Buying process
What documents and information insurers need for a PI application
What to have ready before applying for Professional Indemnity cover, so your quote is accurate the first time.
Key takeaways
- ✓Most applications need financial, contractual and claims-history information — not just a completed form
- ✓Refer-only professions typically need a more detailed submission than professions eligible for instant online quotes
- ✓Having your largest contract value and claims history ready in advance materially speeds up underwriting
- ✓Incomplete or inaccurate information is one of the most common causes of quote delay or a later coverage dispute
Core information every application needs
Regardless of profession, most PI applications require a consistent core set of details.
- Business or practice name and registration details
- Annual turnover or professional fee income
- Number of principals, directors and employees
- Years in business
- Largest client or contract value
- Claims and notified circumstances over the past 5 years
- Desired limit of indemnity and excess
Profession-specific additions
Beyond the core set, most professions face specific follow-up questions: FSP number and category for insurance brokers, engineering discipline and structural or mining exposure for engineers, or the split between consulting, SaaS, hosting and managed services for IT and software businesses. Check your specific profession page on this site for the exact information typically requested.
Why refer-only professions need more
Professions outside the automated online-rating band are priced individually by a specialist underwriter rather than from a standard rate table, so they typically require a fuller submission — project examples, sector breakdown, and sometimes background on the principals involved.
Getting it right the first time
Accuracy matters beyond just speed. The information you disclose in your application forms the basis of your cover, and a material misstatement can be grounds for a declined claim later — even years after the policy was issued.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Not usually for standard applications — management figures or your latest annual turnover are typically sufficient. Larger or refer-only submissions may ask for more detail.