Compare Professional Indemnity Insurance Providers UK
Compare Professional Services, Claims-Made Wording, Retroactive Dates, Cover Limits, Defence Costs, Civil-Liability Extensions, Run-Off, Pricing And Complete Policy Cost
Compare professional indemnity insurance UK providers by insured professional services, negligent advice, errors and omissions, designs, calculations, certification, breach of professional duty, confidentiality, defamation, intellectual-property extensions, loss of documents, civil-liability wording, claims-made basis, retroactive date, continuous cover, notification of circumstances, defence costs, excess, subconsultants, joint ventures, contractual liability, territorial and jurisdiction limits, run-off, insurer identity, FCA status, annual premium, Insurance Premium Tax, instalment costs, fees, renewal, cancellation and complete policy documents. Give every provider the same legal entity, services, fee income, client sectors, contracts, subcontracted work, overseas exposure, claims history, required limit, retroactive date and inception deadline before comparing proposals.
Protect Advice, Designs And Professional Services
Professional indemnity insurance is designed for allegations that professional work, advice, designs, calculations, certification, errors or omissions caused a client or another party loss.
- Define every professional service, deliverable and client sector
- Preserve continuous claims-made cover and the correct retroactive date
- Match the limit to contracts, regulators and credible loss scenarios
- Notify claims and circumstances before renewal, cancellation or cessation
Professional indemnity insurance can cover compensation and legal defence costs when a client alleges that negligent advice, an error, an omission, a design, a calculation, a certification or another professional service caused financial loss or damage. Depending on the wording, extensions can address breach of confidentiality, defamation, infringement of intellectual property, loss of documents, dishonest acts by employees and costs to mitigate or correct a problem.
It is not a universal statutory requirement for every UK business. However, some regulators, professional bodies, trade associations, clients and contracts require specified limits and wording. The buyer must check the rules that apply to the exact profession and contract rather than relying on a general description.
This page remains within professional indemnity insurance and financial-loss claims arising from professional services. Physical injury or property-damage exposures and employee injury or occupational-disease claims sit within separate policy decisions linked near the end of the page.
Choose The Right Professional Indemnity Insurance Route
Match the buying route to profession, fee income, contract values, regulatory wording, technical complexity, overseas exposure and the need for advice.
| Buying Model | What It Usually Includes | Best-Fit Question |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Online Small-Business Policy | Digital quotation, selected limits, immediate documents and self-service administration for eligible consultants, freelancers and lower-complexity professional risks. | Can the online questions define all services, contracts, client sectors and past work accurately? |
| Broker Comparison Route | A broker discusses services, claims-made continuity and contract terms, approaches insurers and supports placement, renewal and claims communication. | Which insurers were considered, what advice is provided and how are fees and commission disclosed? |
| Sector-Specific Professional Wording | Policy wording developed for professions such as accountants, architects, engineers, surveyors, consultants, recruitment firms, media businesses or technology providers. | Does the wording meet the regulator, professional body, client and contract requirements for this profession? |
| Civil-Liability Professional Policy | Broader civil-liability wording can respond to defined liabilities beyond negligence-only or errors-and-omissions cover, subject to exclusions. | Which civil liabilities, confidentiality, defamation, intellectual-property and document extensions are included? |
| Construction And Design Professional Cover | Specialist underwriting for design, engineering, surveying, project management, certification, collateral warranties and design-and-build obligations. | Are cladding, fire safety, basements, swimming pools, fitness-for-purpose terms and contractual warranties accepted? |
| Technology, Media And Creative Professional Cover | Wording tailored to software, technology, telecommunications, marketing, media, publishing, design and information-handling services. | How are specifications, deliverables, intellectual property, confidentiality, defamation and outsourced services treated? |
| Regulated Profession Placement | Cover arranged to a mandatory minimum wording, limit, excess, insurer or run-off standard set by a regulator or professional body. | Does the final policy comply with every current mandatory term rather than merely carrying the right title? |
| Run-Off Or Cessation Cover | Continued claims-made protection for past work after retirement, sale, merger, closure or cessation of a professional service. | How long must cover remain, which retroactive date applies and who funds or administers future notifications? |
Eight Areas That Determine Professional Indemnity Policy Fit
Use the same legal entity, professional services, fee income, contracts, past work, claims history, limit and payment assumptions for every provider.
