- US commercial insurance renewal rates in Q3 2026
- Commercial auto insurance renewal rates fall to 3.63%
- Business owner’s policy renewal rates average 5.61%
- Commercial property premium renewal increases slow to 5.65%
- General liability insurance rates decline to 4.12%
- Umbrella insurance renewal rates remain highest at 6.88%
- Workers’ compensation remains the only line with declining premiums
US commercial insurance premium renewal rate increases moderated across five of six major business lines in the third quarter of 2026, according to the latest Ivans Index report. Workers’ compensation was the exception, recording a smaller average premium decline than in the previous quarter.
All six lines also recorded lower renewal rate changes in Q3 2026 than in the same period of 2025, except workers’ compensation, which experienced a slight increase.
The figures indicate that commercial insurance renewal premiums continued rising across most major coverage categories, although the pace of those increases slowed both sequentially and annually.
Key highlights
- Umbrella insurance recorded the highest average premium renewal rate increase at 6.88%, followed by commercial property at 5.65% and business owner’s policies at 5.61%.
- Commercial auto renewal rate increases slowed to 3.63% from 4.93% in Q2, while general liability declined to 4.12% from 5.44%.
- Workers’ compensation remained the only major line with negative renewal rate changes, averaging -1.17%, compared with -1.37% in Q2 and -1.42% a year earlier.
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Umbrella insurance retained the highest average renewal rate increase at 6.88%, followed by commercial property at 5.65% and business owner’s policies (BOP) at 5.61%. General liability averaged 4.12%, while commercial auto recorded a 3.63% increase.
US commercial insurance renewal rates in Q3 2026
The Ivans Index tracks year-over-year premium renewal rate changes for consistent commercial insurance policies, allowing comparisons across reporting periods and coverage lines.
| Commercial insurance line | Q3 2026 | Q2 2026 | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial auto | 3.63% | 4.93% | 7.60% |
| Business owner’s policy | 5.61% | 6.16% | 7.55% |
| General liability | 4.12% | 5.44% | 5.89% |
| Commercial property | 5.65% | 6.40% | 7.64% |
| Umbrella | 6.88% | 7.96% | 8.99% |
| Workers’ compensation | -1.17% | -1.37% | -1.42% |
General liability experienced the largest quarter-over-quarter slowdown, declining 1.32 percentage points, followed by commercial auto at 1.30 percentage points and umbrella at 1.08 percentage points.
Compared with Q3 2025, commercial auto recorded the largest reduction in average renewal rate change, falling 3.97 percentage points. Umbrella declined 2.11 percentage points, commercial property 1.99 percentage points, BOP 1.94 percentage points and general liability 1.77 percentage points.
Workers’ compensation increased 0.20 percentage points sequentially and 0.25 percentage points year over year, although its average renewal rate change remained below zero.
Commercial auto insurance renewal rates fall to 3.63%
Commercial auto premium renewal rate changes averaged 3.63% in Q3 2026, compared with 4.93% in Q2 and 7.60% in Q3 2025.
The quarterly average was substantially lower than a year earlier, with the greatest monthly difference recorded in September.
Renewal auto insurance rate changes reached 4.03% in July before declining to 3.58% in August and 3.29% in September. The September reading compared with 7.65% in September 2025, a reduction of 4.36 percentage points.
New York continued to record substantially higher commercial auto renewal rate increases than the national average throughout the quarter (see US Personal Auto Insurance Market: Trends & Insights).
The state’s monthly figures were 13.09% in July, 12.29% in August and 13.17% in September.
Business owner’s policy renewal rates average 5.61%
Business owner’s policy renewal rate changes averaged 5.61% during Q3 2026, down from 6.16% in the previous quarter and 7.55% a year earlier.
July recorded the highest monthly increase at 5.94%, followed by 5.44% in August and 5.45% in September.
The largest year-over-year monthly difference occurred in August, when the average renewal rate increase fell to 5.44% from 7.65% in August 2025.
North Dakota consistently recorded lower BOP renewal rate increases than the national average. The state’s average changes were 2.25% in July, 3.38% in August and 3.55% in September.
