Insurance policies might as well be written in another language. They’re packed with legal terms that make perfect sense to lawyers and absolutely no sense to the people actually running construction companies. Treacy Duerfeldt saw this problem everywhere during his 15 years working with construction owners and CFOs. So, he founded Construction Insurance Risk Education (CIRE) to fix it. His mission is straightforward: help contractors understand their insurance well enough to stop losing money on it.
Translate insurance into construction language
The first problem with insurance? Nobody writes policies for the people who actually use them. “Policies are written for lawyers, not business owners,” Duerfeldt explains. You can’t expect a contractor to wade through 50 pages of legal jargon and come out knowing what they’re actually covered for. That’s why he translates everything into construction language. Think about how contractors already understand risk on the job site. “Using real-world scenarios, such as comparing general liability to a safety harness, helps contractors truly understand coverage.” A safety harness stops you from hitting the ground when something goes wrong. General liability does the same thing for your business when accidents happen. Simple as that.
Focus on financial outcomes, not just policy details
Policy details put people to sleep. You know what wakes them up? Showing them exactly how much money is at stake. Duerfeldt learned this fast: contractors don’t care about endorsements and exclusions until you show them what those words mean for their bank account. “Contractors want to know how a claim could affect cash flow or project timelines.” And why wouldn’t they? A big uncovered claim doesn’t just mean paperwork. It means projects grinding to a halt, cash getting tied up for months, and bonding companies getting nervous about your next job. “Explaining coverage in terms of dollars and risk makes the impact real.” Once contractors see their insurance decisions as financial decisions, everything changes.
Use Visual Tools To Explain Coverage
Sitting a contractor down with a policy document is a waste of everyone’s time. These are people who work with blueprints, not paragraphs. “Many contractors are visual learners,” Duerfeldt points out. Makes sense when you think about it. Construction is a visual industry. He uses flowcharts to map out claims processes, timelines to show when coverage kicks in, and diagrams to highlight where gaps might exist. “Flowcharts, claim timelines, and diagrams make complex insurance concepts clear and keep your audience engaged.” You can explain deductible structures all day long, but a good diagram shows the whole picture in 30 seconds.
Treat education as a strategic advantage
Most companies treat insurance training as a box to check. Duerfeldt treats it as an investment. “Understanding coverage helps teams make smarter decisions, improving margins and competitiveness.” When your team actually gets how insurance works, they stop making expensive mistakes. The payoff can be huge. “I’ve seen contractors save hundreds of thousands simply by knowing how deductibles or captive strategies affect their bottom line.” That’s not theory. That’s real money staying in the business instead of disappearing into premiums or surprise costs when claims hit. Know how captive insurance programs work? You might save a fortune. Understand deductible structures? You’ll negotiate better terms.
Duerfeldt’s approach boils down to four things. First, speak the language contractors already use. Second, connect every insurance concept back to money and risk. Third, use visual tools because that’s how construction people learn. Fourth, treat insurance knowledge as a competitive advantage, not just another cost. After 15 years, he’s seen what works. Companies that invest time learning their insurance make better decisions across the board. They negotiate harder, structure smarter, and avoid the gaps that turn into six-figure nightmares. Construction companies don’t need more insurance complications. They need someone to cut through the noise and explain what actually matters. When contractors understand their coverage, they protect their projects and their profits better. Duerfeldt’s work proves that insurance doesn’t have to be confusing. It just needs to be explained in a language people actually speak.
Connect with Treacy Duerfeldt on LinkedIn to learn how better insurance knowledge can boost profitability.
