Palomar

Palomar is a specialty property and casualty insurance group serving catastrophe-exposed and historically underserved markets. Founded in 2014 and based in La Jolla, California, it provides coverage for individuals and businesses through a portfolio spanning property, liability, agricultural risk and surety. Its work combines insurance underwriting, risk evaluation, claims administration and reinsurance risk transfer.

Insurance portfolio

The group's business covers five principal product areas:

• Earthquake: Residential coverage and commercial Difference in Conditions insurance.
• Inland Marine & Property: Builders risk, motor truck cargo and Hawaii hurricane insurance.
• Casualty: Excess and surplus casualty, real estate errors and omissions, environmental liability and healthcare liability.
• Crop: Multiple peril crop insurance, private agricultural insurance products and livestock coverage.
• Surety & Credit: Commercial and contract surety bonds.

These offerings serve residential and commercial real estate, construction, agriculture, transportation and healthcare markets. Palomar also works within wholesale insurance brokerage and reinsurance markets, with services that include fronting carrier arrangements and automated quote and bind processing.

Underwriting and development

Palomar writes business through both admitted and non-admitted insurance markets. Its flagship admitted carrier is Palomar Specialty Insurance Company, while Palomar Excess and Surplus Insurance Company provides access to surplus lines markets. This structure supports a range of specialized insurance products across the group's different underwriting businesses.

Acquisitions have expanded its agricultural and surety capabilities. In January 2025, Palomar acquired First Indemnity of America Insurance Company, establishing an initial East Coast contract surety presence. The April 2025 acquisition of Advanced AgProtection brought agricultural technology and leadership into the business that became Palomar Crop. In January 2026, the acquisition of The Gray Casualty & Surety Company further developed its national surety platform.

The group operates through specialized insurance carriers and related businesses, combining its original catastrophe insurance focus with a broader portfolio of underwriting lines.