Bass Underwriters review for retail agents: programs, access and binding authority
Bass Underwriters places commercial, personal and specialty surplus lines business for retail agencies from Florida and branches across the country. Its underwriters shop the account and return a quote or indication. Surplus lines, also called E&S, means carriers not licensed in your state that step in when admitted carriers say no.
It suits agencies with coastal homes, habitational risks and specialty classes. You sign the producer agreement online and can ask for quotes before the appointment is approved.
- Best for
- Agencies placing hard-to-place commercial, coastal homes and specialty E&S risks that want to quote before they are appointed
- Type
- Wholesale broker. Bass calls itself an MGA, but no program shows binding authority of its own
- Lines
- Commercial P&C, homeowners and high-value homes, flood, professional, marine and transportation
- Access
- Online producer agreement. $1 million E&O. You can quote while the appointment is pending
- Authority
- Quotes and indications in 24 to 48 hours. Binding needs an approved appointment and the carrier's OK
- States
- Personal and specialty lines nationwide
Our take
Bass is a privately owned Florida wholesaler that works with more than 300 carriers. It writes the risks retail agents struggle with most, such as coastal homes, bars and restaurants, habitational schedules and more than 75 professional classes.
It fits an agency that wants an answer before signing up. You can ask for quotes while the appointment is pending, and the agreement says you own the expirations on everything you place.
The billing terms are strict. You pay 25% plus fees and taxes at binding, and the rest by the 10th of the next month whether or not the insured pays.
Pros
- Quote while your appointment is still pending
- Coastal, habitational and hospitality risks are core business
- More than 75 professional liability classes
- The agreement says you own your expirations
- Most quotes in 24 to 48 hours once documents are in
Cons
- 25% of the premium plus fees and taxes due at binding
- You owe the balance even if the insured doesn't pay
- Audit premium is billed to you
- No in-house binding authority on any program
- You track renewal dates yourself
Who they work with
- Who can submit
- Licensed retail agencies. Bass works only through retail agents
- How to get access
- Sign the producer agreement through the Become an Agent form on the Bass site
- Requirements
- Copies of every current agency and producer license, a W-9 and the producer questionnaire. Bass won't process a policy in a state where you aren't licensed
- Submit before you're appointed
- Yes, for quotes. Binding waits for the approved appointment
- E&O minimum
- $1 million
Sign the agreement online
The producer agreement is a web form on the Bass site.
Send your documents
Your W-9, current agency and producer licenses and proof of E&O.
Answer the questionnaire
It asks about your owners, key staff, E&O claims and any discipline.
Wait for countersignature
Bass reviews and signs. You can ask for quotes in the meantime, but you can't bind until it approves you.
Programs and what they write
| Program | Type | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial linesBrokerage across more than 300 carriers | Wholesale broker | GL, workers comp, excess, property, cyber, professional and D&O |
| Personal linesIn-house underwriting plus brokerage | Wholesale broker | Homeowners, high-value homes, flood, umbrella and boats |
| Specialty linesExcess and surplus lines through more than 200 markets | Wholesale broker | Professional, marine, transportation, garage, workers comp, cyber and environmental |
Commercial classes Bass names
- Restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels and motels
- Habitational, lessors risk, condos and shopping centers
- Artisan, construction and janitorial contractors
- Vacant buildings, land and builders risk
- Daycares, churches and allied health
- Cannabis, California earthquake and coastal wind
- Large property schedules
Personal lines Bass names
- HO3, HO5, HO6 and dwelling fire
- Hard-to-place coastal homes and wind-only
- High-value homes and article floaters
- Vacant homes and builders risk
- Primary and excess private flood
- Boats, yachts and umbrellas
Specialty lines include more than 75 professional liability classes, from home health care to insurance agents, plus freight brokers, special events and product recall.
