Guide
Employers' liability: what the law requires
Why almost every UK employer must hold at least £5 million of cover, and what happens if you don't.
Read guideCompare professional indemnity insurance
Protect your business against claims of negligence, mistakes or bad advice. Compare UK professional indemnity cover for consultants, contractors and advisers.
Compare professional indemnity quotesReady to compare professional indemnity insurance?
Run a full market comparison before you commit. It takes about five minutes and there's no obligation to apply.
How professional indemnity insurance works
Professional indemnity insurance covers claims made against your business for negligence, errors, omissions or poor advice that causes a client financial loss.
It's essential for anyone who gives advice, designs, or provides a professional service — accountants, architects, IT consultants, marketing agencies and recruiters are all typical buyers.
Many industry bodies and client contracts make it compulsory, and cover usually pays legal defence costs as well as any settlement or compensation awarded.
What affects the cost of professional indemnity insurance
- Your profession and the services you provide
- Annual turnover or fee income
- Cover limit required by clients or your professional body
- Claims history and how long you've traded
- Retroactive date and run-off cover needs
Why compare professional indemnity insurance with us
Covers advice and design work
Protects against claims that your work or advice caused financial loss.
Meets professional body rules
Many bodies such as RIBA and ICAEW require a minimum limit to practise.
Run-off cover available
Protects you after you close or sell the business for past work.
Premiums by profession
Indicative annual premiums for £250,000 to £1 million of cover, excluding IPT.
| Profession | Typical limit | Annual premium |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing or PR consultant | £250,000 | £150 - £350 |
| IT consultant or developer | £500,000 | £250 - £600 |
| Accountant or bookkeeper | £1,000,000 | £300 - £750 |
| Architect or designer | £1,000,000 | £500 - £1,200 |
| Financial adviser | £2,000,000 | £800 - £2,000 |
Cover limit vs annual cost
Typical cost for a small consultancy with under £250,000 turnover.
| Cover limit | Suits | Typical annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| £100,000 | Freelancers with low-value contracts | £90 - £200 |
| £250,000 | Small consultancies | £150 - £350 |
| £500,000 | Growing agencies and contractors | £250 - £550 |
| £1,000,000 | Larger client contracts, public sector work | £400 - £900 |
Expert advice
Our team reviews UK commercial insurers, policy wordings and typical premiums throughout the year.
“Professional indemnity is about protecting your reputation as much as your bank balance — legal defence costs alone can dwarf the premium within weeks.”
professional indemnity insurance: pros and cons
Pros
- Covers the legal cost of defending a claim, even a groundless one
- Often required to win contracts with larger clients
- Protects your personal finances from a costly mistake
- Run-off cover protects you after you stop trading
Cons
- Doesn't cover deliberate wrongdoing or known issues you failed to disclose
- Claims-made basis means you must keep cover running to stay protected
- Premiums can rise sharply after a claim or for high-risk professions
How to choose a professional indemnity insurance policy
Cover limits and exclusions vary a lot between insurers. Check these points before you buy.
- 1
Check your professional body's minimum
Bodies such as RIBA, ICAEW and the SRA often set a required minimum limit to practise.
- 2
Understand the retroactive date
This determines how far back past work is covered — get it wrong and old work may be excluded.
- 3
Ask about run-off cover
If you close or sell the business, you'll usually need run-off cover for several years afterwards.
- 4
Match the limit to your biggest contract
A single large client contract can expose you well beyond a low cover limit.
Compare professional indemnity insurance
See what's available for your business today. It takes just minutes.
How to compare professional indemnity insurance
It takes a couple of minutes and there is no obligation to buy.
1. Tell us about your business
Trade, turnover, headcount and the cover limits you need.
2. See matched insurers
We shortlist UK insurers and brokers who actually cover your trade.
3. Compare the full policy
Premium, excess, cover limits and exclusions — not just the headline price.
4. Buy your cover
Most policies can be arranged online with your certificate issued the same day.
Things to watch out for
Professional indemnity is written on a 'claims-made' basis — if you let cover lapse, you may not be protected for work done while you were insured.
Failing to disclose a known issue or complaint when you take out cover can invalidate a future claim.
Run-off cover is easy to forget when closing a business, but claims can still arise years later.
Our professional indemnity insurance service
We compare professional indemnity insurance from established UK insurers and brokers so you can see premiums, limits and exclusions side by side.
Comparing is free, and we will say plainly when your existing policy already looks like good value.
Getting started
1
Check your renewal date
Start comparing four to six weeks before renewal so you don't auto-renew onto a higher price.
2
Gather your claims history
Insurers will ask about claims from the last three to five years.
3
Confirm your cover limits
Contracts and clients often set minimum limits you must hold.
Why choose Grow Your Business?
Wide choice of providers
We compare a broad range of UK providers so you can find the option that actually fits how your business operates.
Exclusive offers
We work hard to bring you exclusive deals, switching incentives and cashback where they're available.
Simple and fast
It takes just a few minutes to compare with us — and the deal you find could be well below what you pay today.
Types of professional indemnity insurance
The right policy depends on your trade, size and the contracts you work under.
Consultants and advisers
Covers financial, management, marketing and HR advice given to clients.
IT and tech professionals
Covers software errors, system downtime and data handling mistakes.
Architects and designers
Covers design errors that lead to costly rework or building defects.
Recruitment and staffing
Covers negligent referrals, breach of confidentiality and placement disputes.
Providers we compare
Logos are shown for identification. We are not affiliated with every insurer listed and do not compare the whole market.
Simply Business
AXA
Aviva
Hiscox
Zurich
Allianz
Superscript
Markel
Direct Line for BusinessComparing with us is a no-brainer
“A client disputed our advice eighteen months later. The policy covered the legal costs entirely.”
Naomi, management consultant, Manchester
professional indemnity insurance guides
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Cyber cover after a ransomware attack
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Read guideprofessional indemnity insurance FAQs
Who needs professional indemnity insurance?
Anyone who gives advice, designs something, or provides a professional service — consultants, accountants, architects, IT contractors and marketing agencies all typically need it.
Is it a legal requirement?
Not generally by law, but many professional bodies and client contracts make it compulsory before you can practise or bid for work.
What is run-off cover?
Cover that protects you after you stop trading, since claims about past work can still arise for several years afterwards.
What does 'claims-made' mean?
It means the policy in place when a claim is made responds, not the policy in place when the work was done — so you need continuous cover.
Written by the Grow Your Business editorial team · Updated 26 July 2026