Comparison Criterion
Insured Professional Services
Compare the schedule definition of professional services with every activity, deliverable, design, calculation, specification, certification, report, recommendation, training, project role and secondary service supplied. Require written acceptance for new work, acquired businesses, prior trading names and services performed by subcontractors or joint ventures.
Comparison Criterion
Claims-Made Basis And Retroactive Date
Professional indemnity is commonly arranged on a claims-made basis. The policy generally needs to be active when the claim or circumstance is notified, and the work must fall on or after the retroactive date. Preserve uninterrupted cover, correct prior work dates and clear notification when changing insurer, cancelling or ceasing.
Comparison Criterion
Limit Of Indemnity And Aggregation
Compare limits from £50,000 to several million pounds where available and determine whether the limit applies to each claim or all claims in the period. Check defence costs inside or outside the limit, one originating cause, aggregation, sublimits, regulator or contract minimums and whether group companies share capacity.
Comparison Criterion
Negligence, Civil Liability And Extensions
Review whether the policy responds only to negligence or uses broader civil-liability wording. Compare breach of professional duty, confidentiality, defamation, intellectual-property infringement, loss of documents, dishonesty, mitigation, court attendance, investigation costs and other extensions that match the service.
Comparison Criterion
Contracts, Warranties And Assumed Liability
Examine contractual liability, indemnities, hold-harmless clauses, liquidated damages, performance guarantees, fitness-for-purpose obligations, collateral warranties, novation, assignment, caps and limitation-of-liability clauses. Insurance should be compared against signed and proposed contracts, not a generic service description.
Comparison Criterion
Excess, Defence Costs And Claims Control
Compare the excess by claim type, whether it applies to defence costs, insurer consent, appointed solicitors, settlement control, admissions, rectification and mitigation. Establish whether legal costs erode the available limit and how uninsured commercial disputes are separated from covered allegations.
Comparison Criterion
Subconsultants, Outsourcing And Overseas Work
Confirm cover for subcontracted professional services, consultants, freelancers, joint ventures, consortiums, acquired entities and work performed overseas. Review territorial limits, jurisdiction, local-law exposure, United States or Canadian work, responsibility for others and evidence required from subconsultants.
Comparison Criterion
Notification, Run-Off, Provider Status And Cost
Compare what constitutes a claim or circumstance, notification timing, renewal declarations, run-off availability, retroactive continuity, insurer identity, broker role, FCA status, claims service, annual premium, Insurance Premium Tax, instalment cost, fees, cancellation and access to documents after cessation.
Measures To Define Before Selecting A Professional Indemnity Provider
Translate cover claims into written service, continuity, contract, wording, claims and commercial evidence.
