Changing PI insurance broker: planning consultants

Why planning consultancies switch broker

The common reasons are familiar: renewal terms arrived late or barely explained, the premium moved and nobody said why, or the broker clearly does not understand what a planning consultancy actually does. Planning work often sits in a miscellaneous professions category, and a broker who cannot describe the difference between application work, appeals, expert evidence and strategic land advice is poorly placed to present your risk to insurers.

Service failures show up at the worst moments. If you have to chase for a certificate every time a local authority framework asks for evidence of cover, or an appointment's insurance clause gets a shrug instead of an answer, those are reasonable grounds to look elsewhere.

It is worth being clear about what a switch is. Changing broker means changing who arranges and services your insurance; it does not necessarily mean changing insurer. A new broker may recommend staying with your current insurer on better-managed terms, or moving the risk. Both are legitimate outcomes.

The claims-made point that makes switching different

PI policies are written on a claims-made basis: the policy that responds is the one in force when the claim is made, not when the work was done. Planning advice has a long tail. A viability opinion or a flood-risk judgement can sit quietly for years before a scheme stalls and someone starts looking for a defendant.

That is why the retroactive date matters more than anything else in a broker move. It is the date before which work is not covered, and for an established consultancy it should sit at the start of your unbroken insurance history. If a new policy is set up with a later retroactive date, everything before it becomes permanently uninsured, however long you were covered at the time.

So the golden rules are simple. No gap, however short, between the old policy ending and the new one starting. And the retroactive date on the new policy must match the old one. A competent broker will check both without being asked; you should still ask.

Mid-term or at renewal?

Most broker changes happen at renewal, and for good reason. The old policy runs its full term, the new arrangement starts cleanly, and nobody argues about return premiums. If you are unhappy mid-year, the practical move is often to appoint the new broker ahead of renewal so they have time to prepare the market properly rather than scrambling in the final week.

A mid-term move is possible. You can transfer the servicing of an existing policy to a new broker using a letter of appointment, leaving the insurer and the policy untouched. Cancelling a policy mid-term to start afresh elsewhere is rarely worthwhile: cancellation terms vary, and a brand-new policy raises exactly the retroactive date questions you are trying to avoid.

Give yourself time. Approaching a new broker four to six weeks before renewal lets them ask proper questions, approach insurers in an orderly way and come back with terms you can actually compare, rather than a single quote produced in a hurry.

What a new broker will need from you

Expect to complete a proposal form or provide an up-to-date presentation of the practice: what you do, for whom, and in what proportions. For a planning consultancy the fee split matters, because the risk profile of householder applications, major applications, appeals, expert witness work and strategic land advice differs. An accurate split gets you accurate terms.

You will need your claims and circumstances history, usually for the past several years, including anything notified even if nothing came of it. Under the Insurance Act 2015 you owe insurers a fair presentation of the risk; an incomplete claims history is the classic way policies become contestable later.

Have your current schedule and wording to hand, plus your existing retroactive date and limit. Appointments with onerous insurance clauses are worth showing the new broker too, so the cover they recommend actually matches what you have promised clients contractually.

Comparing what comes back

Do not compare on premium alone. Check the limit and whether it is any-one-claim or aggregate, the excess, the retroactive date, the description of activities, and any exclusions or conditions that differ from your current wording. A cheaper policy that excludes appeal work or expert evidence is not cheaper; it is narrower.

Ask how the recommended insurer handles claims and circumstances notifications, and what the broker's own service looks like in year: who answers questions about appointment clauses, how quickly certificates arrive, and what happens at the next renewal. The point of switching is a better arrangement, not just a different one.

Frequently asked questions

Will changing broker reset my retroactive date?

It should not, and a properly handled move will preserve it. If you stay with the same insurer nothing changes. If you move insurer, the new policy should carry the same retroactive date as the old one; check the new schedule before the old policy ends and query any difference.

Can I change PI broker mid-term without changing insurer?

Yes. A letter of appointment transfers the servicing of your existing policy to a new broker while the policy itself continues unchanged. Your insurer, cover and retroactive date all stay as they are; what changes is who looks after the arrangement day to day.

What information does a new broker need from a planning consultancy?

A description of the practice and its fee split across application work, appeals, expert evidence and advisory work; your claims and circumstances history; your current schedule, limit and retroactive date; and any appointment insurance clauses you have signed up to.

Do I have to tell the new broker about old complaints that never became claims?

Yes. Circumstances that might give rise to a claim form part of a fair presentation of the risk, even if they were notified years ago and nothing followed. Leaving them out is what gives an insurer grounds to challenge the policy when you most need it.

Is it worth switching just to save premium?

Sometimes, but compare the whole policy: limit basis, excess, retroactive date, activity description and exclusions. A saving that comes with narrower cover for appeals or expert work can cost far more than it saves the first time a claim lands in the gap.

Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 724952). This page is general information, not advice on a specific policy.