As sustainable home building grows in popularity across the Pacific Northwest, homeowners and builders are looking beyond traditional materials. One eco-friendly innovation gaining serious traction is hempcrete, a biocomposite material that offers incredible thermal performance and environmental benefits. 

However, if you're planning to build or buy a hempcrete home, you might hit an unexpected roadblock: securing homeowners insurance. 

What Is Hempcrete? 

Despite its name, hempcrete isn't a structural concrete. It is a lightweight biocomposite made from the woody inner core of the industrial hemp plant (hemp hurds), a hydraulic lime binder, and water. Once mixed, it is tamped into wall cavities around a primary structural frame or laid as pre-cast blocks. Over time, the lime petrifies into a durable, stone-like material. 

Hempcrete vs. Traditional Frame Construction 

While traditional wood-frame construction relies heavily on synthetic insulation and vapor barriers, hempcrete provides an all-in-one natural wall assembly with distinct advantages: 

• Fire Resistance: The high lime content makes hempcrete naturally fire-resistant. 
• Moisture & Mold Control: Hempcrete is vapor-permeable (breathable), absorbing and releasing moisture to prevent mold and rot. 
• Pest Proof: Insects, termites, and rodents cannot penetrate or nest in lime-bound hemp.
• Thermal Performance: High thermal mass helps regulate indoor temperatures year-round, lowering energy bills. 
• Eco-Friendly: Industrial hemp sequesters carbon as it grows, making hempcrete a carbon-negative material. 

Why Is Hempcrete Hard to Insure? 

If hempcrete is fire-resistant and mold-proof, why do many insurance carriers decline coverage? 

1. Lack of Actuarial Data: Standard insurers rely on decades of claims data to price risk. Because hempcrete is relatively new in mainstream U.S. residential building, standard algorithms flag it as high-risk. 
2. Outdated Guidelines: Although hempcrete was added to the International Residential Code (IRC) in 2023, many insurance underwriting rules haven't updated to reflect code approval. 
3. Misclassification: Automated quoting tools often mistake hempcrete for non-standard or unapproved agricultural materials. 

We Have Markets for Hempcrete Construction 

Building an eco-friendly home shouldn't leave you stranded without coverage. At Davidson & Associates Insurance, we work with carriers like Travelers and specialized markets that recognize alternative and green building materials. We know how to present your home correctly to underwriters, so you get complete, fair protection. 

Ready to insure your hempcrete home? Get a homeowners quote from our team today or call or text us at 360-514-9550 to discuss your project!