| Measure | What It Should Define | Evidence To Request | Common Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Every advice, design, calculation, certification, report, implementation and secondary service | Schedule, proposal, statement of fact, service catalogue, contracts and written insurer confirmation | The policy uses a broad occupation label but excludes a material deliverable |
| Retroactive continuity | The earliest date from which past professional work can be considered | Prior schedules, uninterrupted renewal evidence, retroactive date and no-known-circumstance declaration | A new policy starts with an inception-only retroactive date |
| Claims-made notification | Which claims, complaints, errors and circumstances must be notified and when | Wording, claims guide, renewal questions, contact route and circumstance examples | The business waits for formal proceedings before notifying |
| Limit and costs | The amount available for compensation and defence across one or several claims | Schedule, each-claim or aggregate basis, costs wording, sublimits and contract minimums | Defence costs substantially erode the limit without the buyer modelling the effect |
| Civil-liability scope | Which professional liabilities and extensions are covered beyond negligence | Wording, IP, confidentiality, defamation, lost-documents and dishonesty clauses | Marketing language lists extensions that are absent from the selected wording |
| Contract exposure | The difference between ordinary legal liability and liability assumed by contract | Client contracts, warranties, indemnities, liability caps and insurer review | The business signs fitness-for-purpose or unlimited indemnity terms without approval |
| Subconsultants and joint work | Responsibility for outsourced services, joint ventures and specialist contributors | Subcontracts, appointment terms, insurance certificates, limits and policy definition | The buyer assumes another consultant’s policy protects the prime contractor |
| Territory and jurisdiction | Where services are performed and where claims may be brought | Country list, client domicile, contract law, jurisdiction clause and insurer confirmation | Worldwide services are declared but United States claims remain excluded |
| Run-off and cessation | How past work remains protected after retirement, sale, merger or closure | Run-off quote, duration, retroactive date, claims contact, funding and record owner | The policy is cancelled immediately after the last project |
| Provider verification and cost | The insurer, intermediary, claims handler and complete annual commercial position | FCA Firm Checker, policy documents, terms of business, premium, IPT, finance and fees | The buyer compares monthly instalments without insurer or annual-total verification |
Professional Indemnity Insurance Providers UK Businesses Can Consider
Shortlist providers whose professional-services appetite, claims-made wording, limit, retroactive continuity, claims model, regulated role and complete cost fit the business. Confirm current written terms before purchase.
Provider Profile
Allianz Insurance
Allianz provides Complete Professional Indemnity for eligible SMEs through brokers and Professional Indemnity Select for larger or more complex businesses. Include it where sector-specific wordings, civil-liability cover, specialist contractors, professional-body requirements or broker-led placement are important. Confirm the applicable product, professional services, limit, exclusions, retroactive date, claims service, insurer, broker fees and run-off arrangements.
Review official Allianz professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
AXA Business Insurance
AXA provides a direct online professional indemnity route for many eligible professions, with published limits from £100,000 to £5 million and run-off potentially available to existing customers closing a business. Include it where the activities can be described accurately online. Confirm services, civil-liability extensions, retroactive date, excess, legal costs, territorial scope, claims route, total cost and cessation terms.
Review official AXA professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
Direct Line For Business
Direct Line for Business offers direct professional indemnity cover for eligible consultants, contractors, designers and other service businesses. Include it where the buyer values direct administration and a configurable business policy. Confirm defined professional services, client financial-loss wording, continuous cover, contracts, excess, defence costs, claims notification, renewal, cancellation and any profession-specific restrictions.
Review official Direct Line for Business professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
Hiscox
Hiscox provides direct professional indemnity insurance for a broad range of eligible professional-service businesses. Published cover includes negligence, mistakes, poor advice and selected extensions such as defamation, confidentiality and copyright, subject to wording. Include it where a configurable direct route and specialist claims support are valued. Confirm limit, retroactive date, contracts, subconsultants, excess, run-off and complete cost.
Review official Hiscox professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
Markel Direct
Markel Direct offers online professional indemnity for eligible professions and currently advertises selected cover from £8 per month based on a narrowly defined IT-contractor example. Its guidance emphasises claims-made continuity and retroactive dates. Include it where the occupation fits its direct model. Confirm services, limit, extensions, excess, past work, notification, run-off, payment assumptions and exclusions.
Review official Markel Direct professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
PolicyBee
PolicyBee is an online specialist business-insurance broker offering professional indemnity cover for consultants, professionals, freelancers, charities and other eligible organisations. Its guidance states that cover generally needs to be active when the work was done and when the claim is made. Include it where the buyer wants broker support. Confirm insurer panel, advice basis, wording, retroactive date, fees, claims route, renewal and run-off.
