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Aipedia: Fire risk assessors
PI for fire risk assessors usually responds to a negligent assessment whether or not AI helped produce it, subject to the policy terms. The real tests are fire safety and cladding exclusions, the limit and aggregate, and whether AI use was disclosed accurately.
Part of: AI in fire risk assessment
In short
Most PI policies cover claims arising from negligence in the professional services described, and an AI-assisted fire risk assessment is usually still the assessor's professional work. So the use of AI is rarely the deciding factor on its own. What matters more is the wording: fire safety and cladding exclusions or restrictions, aggregate limits that several claims can use up, series clauses that may group claims from one flawed template, and the accuracy of what you told insurers about your methods. There is no statutory PI requirement for fire risk assessors, but NFCC advises clients to ask for proof of sufficient PI.
Fire risk assessors have no statutory PI requirement, and the MHCLG 2026 consultation on mandatory certification does not mention PI. In practice, though, most clients will ask. NFCC guidance tells duty holders to ask for proof of "sufficient professional indemnity insurance" before appointing an assessor, alongside competence and references. Certification schemes may also make PI a condition. The question is therefore less whether you have PI and more whether it would respond to the claims your work, including AI-assisted work, could produce. Our main guide to PI for fire engineers and fire risk assessors covers the basics.
PI is usually written around the services you provide, not the tools you use. A report drafted with AI and issued in your name is generally treated as your professional work, so a negligence claim about it is handled like any other, subject to the terms. Some policies may include AI-specific wording, and insurers may ask about AI at proposal or renewal. No insurer or regulator has published a statement specifically about AI and fire risk assessment PI. See does PI cover AI mistakes for the general position across professions.
For fire risk assessors, the most important terms are often not about AI at all. Fire safety restrictions are common in PI wordings, and they vary. Some exclude cladding and external wall claims, some apply to buildings above a certain height, and some limit cover to negligence or to an aggregate limit for fire safety work. An AI error in an external wall summary or a residential evacuation strategy may fall squarely within such a restriction. Read fire safety and cladding exclusions in PI and AI and external wall information.
Policy structure decides how much cover is actually available:
See aggregate limits explained, aggregation and series clauses and AI for portfolio FRAs.
Under UK insurance law a business must make a fair presentation of the risk. If a proposal form asks how reports are produced, whether you carry out remote assessments, or what premises types you assess, the answers need to reflect how you actually work, including AI drafting and template use. A material change, such as moving to AI-generated reports or remote FRAs, may be worth telling insurers about mid-term. Some policies include an innocent non-disclosure clause, but you should not rely on it. Our guide to documenting AI use for PI helps.
An assessor uses an AI report writer for residential FRAs. In one block, the report repeats a template statement that compartmentation is satisfactory. After a fire, the freeholder claims, and similar wording is found in other reports for the same client. The insurer looks at whether the fire safety restriction applies, whether the claims aggregate, and whether the proposal form described the firm's methods accurately. The use of AI is not the issue; the wording is.
Apex arranges PI for fire risk assessors. A broker can read your wording with you, explain how fire safety restrictions and limits would apply to AI-assisted work, and help you describe your methods accurately. For more, see the fire risk assessment Aipedia hub.
Not usually as such. Policies usually respond to negligent professional services however they were produced, subject to the terms. Some wordings may include AI-specific terms, so check yours, and make sure your proposal answers about AI use and methods are accurate.
If the proposal form asks, answer accurately. Even if it does not, a material change in how you produce assessments may be relevant to a fair presentation of the risk. A broker can advise on what to disclose.
There is no statutory minimum. NFCC tells clients to ask for proof of sufficient PI, and some contracts set a figure. Consider the size of buildings you assess, life-safety exposure and whether your cover is aggregate or each and every claim.
It can, if a series or aggregation clause groups claims from one cause, or if several claims hit an aggregate limit in one year. How this works depends on the exact wording.
Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start a PI quote Request a callbackApex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
