Aon’s 2025 Global Construction Insurance report confirms that premium discounts are increasing for policies with a good track record. VQA is the instrument that produces that track record—at the project level, on any build, for any insured.
WHAT VQA PRODUCES — AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR BOOK
Timestamped documentation
Every report is dated, photographed, and filed—a litigation-ready record before any dispute surfaces.
Underwriting-structured reports
Reports formatted for carrier review, not field notes. Supports your file review, renewal underwriting, and loss control requirements.
ICC-certified phase inspections
Independent, credentialed sign-off at foundation, framing, MEP rough-in, envelope, and final—not self-certified completion.
FAA Part 107 drone verification
Aerial documentation of building envelopes and rooflines—the highest-frequency source of water- intrusion claims—before finishes conceal the work.
CAPA records by trade
Reports formatted for carrier review, not field notes. Supports your file review, renewal underwriting, and loss control requirements.
Portfolio-level risk differentiation
For carriers writing multiple projects under one builder: VQA data creates a documented quality baseline across the insured’s entire book of work.
Home Builder Association Member
Park City Area · Utah Valley · Salt Lake City · Northern Wasatch · Southern Utah
Built on proof.
(801) 364-0880