Review official PolicyBee professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
Premierline
Premierline is a business-insurance broker providing adviser-led professional indemnity quotations across varied professional sectors. Include it where services, contracts, claims history, higher limits or sector-specific wording need discussion rather than a purely automated journey. Confirm insurers approached, recommendation, regulatory wording, excess, claims support, broker fees, renewal, cancellation and run-off.
Review official Premierline professional indemnity informationProvider Profile
Simply Business
Simply Business is a broker and comparison service presenting quotations from several insurer brands for eligible sole traders, partnerships and companies. It currently publishes limits from £50,000 to £5 million depending on business type and selected pricing examples. Include it where the buyer wants several routes through one application. Confirm underlying insurer, wording, retroactive date, excess, monthly finance, claims partner, renewal and run-off.
Review official Simply Business professional indemnity informationWhat Changes Professional Indemnity Insurance Cost UK 2026
Compare the complete cost of suitable claims-made wording and continuity—not the lowest advertised monthly figure.
| Cost Driver | Why It Changes Premium | What A Comparable Quote Should Show |
|---|---|---|
| Profession and services | Advice, designs, calculations, certification and specialist services create different claim frequency and severity | Exact service description, deliverables, qualifications and percentage fee split |
| Annual fee income | Higher fees can indicate more engagements, contractual responsibility and claim values | Actual and projected UK and overseas fee income by service |
| Maximum contract and project value | Large contracts and consequential financial exposure can produce higher-severity claims | Largest fee, project value, client dependency and liability cap |
| Cover limit and basis | Higher limits and each-claim wording generally increase insurer exposure | Required limit, each-claim or aggregate basis, costs and sublimits |
| Client sectors and territories | Financial services, construction, healthcare, regulated sectors and overseas clients can change appetite | Sector percentages, countries, contract law and jurisdiction |
| Claims and circumstances | Prior allegations, disputes, errors and notifications can indicate future risk | Five-year or requested history, facts, values, status and remediation |
| Past work and retroactive date | A broader retroactive date exposes the insurer to claims from more historic services | Continuous-cover evidence, prior policies and earliest work date |
| Subconsultants and joint ventures | Responsibility for third-party professional work can widen exposure | Fees paid, services outsourced, contracts, insurance checks and joint arrangements |
| Contractual terms | Unlimited liability, warranties, indemnities and fitness-for-purpose obligations can exceed ordinary negligence | Standard terms, major client contracts, caps and legal review |
| Payment method and fees | Monthly finance, intermediary charges and administration can increase total payable | Annual premium, IPT, deposit, instalment total, broker and change fees |
| Indicative Commercial Model | Typical Position | What Must Be Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Direct Policy | The full annual premium is paid for a 12-month claims-made policy | Limit, services, retroactive date, annual total, IPT, fees and cancellation |
| Monthly Instalment Plan | The annual premium is financed or collected through instalments | Deposit, APR or finance charge, total payable and risk of cancellation after missed payments |
| Broker-Placed Policy | An intermediary arranges cover with an insurer and may charge fees or receive commission | Insurer, advice basis, market approach, fees, claims role, renewal and run-off support |
| Run-Off Policy | Claims-made protection continues for past work after cessation or sale | Duration, retroactive date, annual or prepaid cost, notification route and ownership of records |
Match The Provider To The Professional Service And Contract Risk
The right shortlist depends on services, qualifications, contract values, client sectors, regulatory requirements, historical work and claims complexity.
Freelancer, Consultant Or Small Advisory Firm
Prioritise accurate services, client contracts, retroactive continuity, low administration, practical limits, confidentiality and intellectual-property extensions, clear excesses, online documents and a claims route that remains available when a dispute begins informally.
Designer, Engineer, Surveyor Or Construction Professional
Prioritise sector wording, design responsibility, certification, collateral warranties, fitness-for-purpose terms, cladding and fire-safety restrictions, subconsultants, joint ventures, large project values, high limits and specialist broker or legal review.
Technology, Media Or Creative Services Business
Prioritise software and specification obligations, service failures, project delay, intellectual property, confidentiality, defamation, outsourced specialists, client data, overseas contracts, limitation clauses, mitigation and wording that matches each deliverable.
