What Your Church's Loss Runs Tell an Underwriter
When a church goes to market for insurance, the single document that shapes pricing most is not the application. It is the loss run. A loss run is the carrier generated report of every claim filed over a period, usually the last five years, and it follows a congregation from carrier to carrier. Underwriters read it before they read almost anything else.
What a loss run actually contains
A loss run is a report issued by your insurance carrier listing every claim made under your policy, including the date, the type of loss, the amount paid, the amount still reserved, and whether the claim is open or closed. Most carriers will produce one on request, usually within a few business days, and a broker can request it on the church's behalf.
The report is factual, not editorial. It does not explain what happened or what the church did afterward. That silence is exactly why churches lose money on renewals they could have won.
What underwriters read into the numbers
Underwriters are not simply adding up dollars. They are looking for pattern, severity, and recency, and each one moves pricing differently.
| What they look at | What it signals | Effect on pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency, or how many claims | Weak controls or maintenance habits | Often worse than one large claim |
| Severity, or how large | Exposure to catastrophic loss | Drives limit and deductible discussions |
| Recency | Whether the problem is current | Recent claims weigh far more than old ones |
| Open reserves | Unknown future cost | Open files make underwriters cautious |
| Claim type mix | Whether losses are random or systemic | Repeat same type claims are the biggest red flag |
Frequency surprises most boards. Three small water losses in three years often prices worse than a single larger fire, because repeated small claims suggest a maintenance pattern that is likely to continue, while a fire can be read as bad luck.
Open reserves are the quiet problem
A claim that remains open carries a reserve, which is the carrier's estimate of what it may still pay. Underwriters treat reserves as real dollars. A church can be penalized at renewal for a claim that eventually closes for far less than the reserve, or closes for nothing at all. It is worth asking your carrier to review stale open files before you go to market, because closing an overstated reserve can measurably change your pricing.
How to put your loss runs in context
The fix is narrative. A loss run says a claim happened. It does not say the roof was replaced afterward, the sidewalk was regraded, the counting procedure was changed, or the youth screening policy was rewritten. Supply that context in writing alongside the loss runs and you convert a list of problems into evidence of a church that fixes things.
Imagine a congregation with two slip and fall claims in consecutive winters. Submitted alone, that reads as an ongoing hazard. Submitted with documentation of a new snow removal contract, added handrails, and a revised inspection routine, it reads as a risk that has been addressed. Same claims, different underwriting outcome.
Common questions about church loss runs
What is a loss run in church insurance?
A loss run is a report from your insurance carrier listing every claim filed under your policy, including dates, loss types, amounts paid, open reserves, and claim status. It is the primary record of a church's claims history.
How do I get my church's loss runs?
Request them from your current carrier or ask your broker to request them for you. Most carriers provide five years of history within a few business days at no cost.
Do small claims hurt a church at renewal?
Often yes, and sometimes more than one large claim. Underwriters read repeated small claims as a sign of ongoing maintenance or control problems, which they expect to continue.
How long do claims stay on a church's loss runs?
Most carriers report five years of history, and underwriters weigh the most recent two to three years most heavily when pricing a renewal.
If you would like a second opinion on how your church's claims history is being presented to underwriters, contact us for a free church risk assessment.
Contact Hale Street Insurance at 978.712.0111 or [email protected] for a free church insurance review. You can also visit our church insurance page or request a quote to get started.
Jake Lubinski is the founder of Hale Street Insurance and a licensed insurance broker with years of church board and stewardship experience. Based in Boxford, MA he works with churches throughout Massachusetts and the US to build insurance and risk programs designed around how ministry actually operates. Reach Jake at [email protected] or 978.712.0111.
Related reading: Church Insurance Renewal Timing | Why a Renewal Increase Does Not Mean Re-Shopping | Church Mutual Renewal Increase or Non-Renewal | Getting a Second Opinion on Your Program
