Which building technologies can help lower insurance costs?
The short answer
The ones that answer the questions underwriters already ask. Before they quote builder's risk or property coverage, underwriters ask how the building will detect and stop water, how it will detect and contain fire, and how the site will be secured. Leak detection with automatic shutoff, connected life safety, and access control with monitored video give an owner documented answers. Water alone is a large share of losses: water damage and freezing caused 22.6% of homeowners insurance losses in 2023, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Whether better protection improves your terms depends on the carrier, so PropertyAlpha publishes no savings percentages. The way to find out is to get a quote.
Updated October 2026 · PropertyAlpha benchmarks (engine 2026.11-v3) · Figures are modeled
What underwriters ask for before they quote
A builder's risk or property submission is more than an address and a budget. Underwriters want to see how the project manages the losses that drive claims. Most of those questions map directly to a technology category.
| Underwriter asks for | Technology that answers it |
|---|---|
| Water damage mitigation plan: how leaks are detected and stopped, including monitoring and flow sensors | Leak sensors, flow monitoring, automatic shutoff valves |
| Fire protection plan: detection, alarm monitoring and suppression status during and after construction | Connected smoke and heat detection, life safety monitoring |
| Site security: a fenced, lit perimeter, a watchman and video coverage of the whole site | Access control, monitored video, temporary site monitoring |
| Hot works plan: a fire watch during and at least an hour after cutting or welding | Heat and smoke monitoring in the work area |
| Windstorm plan (high wind zones): how the building is prepared and monitored before a named storm | Remote monitoring, water and power shutoff controls |
Requirements vary by carrier, project size and location. Your insurance partner will tell you which apply.
During construction: builder's risk
Builder's risk covers the building while it is being built. Underwriters look at the schedule, the construction type, the contractor's loss history and the plans above. Water deserves special attention late in the job, when plumbing and fire lines are charged but the building is not yet occupied and nobody is there to notice a leak.
Temporary leak and flow monitoring, a monitored fire system and a secured site turn a written plan into a measurable one. The same devices can stay in place after turnover, so the investment carries into operations.
After occupancy: property and liability
Once residents move in, the same systems keep working. Leak sensors at water heaters, under sinks, at washers and in risers catch water before it reaches the units below. Connected life safety reports alarms and device health. Access control and video give an owner a record of who entered and when, which helps document an incident.
These are the categories PropertyAlpha's free Property Impact Report describes under resilience. Their value shows up as avoided loss rather than new income, which is why a quote with your own building's details is the best measure of what they are worth.
What to have ready for a quote
- Project name, address, start and completion dates.
- Occupancy and description: stories, units, unit types, square footage of each building and construction type.
- Budget, with hard costs and soft costs broken out. An estimate is fine to start.
- Construction schedule (a Gantt chart) and site plan.
- Geotechnical report.
- General contractor loss runs: at least 5 years, 8-10 preferred.
- Water damage mitigation, fire protection and site security plans.
- The construction contract, if it is executed.
- For a wrap-up program: the estimated number of subcontractors and whether subs bid gross or net of insurance.
- Copies or declaration pages of any pollution and professional liability policies already in place.
Wrap-ups for larger projects
For larger new projects, often around $150 million and up, our national insurance partner finds that an owner or contractor controlled insurance program (an OCIP or CCIP, also called a wrap-up) is frequently the most cost-effective option. One program covers the owner, the general contractor and the subcontractors on site. If you have not priced a wrap-up against project-specific coverage, ask for both.
Why we publish no savings percentage
Carriers price protection differently, and your loss history, deductible, location and construction type all change the answer. A national percentage would look precise and be wrong for most buildings. PropertyAlpha does not publish one.
What we can do is connect you with partner integrators who install the technologies underwriters ask about, and with an insurance partner who knows those technologies and can price them into your quote.
Don't take our word for it. Get a quote.
Our national insurance partner knows the technologies our partner integrators install and works with PropertyAlpha developers and owners. Share your project once and they will tell you what your building qualifies for. PropertyAlpha is not an insurance agent and earns no commission on your policy.
Get an insurance quoteWhat is it worth to your building?
The free Property Impact Report applies these benchmarks to your property, by class and unit count, and shows the method behind every number.
Run your Impact AnalysisSources
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Figures are modeled decision-support: not a guarantee, not an appraisal, not investment advice. Third-party figures are national context, not projections for any one property.