Regulated, Multi-Entity Or Cessation Risk
Prioritise regulator or professional-body minimum wording, group companies, acquisitions, past trading names, claims-made reporting, retroactive dates, aggregate or each-claim limits, financial strength, continuous records and funded run-off after sale, retirement or closure.
How To Compare Professional Indemnity Insurance Proposals
Issue one professional-risk pack containing every legal entity and prior trading name, full service description, qualifications, annual fee income, largest client and contract, client sectors, overseas income, standard terms, liability caps, warranties, subconsultants, joint ventures, prior policies, retroactive date, claims and circumstances, required limit, regulator or professional-body terms, intended cessation plans and payment preference. Require the provider to return a completed wording, continuity and commercial schedule rather than a premium-only summary.
- Every provider accepts the same professional services and past work
- Retroactive dates, claims-made notification and run-off are directly comparable
- Limits, costs, excesses, extensions and exclusions are returned in writing
- Contractual liability and subconsultant responsibilities are demonstrated
- Insurer, intermediary and claims handler are identified
- Annual and monthly totals include IPT, finance and fees
Compare The Same Professional Claim End To End
Ask each provider how the policy would respond if a client alleges negligent advice, a design or calculation error, breach of confidentiality, failure by a subconsultant and a circumstance discovered just before renewal.
A low premium is not a strong result when the work predates the retroactive date, the service falls outside the schedule or a contract creates uninsured liability.
Six Questions To Put To Every Professional Indemnity Provider
The answers expose service gaps, broken continuity, unsuitable contracts, weak claims handling and incomplete annual costs.
Which Professional Services And Past Work Are Covered?
Request the exact schedule definition, incidental services, prior trading names, acquired work, subconsultants, joint ventures, retroactive date and treatment of services changed during the policy.
How Does The Claims-Made Basis Operate?
Confirm claim and circumstance definitions, notification timing, innocent late notification, continuity when changing insurer, no-known-circumstance declarations and renewal obligations.
How Do Limits, Defence Costs And Excesses Apply?
Obtain each-claim or aggregate basis, one-originating-cause wording, legal costs inside or outside the limit, sublimits, excess by allegation and regulator or contract compliance.
Which Civil Liabilities And Contract Terms Are Accepted?
Ask about confidentiality, defamation, intellectual property, lost documents, dishonesty, warranties, indemnities, fitness for purpose, liability caps, liquidated damages and mitigation.
How Are Subconsultants, Overseas Clients And Claims Managed?
Request responsibility for outsourced work, insurance checks, territorial and jurisdiction limits, appointed solicitors, consent, admissions, rectification, escalation and complaint procedures.
What Is The Complete Annual Cost And Run-Off Position?
Obtain premium, IPT, deposit, instalment total, finance, broker and administration fees, policy changes, cancellation, renewal, cessation, run-off duration and document access.
A Seven-Stage Professional Indemnity Provider Evaluation
Move from verified services and contracts to tested claims-made wording and continuity rather than selecting a policy from price alone.
- Create a verified professional-risk baseline covering legal entities, prior names, services, fee income, client sectors, contracts, subconsultants, territories, past work, claims and current policies.
- Define regulatory, professional-body and client requirements, including minimum wording, limit, excess, insurer, territorial, run-off and evidence obligations.
- Prepare a prioritised requirement catalogue covering claims-made continuity, retroactive date, civil liability, contracts, extensions, exclusions, claims, run-off and complete cost.
- Issue one quotation brief and scripted claim set using the same services, fee income, limits, contracts, history, retroactive date, inception date and payment assumptions.
- Shortlist providers by profession appetite, wording, limit, retroactive continuity, claims capability, financial strength, regulated status, adviser support and complete cost.
- Complete due diligence and document review. Check FCA status, insurer identity, IPID, wording, schedule, statement of fact, retroactive date, endorsements, fees and claims instructions.
