Loss run report
Claims · Cloudbreak team · Updated October 29, 2026 · 8 sources
Definition
A loss run, also called a loss report, is a periodic report of claim information that an insurer gives its policyholder. Underwriters use it to judge a property's loss history when quoting new coverage or a renewal.
How it works
Each line is one claim: the date of loss, the date the insurer received it, a description, the amount paid, the amount still reserved, and whether the claim is open or closed. Claims reported without any payment usually still appear.
Paid is what the insurer has already paid on a loss. A loss reserve is the insurer's estimate of what an unpaid claim will still cost. Incurred losses are paid claims plus loss reserves for a period, usually a policy year, and do not ordinarily include losses incurred but not reported (IBNR).
Underwriters read a loss run for frequency (how many claims), severity (how large) and open claims, whose reserves can still move up or down. They often compare incurred losses with premium.
The loss ratio is incurred losses divided by earned premiums, as a percentage. In IRMI's example, an insurer pays and reserves $50,000 of claims on $100,000 of premium, a 50% loss ratio.1
Example
A five-year loss run on an apartment complex, with example figures. The totals use IRMI's definitions of incurred losses and loss ratio.2,1
| Policy year | Loss | Paid | Reserve | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hail, roof and rooftop units | $180,000 | $0 | Closed |
| 2024 | Wind, siding and windows | $40,000 | $25,000 | Open |
| 2025 | Water leak, notice only | $0 | $0 | Closed without payment |
| Total | 3 claims | $220,000 | $25,000 | Incurred: $245,000 |
- Paid$220,000
- Reserved on the open wind claim$25,000
- Total$245,000
With an example premium of $60,000 a year, five years of earned premium is $300,000. The five-year loss ratio is $245,000 / $300,000, or 81.7%. If the open wind claim closes with $25,000 more paid, paid rises to $245,000, the reserve falls to $0, and incurred stays at $245,000.1,2
Where you'll see it
- Shopping or renewing coverage: a new insurer usually asks for several years of loss runs from the current and past insurers.
- Selling or refinancing a property: buyers and lenders review the loss history.
- Lender files: Fannie Mae's Form 4636.NMD lists loss runs from the insurance carriers among the items a servicer submits when a borrower fails to give notice of a casualty event.3
State rules
Several states make an insurer provide a loss run within a set time after a written request. The Texas deadline is 30 days after the insurer receives the request.4
| State | Deadline | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 30 days after the insurer receives the request | List of claims charged against the policy and payments on each (Sec. 542.102 to 542.103) |
| Kentucky | 20 calendar days | Five years of history on commercial property and casualty; no fee for one statement |
| Maine | 30 calendar days | Paid, reserved and open or closed for each loss; an agent must pass the request on within 4 working days |
| District of Columbia | 30 days | 3 previous policy years; insurer need not provide loss reserve information |
| California | 10 business days | Commercial policies: 3 years (or the account's tenure, if shorter) plus the current term, on cancellation, nonrenewal or a request within 60 days before renewal |
- Maine: the loss information must include the insured's name, the date of the loss, the date the insurer received the claim, a description of the loss, any amount paid, any amount reserved, and whether the claim is open or closed.6
- Kentucky: an agent who receives a loss run statement must send a copy to the insured within 5 calendar days.5
- District of Columbia: a prospective insurer may not ask for more detailed loss information than it reasonably needs to underwrite the same line or class.7
- California: the commercial report is triggered when a policy is canceled or nonrenewed, or when a rating service downrates the current insurer below secure or good.8
Questions
- How do I get a loss run report?
- Ask the insurer in writing, directly or through the agent or broker. Some states set a deadline: Texas gives the insurer 30 days and Kentucky 20 calendar days, and in Maine an agent must forward the request within 4 working days.4,5,6
- How many years does a loss run cover?
- Underwriters commonly ask for three to five years. Where state law sets the period, it varies: Kentucky requires five years, the District of Columbia three previous policy years, and California three years, or the account's tenure if shorter, plus the current term.5,7,8
- What is the difference between paid and incurred on a loss run?
- Paid is money already paid on claims. Incurred adds loss reserves, the insurer's estimates of what open claims will still cost.
- Can an insurer charge for a loss run?
- It depends on the state. Kentucky bars a fee to prepare and provide one loss run statement on commercial property and casualty risks.5
Cloudbreak
Cloudbreak keeps a dated record of every roof section, elevation and rooftop unit before a storm, in photos, drone video and notes, with original files and timestamps intact.
Sources
Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.
- 1. IRMI: Loss ratio
- 2. IRMI: Incurred losses
- 3. Fannie Mae: Form 4636.NMD, Multifamily Loss Mitigation Non-Monetary Default (September 2025)
- 4. Texas Legislature: Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542, Processing and Settlement of Claims
- 5. Kentucky General Assembly: Kentucky Revised Statutes 304.20-100, Loss run statement to be provided upon request
- 6. Maine Legislature: Maine Revised Statutes Title 24-A, Section 3042, Loss information to be supplied
- 7. Council of the District of Columbia: D.C. Code Section 31-2231.16, Failure to provide claims history
- 8. California Legislature: California Insurance Code Section 679.7