Does Trailstone Charge a Fee to Shop Your Insurance?
September 8th, 2026
6 min. read
By Mark Rodgers
Does Trailstone Charge a Fee to Shop Your Insurance?
Written by Trailstone Insurance Group
When you hear that Trailstone shops more than 40 insurance companies for you, do you assume we charge a fee to do it? If a company is comparing 40-plus carriers on your behalf, it seems reasonable to assume that service has to cost you something.
It does cost something. It just does not cost you.
One of the most common questions we hear is what it actually costs to use Trailstone. The short answer is simple: there is no agency fee, shopping fee, or markup for having Trailstone compare insurance carriers on your behalf.
Want Trailstone to shop your insurance?
We can compare options across more than 40 A-rated carriers at no cost to you and with no obligation to switch.
Here's the Short Answer
Trailstone does not charge you a fee to shop your insurance. We are an independent insurance agency, and when we place your policy with an insurance company, that carrier pays us a commission.
That commission is part of the insurance company's normal cost of distributing and servicing its policies. It does not get added to your bill as a separate Trailstone fee.
This is also why comparing more than 40 carriers through Trailstone does not mean paying 40 different fees or paying more because an independent agent is involved. You get the benefit of having multiple companies compared without receiving a separate bill for that shopping service.
Why People Assume Trailstone Charges a Fee
The confusion usually starts with one word: broker.
When most people hear that a company shops multiple providers for them, they picture a middleman who charges a fee on top of whatever they are purchasing. In many industries, that assumption makes sense.
Insurance works differently.
Think using an independent insurance agency costs extra?
Trailstone does not charge an additional fee for comparing carriers on your behalf.
How Auto and Real Estate Brokers Are Different
An auto broker is a useful comparison because the consumer commonly pays the broker directly for helping locate or negotiate a vehicle. That brokerage fee is separate from the cost of the car.
Real estate transactions can also involve commissions that are funded through the economics of the transaction itself.
In both examples, people are accustomed to thinking of a broker or intermediary as someone whose compensation ultimately comes out of the transaction.
That is why consumers sometimes assume an independent insurance agency works the same way. Trailstone's model is different.
How Trailstone Actually Gets Paid
Trailstone is an independent insurance agency, not a fee-for-service insurance broker. When we place your insurance with a carrier, the insurance company pays Trailstone a commission.
Think of it as one of the carrier's normal distribution costs. A direct insurance company may spend heavily on advertising, call centers, technology, and customer acquisition. A carrier that distributes through independent agencies compensates those agencies for helping customers find, purchase, and service policies.
The important point for you is that Trailstone does not add a separate shopping fee or markup to your policy because we compared multiple companies.
No agency fee. No shopping fee. No markup.
Trailstone is compensated by the insurance carrier when coverage is placed, not by charging you a separate fee to compare companies.
Does Using Trailstone Raise Your Insurance Price?
Using Trailstone does not mean we take a carrier's quote and add our own markup on top of it. Insurance premiums are based on the carrier's filed rating structure and the characteristics the company uses to price your particular risk.
You are not receiving a separate Trailstone service charge because an agent helped you compare the policy.
That distinction matters because some people assume buying insurance directly must automatically be cheaper because there is no agent involved. The better question is not simply whether an agent is involved. It is whether you are being placed with the insurance company that fits your situation best.
How Trailstone's Incentives Work
Trailstone earns a commission when we actually place insurance coverage with a carrier. If we review your insurance and determine that keeping what you already have is the better decision, there is no fee for the review.
There is also no obligation to move your policies simply because we compared the market.
That gives us a straightforward job: evaluate your current insurance, compare available alternatives, explain the differences, and let you decide whether changing makes sense.
Not sure whether switching insurance actually makes sense?
Trailstone can review what you already have and compare it against our carrier options. If staying put makes more sense, we will tell you.
Captive Agents and Independent Agents Can Both Be Free to Use
Another important distinction is that using a captive insurance agent generally does not mean paying the agent a separate fee either.