- Purchase only after correcting inaccuracies. Preserve continuous cover, notify circumstances, control contracts and subconsultants, retain documents and arrange run-off before cessation.
Professional Indemnity Insurance Comparison Checklist
Use this table before purchasing, changing, renewing or ending professional indemnity cover.
| No. | Requirement | Evidence To Obtain Before Purchase | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Professional indemnity service boundary retained | The comparison remains focused on professional advice, services, designs, errors and client financial-loss allegations | |
| 02 | Every legal entity and prior name declared | Current companies, partnerships, sole-trader names, acquisitions and predecessor practices | |
| 03 | Every professional service accepted | Advice, designs, calculations, certification, implementation, reports and incidental activities | |
| 04 | Fee income and contract values verified | Actual and forecast fees, largest clients, projects, contracts and liability caps | |
| 05 | Regulator and client requirements recorded | Mandatory wording, minimum limit, excess, insurer, evidence and run-off terms | |
| 06 | Claims-made basis understood | Claim and circumstance definitions, notification timing and renewal declarations | |
| 07 | Retroactive date preserves past work | Continuous-cover evidence and earliest accepted professional service date | |
| 08 | Limit and defence-cost basis approved | Each claim or aggregate, costs inside or outside, sublimits and one-cause aggregation | |
| 09 | Civil-liability extensions accepted | Confidentiality, defamation, intellectual property, lost documents and dishonesty | |
| 10 | Contracts and warranties reviewed | Indemnities, fitness for purpose, collateral warranties, caps and liquidated damages | |
| 11 | Subconsultants and joint work controlled | Contracts, insurance checks, responsibility, joint ventures and acquired work | |
| 12 | Territory and jurisdiction suitable | Countries, courts, contract law, overseas clients and excluded jurisdictions | |
| 13 | Claims process tested | Notification, solicitors, admissions, mitigation, rectification, escalation and complaints | |
| 14 | Provider and insurer verified | FCA status, insurer, intermediary, claims handler and terms of business | |
| 15 | Three-year cost and run-off complete | Premium, IPT, finance, fees, changes, renewal, cancellation, cessation and run-off |
Common Professional Indemnity Insurance Buying Mistakes
Most avoidable problems begin with incomplete services, broken claims-made continuity, unsuitable contracts or price-led selection.
| Mistake | Why It Creates Risk | Better Control |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a policy with an incomplete service description | A claim can arise from a deliverable or activity outside the scheduled professional services | List every service and obtain written insurer acceptance |
| Allowing a break in claims-made cover | A later claim may be uninsured even when the work was performed during an earlier policy | Maintain continuous cover and coordinate renewal before expiry |
| Accepting an incorrect retroactive date | Past work before the date can fall outside the policy | Use prior schedules and uninterrupted-cover evidence |
| Choosing a limit from the fee alone | A small fee can create a client loss far greater than the amount charged | Assess contract value, consequential loss and defence costs |
| Signing unlimited or fitness-for-purpose obligations | The contract can create liability beyond the policy’s ordinary coverage | Use legal review, liability caps and insurer approval |
| Assuming all extensions are standard | Confidentiality, intellectual property, defamation and lost documents vary by wording | Compare the selected policy and endorsements line by line |
| Ignoring subconsultant and joint-venture exposure | The business can remain responsible for work performed by others | Use contracts, insurance checks and explicit policy confirmation |
| Waiting for a formal claim before notifying | Known circumstances may need notification during the current policy period | Create a complaint, error and circumstance escalation process |
| Cancelling cover immediately after closure | Claims can be made later for work completed before cessation | Arrange suitable run-off before sale, retirement or closure |
| Comparing monthly prices without insurer and wording checks | The insurer, limit, excess, retroactive date, fees and finance can differ | Compare the annual total and complete policy documents |
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions from UK businesses comparing professional services, claims-made wording, retroactive dates, limits, extensions, run-off and pricing.
What Is Professional Indemnity Insurance?
