By Natalie Johnson
Insurance is a key part of the construction industry, with companies facing complex risks that range from jobsite injuries to evolving contractual obligations. Despite this natural relationship, a persistent disconnect remains between the people building projects and those insuring them.
On the builder side, many see rising premiums, shifting requirements, and coverage that feels increasingly difficult to interpret. Agents, meanwhile, often struggle to translate technical policy language into guidance that aligns with the day‑to‑day decisions contractors must make.
This gap is where Treacy Duerfeldt has spent his career. Through Construction Insurance Risk Education (CIRE), he works to give builders and agents a shared way to think and talk about risk so coverage decisions become practical, grounded, and truly protective. “Our real problem right now is the insurance industry isn’t keeping it simple,” says Duerfeldt.
Building a Common Language for Risk
Before entering insurance in 1989, Duerfeldt spent summers in crawl spaces as an apprentice electrician and worked on siding and roofing crews when contractors were short on labor. The work was gritty and physical, but it gave him a grounding that would later prove essential. It taught him how builders think. Today, at CIRE, he draws directly on that field experience to educate builders and agents together, giving each side the context and language they need to make sense of risk and coverage.
Language is central to his approach. According to Duerfeldt, communication failures sit at the heart of many industry problems, and he argues that agents must learn how to “speak construction before they speak insurance.” For builders, he uses clear models and stories to turn complex requirements into concepts they can actually work with. “If the client does not understand what they are buying, how can they make a good decision?” he says.
Selling Value Through a Three Pillar Model
Duerfeldt uses a three‑point model (price, coverage, and ease of use) to teach agents how to help contractors choose balanced value instead of defaulting to the cheapest or most convenient option. “If you get the cheapest price, you’re sacrificing your distance away from coverage and ease of use,” he explains. He often compares it to a restaurant experience, noting that exceptional service and quality never come from the bargain menu.
Focusing on just one corner leads to predictable outcomes. The price‑driven buyer risks weak coverage and limited support, for example, while those who choose convenience often drift even further from meaningful protection. These tradeoffs are simply how insurance works, and Duerfeldt’s aim is for agents to explain them clearly so contractors can select the option that offers the most value for their needs.
Risk Allocation Through Illustrations and Stories
Stories have proven to be powerful educational tools for helping builders and agents speak the same language. They make it easier to understand how insurance can respond differently depending on when a problem is discovered or when an event actually occurs.
“I always tell the story of the fat man in the bathtub. A tiny leak behind the wall can rot a floor for years, and depending on when that damage is discovered or when the tub finally crashes through, different policies can be triggered.”
He uses similar illustrations to show how risk should be allocated. His quadrant model draws a clear line between catastrophic risks that can sink a business and nuisance‑level issues contractors can often absorb themselves. It pushes builders to reconsider why they insure low‑impact losses and encourages agents to probe what truly feels catastrophic versus manageable.
This shared understanding helps both sides direct insurance dollars toward the risks that matter most. The end goal is behavior change. Once builders grasp these models, they stop buying insurance as a commodity and start buying it as a strategic instrument.
Better Risk Management
His work at Construction Insurance Risk Education continues to center on the fundamentals. Clear language. Better illustrations. Stronger stories. “If people can see it and hear it in a way that feels familiar, they can finally act on it,” says Duerfeldt. These are the elements that move agents from selling price to selling value and that shift builders from reacting to risk toward managing it with intent.
To connect with Treacy Duerfeldt and explore more of his work, visit his LinkedIn and website.