So if both a captive agent and an independent agency can help you without charging a separate consumer fee, cost is not the most useful way to compare them.
The better question is how many insurance companies that agent can actually put to work for you.
The Bigger Difference Is Choice
A captive agent represents one insurance company or a very limited group of affiliated companies. If that company's pricing, underwriting rules, or coverage structure does not fit your household or business, the agent has limited alternatives.
Trailstone is independent and works with more than 40 A-rated insurance carriers. When one company's rates or underwriting do not fit your situation, we can compare other carriers without requiring you to start the entire shopping process over with another agency.
That ability becomes especially valuable at renewal. Your best carrier today may not be your best carrier several years from now. Rates change, underwriting appetite changes, your household changes, and the insurance market changes.
Why shop one insurance company when you can compare more than 40?
Trailstone can compare carriers for your home, auto, umbrella, and commercial insurance without charging you a separate shopping fee.
What Does It Actually Cost to Use Trailstone?
For the insurance shopping and review process described here, the cost to you is zero.
- No separate agency fee for comparing carriers.
- No shopping fee for reviewing more than 40 insurance companies.
- No Trailstone markup added to the carrier's insurance premium.
- No charge for a complimentary insurance review.
- No obligation to switch if the comparison does not produce a better option.
Trailstone is paid by the carrier when we place your insurance coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Trailstone charge a fee to shop my insurance?
No. Trailstone does not charge you a separate shopping fee for comparing insurance options across our carrier network.
How does Trailstone make money?
When Trailstone places your policy with an insurance carrier, that carrier pays the agency a commission. You do not receive a separate bill from Trailstone for the shopping process.
Does Trailstone add a markup to my insurance premium?
No. Trailstone does not take a carrier's insurance premium and add an agency markup on top of it.
Is buying insurance directly from a company always cheaper?
No. Buying direct does not automatically mean getting the lowest price. Different insurance companies rate customers differently, which is why comparing multiple carriers can matter more than whether you purchase directly or through an agent.
Does a captive insurance agent charge a fee?
Generally, captive insurance agents also do not charge consumers a separate fee simply for purchasing a policy. The major difference is carrier choice. A captive agent represents one company or a limited group, while Trailstone can compare options across more than 40 A-rated carriers.
Do I have to switch insurance companies after Trailstone reviews my policy?
No. There is no obligation to switch. If your current insurance remains the best fit after the comparison, you can keep it.
What happens if Trailstone cannot beat my current insurance?
We will tell you. The purpose of the review is to determine whether changing coverage actually makes sense, not to move a policy simply for the sake of moving it.
How many insurance companies does Trailstone work with?
Trailstone works with more than 40 A-rated insurance carriers across the markets we serve.
Can Trailstone shop both personal and commercial insurance?
Yes. Trailstone works with personal insurance clients as well as businesses and can compare coverage across multiple carriers depending on the type of risk and state.
What states does Trailstone serve?
Trailstone Insurance Group is licensed in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Kansas.
What to Do Next
- Pull out your current policies. Having your declarations pages available makes it easier to compare equivalent coverage.
- Look beyond the premium. Limits, deductibles, exclusions, and endorsements matter just as much as price.
- Ask how many carriers your current agent can actually compare. More options can matter when rates or underwriting change.
- Request a complimentary review. There is no separate fee for having Trailstone compare your insurance options.
- Keep the written comparison. Even if you decide not to switch, knowing how your current insurance compares to the market gives you useful information for your next renewal.
Your Next Step
If you would like Trailstone to review your current insurance, reach out through our website or give us a call. We can compare available options across more than 40 A-rated carriers and explain what we find in plain English.
There is no fee for the review and no obligation to switch. Trailstone will also provide a written summary you can keep for your records.
See what more than 40 insurance carriers can offer you.
Get a complimentary Trailstone insurance review with no shopping fee and no obligation to switch.
Trailstone Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency licensed in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Kansas and works with more than 40 A-rated insurance carriers.
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