Professional indemnity insurance can cover compensation and legal defence costs when a client alleges that negligent advice, an error, an omission, a design, a calculation, a certification or another professional service caused financial loss or damage. Exact cover depends on the insured services, wording, limit and exclusions.
Is Professional Indemnity Insurance Compulsory In The UK?
It is not a universal legal requirement for every business. However, some regulators, professional bodies, trade associations and client contracts require specified professional indemnity limits and wording. Businesses should check the rules that apply to their exact profession and engagements.
Who Needs Professional Indemnity Insurance?
Businesses that provide advice, consultancy, designs, calculations, certification, reports, technology, creative work or other specialist services should assess it. It is also relevant where a business handles client information, intellectual property or contractually accepts responsibility for professional deliverables.
What Does Claims-Made Professional Indemnity Insurance Mean?
Claims-made cover generally requires the policy to be active when a claim or notifiable circumstance is reported. The work must also fall within the accepted retroactive period. Maintaining continuous cover and notifying circumstances before expiry or cancellation are therefore critical.
What Is A Retroactive Date In Professional Indemnity Insurance?
The retroactive date is the earliest date from which professional work can be considered under the policy, subject to the other terms. Work completed before that date is normally excluded. Continuous prior insurance can allow the retroactive date to follow the business when it changes insurer.
How Much Professional Indemnity Cover Does A Business Need?
The limit should reflect regulator or professional-body rules, client contracts, project and transaction values, credible client loss, defence costs and whether the limit is each claim or aggregate. Common SME options range from tens of thousands to several million pounds, depending on profession and provider.
Does Professional Indemnity Insurance Cover Breach Of Confidentiality Or Copyright?
Many policies include selected extensions for unintentional breach of confidentiality, defamation, infringement of intellectual property, loss of documents or dishonest acts by employees. These are not uniform. Buyers should compare the selected wording, sublimits, exclusions and consent requirements.
Does Professional Indemnity Insurance Cover Subcontractors?
Some policies cover liability arising from subcontracted professional services, while others impose conditions or exclude certain specialists. The prime business may remain responsible to the client. Declare all outsourcing, use written contracts and check the subcontractor’s own limit and retroactive cover.
What Is Professional Indemnity Run-Off Cover?
Run-off is continued claims-made protection for professional work completed before a business retires, closes, sells or stops a service. The required duration depends on contracts, limitation periods, regulator or professional-body rules and the possibility of delayed discovery of an error.
How Should UK Businesses Compare Professional Indemnity Providers?
Give every insurer or broker the same legal entities, services, fee income, contracts, territories, subconsultants, past work, claims history, required limit, retroactive date and payment assumptions. Compare wording, extensions, exclusions, excess, defence costs, claims service, annual total, fees, renewal, cancellation and run-off.
Official Guidance And Provider Resources
Reviewed by Bhav Giva, Founder & Lead Analyst at CompareServices.co.uk, on 5 August 2026.
Use current ABI, FCA, GOV.UK and provider documentation to verify professional-service definitions, regulator and professional-body requirements, claims-made wording, retroactive dates, limits, extensions, exclusions, notification, run-off, insurer and intermediary status, pricing examples, Insurance Premium Tax, fees and contract terms. Insurance appetite, premiums and policy wording can change. Obtain legal or appropriately authorised insurance advice where services, contracts, regulatory requirements, claims or cessation arrangements are complex.
- Association of British Insurers — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Association of British Insurers — Business Insurance
- FCA — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- FCA — Buying Professional Indemnity Insurance Factsheet
- FCA — Professional Indemnity Insurance Distributors
- FCA — FCA Firm Checker
- FCA — Financial Services Register
- GOV.UK — Insuring Your Business
- GOV.UK — Insurance Premium Tax
- Allianz — Complete Professional Indemnity
- AXA — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Direct Line For Business — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Hiscox — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Markel Direct — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- PolicyBee — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Premierline — Professional Indemnity Insurance
- Simply Business — Professional Indemnity Insurance