Commercial property premium renewal increases slow to 5.65%
Commercial property insurance renewal rate changes averaged 5.65% during Q3 2026, compared with 6.40% in Q2 and 7.64% in Q3 2025. The quarterly figures showed a consistent monthly decline.
Renewal rate increases averaged 6.16% in July, 5.69% in August and 5.11% in September. The most substantial year-over-year monthly difference occurred in August, when the average increase declined to 5.69% from 7.84% in August 2025.
North Carolina recorded significantly higher commercial property renewal rate increases than the national average. Its monthly averages were 11.34% in July, 10.48% in August and 9.92% in September (see US P&C Insurers Set Decade-Low Combined Ratio Despite Wildfires).
Although the state’s renewal rate increases moderated throughout the quarter, they remained considerably higher than the corresponding national figures.
General liability insurance rates decline to 4.12%
General liability recorded one of the sharpest quarterly reductions in premium renewal rate increases. The average renewal rate change declined to 4.12% in Q3 2026 from 5.44% in Q2, a decrease of 1.32 percentage points.
Compared with Q3 2025, when average renewal rate changes reached 5.89%, the decrease amounted to 1.77 percentage points.
Monthly increases slowed throughout the quarter, from 4.99% in July to 4.18% in August and 3.19% in September.
The September figure represented a particularly substantial decline from 6.78% a year earlier. South Carolina remained above the national average for general liability renewal rate changes in each month of the quarter. The state’s average increases reached 9.92% in July, 8.96% in August and 9.05% in September.
Umbrella insurance renewal rates remain highest at 6.88%
Umbrella insurance recorded the highest average premium renewal rate increase among the six commercial lines monitored by Ivans Index.
The average rose 6.88% in Q3 2026, compared with 7.96% in Q2 and 8.99% in Q3 2025. Despite retaining the highest average increase, umbrella renewal rate changes continued to moderate.
The monthly average declined from 7.42% in July to 6.82% in August and 6.40% in September.
The largest year-over-year monthly reduction occurred in September, when the renewal rate increase was 2.72 percentage points below the 9.12% recorded in September 2025.
Maryland recorded negative umbrella renewal rate changes throughout the quarter, contrasting with the positive national average.
The state’s figures were -2.17% in July, -1.76% in August and -2.47% in September.
Workers’ compensation remains the only line with declining premiums
Workers’ compensation was the only major commercial insurance line to record a negative average premium renewal rate change in Q3 2026.
The quarterly average was -1.17%, compared with -1.37% in Q2 2026 and -1.42% in Q3 2025. Although premiums continued declining on average, the rate of reduction moderated compared with both periods.
The lowest monthly renewal rate change occurred in July at -1.26%. August recorded the highest reading at -1.10%, followed by -1.14% in September.
The largest year-over-year monthly difference occurred in August, when the average improved from -1.45% in 2025 to -1.10% in 2026.
Nevada differed considerably from the national pattern, recording positive workers’ compensation renewal rate increases throughout the quarter.
The state’s average increases reached 10.02% in July, 10.43% in August and 11.63% in September.
How Ivans Index measures commercial insurance renewal rates
Ivans Index analyzes more than 120 mn insurance data transactions to track premium renewal rate changes across frequently placed commercial insurance lines.
The index measures the year-over-year difference in premium for a consistent insurance policy rather than changes in an insurer’s overall portfolio or written premium.
To qualify for comparison, a policy must retain the same insured, insurance company, product type, policy number, expiration date, effective date and producing agency.
For example, a policy costing $1,000 in the previous year and $1,023 at renewal would register a 2.3% premium renewal rate increase.
The methodology excludes exposure-based changes and claims experience. Policies with anomalous exposure changes or claims experience are removed from the analysis.
This approach is intended to isolate changes in renewal premiums for comparable policies rather than measuring premium growth resulting from changes in insured exposures.
The Q3 2026 results show that policyholders continued facing higher renewal premiums across commercial auto, BOP, general liability, commercial property and umbrella insurance, but at a slower pace than in previous quarters.
Workers’ compensation remained the exception, with average renewal premiums declining for comparable policies, despite the negative rate change becoming less pronounced.
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by Yana Keller – Re/Insurance Editor at Beinsure
