From Four Declines to $600,000 in Savings: What a Better Narrative Can Do

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Key Wins

44% Premium Reduction Secured

From the Incumbent Carrier

$600,000+ in Annual

Premium Savings 3 of 4 Carrier

DeclinationsOverturned

Creating Real Market Competition

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The Situation

A national leader in renewable energy infrastructure and community solar projects came to Cottingham & Butler ahead of a renewal they expected to be expensive and frustrating. At their prior renewal, premiums had increased significantly, with little transparency and no clear justification from their carrier. The client didn't know whether the spike reflected their loss history, broader market conditions, or something else entirely.

What made it more frustrating: this was a company with strong operational controls, a sophisticated risk profile, and a track record of responsible project execution. Yet the insurance market wasn't seeing any of that. They were being viewed unfavorably, and they had no visibility into why.

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The Cottingham & Butler Approach

When C&B engaged the broader marketplace, the root cause became clear fast. Four separate carriers declined the risk — not because of loss history, but because of an incomplete and inaccurate picture of the client's operations. The story being told to underwriters was oversimplified. In some areas, it was just wrong. And the client had no idea.

That's where our Description of Operations process changed everything.

We went deep into project workflows, risk controls, safety practices, field operations, and exposure profile, and rebuilt the underwriting narrative from the ground up in a way that accurately reflected the company's scale, sophistication, and controls.

The result: three of those four declinations were overturned, resulting in competitive quotes.

Faced with credible market alternatives for thefirst time, a national carrier reassessed their position. The outcome was a 44% premium reduction (over $600,000 in annual savings) along with something equally valuable: a client who now enters every renewal with leverage, clarity, and multiple viable options.