Construction Briefs

One of the primary goals of underwriting for any property insurance policy is determining the risk of fire. And one of the main considerations in making that determination is assigning the proper construction class. What are the materials? What percentage of the structure consists of each kind of material? How much damage will the building sustain when exposed to fire? Properly identifying the construction class can help the underwriter rate the risk more accurately.

ISO defines six construction classes for commercial buildings. Follow the links below to view the quick courses.

• Construction Class 1 — frame

• Construction Class 2 — joisted masonry

• Construction Class 3 — noncombustible

• Construction Class 4 — masonry noncombustible

• Construction Class 5 — modified fire resistive

• Construction Class 6 — fire resistive