Professional Indemnity Insurance for Surveyors

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Professional Indemnity Insurance for Surveyors

Why Surveyors choose us.

Surveying is one of the established professions, regarded by the Professional Indemnity Insurance Market as a “traditional” profession.

If you are a surveyor, but not a member of the RICS, then there may be no requirement to have PI insurance. There are exceptions – for example, if you are a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) you must have Professional Indemnity Cover. The same applies if you are a member of the NAEA (The National Association of Estate Agents) or ARLA (The Association of Residential Letting Agents).

For a competitive quotation, please complete a Quote Request form or call us on 0345 251 4000.

Irrespective of membership of various associations, the many different types of surveyors will all need good quality professional indemnity insurance. Such is the nature of the market these days, that surveyors recognise that it is good business practice to have cover against potential litigation from a client.

Buying a policy

Unfortunately, professional negligence claims against the surveyors are common – dependent of the type of work undertaken. Even if the surveyor has done nothing wrong, such claims can be costly.

We have experience in working closely with firms to help them secure the best result in defending claims, as well as approaching insurers to explain an individual forms circumstances so that we can negotiate the best possible terms.

Create the right impression

The presentation of your business to insurers is more important than you may think. It will influence the prospective insurer’s perception of your business and therefore if information is badly represented this could influence both their judgement and the premium they offer. Quite simply, they are considering the risk, or not, that your business may pose to them. Ensure all information is clearly provided, along with relevant promotional materials such as a corporate brochure, and website details as appropriate.

How is the premium calculated?

The rating of a surveying firm or any professional indemnity risk is a complex process. Underwriters need to be highly skilled and will require a significant amount of information to enable them to provide a quotation which accurately reflects the risk they are pricing. Premiums are based on many factors which will include:

  • The size of the practice
  • Qualifications and experience. Insurers need to satisfy themselves that a surveyor is suitably qualified to carry out the work undertaken on behalf of his client. In the event that the surveyor is unqualified, insurers normally require a CV in order to establish the extent of the surveyors' experience.
  • The type of work undertaken – and a split of annual income derived from each discipline
  • Claims history
  • The number of partners or directors to staff ratios
  • Firm’s fee income

To assess the risk, the underwriter will require a fully completed proposal form which they will consider in detail. They will also look at the firm’s website or they may even look deeper online into a firm’s background.

What work is considered high risk?

All professional work carries some risk and for the surveying profession this can vary considerably dependent on the area you work in. The list below gives an indication of where the majority of professional indemnity claims come from in your profession:

  • Low risk – estate agency, residential letting, town planning, quantity surveying.
  • Medium risk –  commercial property management, rent reviews and lease renewals, architectural work / design.
  • High risk – land and mineral/hydrographic surveying, project management.

Buying online

Buying online is quick and simple with our quote and buy engine that offers cover ONLY from A rated insurers. Some surveyors will be able to obtain very competitive quotations using our on line system. This typically works well for low risk surveyors with no previous claims and low levels of fee income.

Why us?

We have a wealth of experience in arranging PI insurance for all types or surveyors as well as Estate Agents, Letting Agents and Property Managers. With over 30 years’ market experience we have the level of understanding necessary to represent your firm professionally and confidentially in discussions and negotiations with insurers. Many firms rely on us to arrange robust PI insurance to protect their business and their hard earned reputations. We only use A rated insurance companies to deliver long term insurance and stability and reliability, as well as value.

For a quotation or more information please call us on 0345 251 4000 or email support@professionalindemnity.co.uk.

Finally, we are independent and not tied to any schemes or insurers, so you can be sure that any advice we give is impartial.