For over three decades, Treacy Duerfeldt has worked in two industries that share responsibility for protecting projects and people, construction and insurance. As founder of Construction Insurance Risk Education (C.I.R.E.), Duerfeldt has made it his mission to close this divide, which he sees as both a training gap and a language barrier.
"In 1989, I was fortunate enough to receive a full year of in-person insurance training before I was allowed to work with clients," he recalls. "That kind of deep, hands-on learning is almost unheard of today." In contrast, most insurance professionals now fulfill their continuing education requirements by reading PDFs, clicking through online slides, and answering multiple-choice questions. "Imagine if construction workers learned only by reading theory," he adds. "You would not trust a plumber who had never actually welded a pipe."
The result is predictable: insurance professionals often approach construction risks in purely theoretical terms, without understanding real-world application. Duerfeldt points to the countless liability or inland marine policies sold to contractors with little explanation beyond price. "When the only goal is to get the certificate, people don't understand what's really covered, or what's not," he says.
In contrast, construction training, particularly in areas like safety certification, requires in-person participation and hands-on testing. "The construction industry is used to training that reflects the reality of the worksite," Duerfeldt explains. "Insurance training should be no different; context and application are everything."
To make that point stick, C.I.R.E.'s curriculum uses storytelling and a conversational approach to illustrate the "why" behind coverage decisions. Duerfeldt often starts with historical examples, like the first recorded construction defect statute from Babylon's King Hammurabi, or memorable case studies such as "The Fat Man in the Bathtub." These stories, he says, make complex insurance concepts relatable and memorable for both contractors and agents.
Without this shared understanding, the consequences cascade: undercoverage, overcoverage, higher premiums, and homeowners left "holding the bag" when something goes wrong. "If you work with a contractor who has the right insurance, you may avoid financial disaster if the unexpected happens," Duerfeldt notes. "But too often, even the professionals advising contractors don't know the right questions to ask."
For him, professional excellence in this space means shifting from being a "peddler" to a true advisor. "If you are just selling product, you are a salesman," he says. "If you are educating clients and tailoring coverage to their specific risks, you are a professional." That requires an understanding of both the contractor's operational reality and the intricacies of insurance products, a combination rarely found without deliberate training.
C.I.R.E.'s programs are built to fill that gap, blending technical accuracy with real-world context and live, interactive sessions. The benefits of this approach reach every stakeholder: contractors get clearer, more relevant coverage options; insurance agents reduce their risk of costly errors and omissions; and homeowners gain protection that actually works when disaster strikes.
Now, Duerfeldt is looking to expand C.I.R.E. 's reach nationwide. The organization is in the process of selecting a national education provider capable of delivering accredited training in all 50 states. "We have validated our content with regulators and real users," he says. "The next step is finding the right partner who shares our commitment to verified learning, not just checking a box."
In an industry where misunderstandings between builders and brokers can lead to multimillion-dollar losses, Construction Insurance Risk Education (C.I.R.E.). offers something rare: a bridge between two worlds that must work together to manage risk effectively. As Duerfeldt puts it, "When construction and insurance finally start speaking the same language, everybody wins."