How to submit
- How it works
- Submit in the Bass agent portal or send the account to an underwriter at a branch. If a Bass underwriter referred you, name them on the application so the account goes to them
- Submit by
- The Bass agent portal or branch underwriters by phone or email. The contact form also works
- Documents needed
- Insured contact details, location and property details, the coverage and limits you want, loss history and prior insurance. Commercial risks also need operations and class
- Forms
- ACORD forms, a statement of values form and a homeowners application are on the forms page
Quote and bind authority
"Takes your submission" means you send the risk to the firm, and "Underwrites" means its own staff set the terms. "In house" under Binds means the firm can commit the carrier without asking first. A blank cell means the firm hasn't published that step.
| Program | Takes your submission | Quotes | Underwrites | Binds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial lines | After carrier OK | |||
| Personal lines | After carrier OK | |||
| Specialty lines | After carrier OK |
Bass says most indications and quotes come back 24 to 48 hours after it has every document it asked for.
Carrier paper and admitted status
- Admitted or surplus lines
- Specialty lines are surplus lines. Commercial and personal placements depend on the carrier quoted
- Whose paper
- Set by the carrier on each quote. Bass names no carrier for any program
Commission, fees and billing
- Who bills
- Agency bill to Bass
- Payment terms
- 25% of the premium plus all fees and taxes at binding. The rest, less commission, by the 10th of the month after the effective date
- If the insured doesn't pay
- You still owe Bass. Late payments can draw late fees and collection costs
- Audit premium
- Billed to you. You must try to collect it and can be released only by telling Bass in writing within 20 days of the invoice
- Commission
- Set by each carrier's rules or by your agreement with Bass
- How to pay
- In the Bass payment portal, where you can also print invoices and receipts
Surplus lines taxes and filings
- Taxes and stamping fees
- You send the state taxes and fees to Bass with the premium
Endorsements, audits and claims
- Endorsements
- Shown in the agent portal with the policy details
- Cancellations
- Flat only if returned before the effective date, with carrier approval. After that, earned premium applies
- Audits
- Extra audit premium is billed to you
- Renewals
- Track your own expiration dates. Bass tries to give notice but isn't liable if it misses one
- Claims handled by
- A claims administrator Bass assigns to each claim. Email an ACORD loss notice to claims@bassuw.com and Bass sends back the claim number and adjuster
- Loss runs
- Email claims@bassuw.com with the insured, policy numbers and period
- Policy delivery
- By email to the address you give on the questionnaire
Who owns the account
- Who owns the client
- You do. The agreement says you own and control the expirations on everything you place through Bass
- Renewal control
- Yours
- If the relationship ends
- Either side can cancel at any time in writing. The agreement still covers policies placed before then
Portal and integrations
- Portal
- Bass agent portal for quotes and policies, and a separate payment portal
- Online quoting
- You submit and track quotes online at any hour. Underwriters return the quote
What you can do in the agent portal
- Submit and track quotes
- See policy details and endorsements
- Check payment history
- Pay and print invoices and receipts
Support for retail agents
- Contact
- Headquarters 954-473-4488. Appointment help at basscares@bassuw.com, commercial and specialty questions at contact@bassuw.com
- Underwriter access
- The locations page gives a direct line and email for one contact at each branch
- Marketing help
- Join the Bass email list and it sends you its guide to the risks it wants
Bass Underwriters alternatives
- USG Insurance ServicesOpen an INS LINK account online and work with any producer
- Burns & WilcoxLarger national wholesaler that also issues flood online
- Appalachian UnderwritersOnline quoting for workers comp, small commercial and flood
- JencapBinding authority for property, casualty and garage
- Gorst & CompassCalifornia wholesaler with binding authority on property
See every option in insurance mGAs and wholesalers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Bass quote before I'm appointed?
Yes. You can ask for quotes while the appointment is pending, but you can't bind until Bass approves it.
Does Bass bind coverage itself?
No program shows binding authority of its own. Bass binds once the carrier agrees and your appointment is approved.
Who pays the surplus lines taxes?
The insured pays them, and you send the taxes and fees to Bass with the premium. Bass publishes nothing on who files them with the state.
Who owns the renewal on Bass business?
You do. The producer agreement says you own and control the expirations.
When is premium due?
25% plus fees and taxes at binding, and the balance less commission by the 10th of the month after the effective date.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by Bass Underwriters, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan Bass Underwriters quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where Bass Underwriters has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.