Complex commercial insurance: larger and multi-site risks
Why complex risks get mis-served
Most commercial insurance is now sold through forms — online question sets or a Statement of Fact built for the average small business. That works tolerably for a single shop or office. It fails for anything larger, for three reasons.
Single-site assumptions
The question set assumes one address, one trade, one set of figures. A business with a head office, a warehouse and two production units gets squeezed into fields that were never designed for it. Values end up lumped together or missed entirely, and the interdependency between sites — the thing that actually drives a large business interruption loss — is never asked about at all.
Generic wordings
Package policies are written for the typical risk. A larger business is not typical: it may need agreed values, non-standard business interruption definitions, specific conditions around unoccupied buildings or contract works, and endorsements that reflect how the business actually operates. Off-the-shelf wordings leave gaps that only show up at claim time.
Nobody reads the risk
The deeper problem is that in a form-driven placement, no human being ever looks at the business. The underwriter prices what the form says; the form says what its fields allowed. If the risk is better than it looks on paper — sprinklered, well-managed, good separation between buildings — you pay for the version on paper. If it is worse, you find out when a claim is declined.
What proper broking looks like
We come to you
For larger risks, a broker will visit in person — UK-wide, by arrangement. We walk the site, see the processes, the housekeeping, the fire protection and the way the buildings relate to each other. Half of what makes a risk attractive to an underwriter never fits in a form; it has to be seen and then written up.
A full risk presentation
What the visit produces is a proper presentation of the risk: the business described as it actually is, with the features that deserve credit made explicit. Underwriters price uncertainty; a well-presented risk removes uncertainty, and that shows in the terms. It also protects you — a fair presentation of the risk is your legal duty under the Insurance Act 2015, and it is much easier to demonstrate when the broker has stood on the site.
Programme design, not policy shopping
A substantial business is not insured by one policy but by a programme: property and business interruption, public and products liability, employers’ liability, motor fleet, cyber, directors’ and officers’ cover. Designing it means making the pieces fit — consistent indemnity periods, no gaps between sections, excess layers where primary limits are not enough — and deciding deliberately what to retain and what to transfer.
Claims advocacy
When a serious loss happens, the broker’s job is to run the claim: notify correctly, manage the loss adjuster, bring in specialist support where the numbers justify it, and argue coverage and quantum on your behalf. That is where the site visit pays back a second time — we are not arguing about a business we have only seen on paper.
Where to start
You do not need to fill anything in. Send us your renewal pack — schedule, wordings, claims experience — and we’ll review it, then come and walk your site. We are based in Bristol and Weymouth, we work UK-wide, and the person who visits is the person who places and services the risk — not a salesperson handing you on. If your operation spans several locations, start with our page on multi-site business insurance; if it trades through a group of companies, see insuring a group of companies.
Frequently asked questions
Do you really visit in person?
Yes. For larger and multi-site risks a broker will come to you, walk the site and see the business first-hand — UK-wide, by arrangement. It is how we build the risk presentation, and there is no charge for it.
What counts as a larger or complex risk?
There is no premium threshold. If your business runs from more than one location, operates through a group of companies, occupies substantial premises, or carries a mix of covers that need to work together — property, business interruption, liability, fleet, cyber — it is beyond what an online form can describe, and it deserves to be broked properly.
What should we send you before renewal?
Your current schedule and policy wordings, the last proposal form or Statement of Fact, your claims experience, and anything that describes the business — accounts, site list, org chart. We review it before we visit, so the time on site is spent on the risk, not the paperwork.
How far ahead of renewal should we start?
For a substantial programme, two to three months. That leaves time for a site visit, a proper risk presentation, and genuine competition among insurers — rather than a last-minute scramble in which the incumbent quietly wins by default.
Will you handle claims as well?
Yes. Claims advocacy is part of the job: we notify, manage the loss adjuster relationship, and argue your corner on quantum and coverage. On a larger loss, having a broker who knows the risk because they have stood on the site matters.
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.