PI decision · UK

Do I need PI insurance? A two-minute decision

Reviewed by Matthew Bartlett, Director, Apex Insurance Brokers Limited (FCA FRN 724952) · Published 14 July 2026

This page gives the direct answer to ‘do I need PI insurance in the UK?’ based on your profession, your work, and your client base. Three quick questions get you the answer.

Question 1: Are you regulated by a profession-body?

Yes — SRA, ARB, ICAEW, ACCA, RICS, FCA, BSB, CILEX, IAA, GOC etc. You need statutory PI cover to your body's specific rules.
No — unregulated professional consultant. Go to Question 2.

Question 2: Do your clients require PI cover?

Yes — contract requires specific limit or evidence. You need PI cover to at least the contract level.
No — clients don't require it. Go to Question 3.

Question 3: Would a professional-negligence claim destroy you personally?

Yes — personal or firm assets exposed to a plausible £50k-£500k claim. You need PI cover for risk-management reasons.
No — nothing at stake, no personal exposure. PI cover optional but usually still prudent.

The direct answer for common cases

Solicitors, architects, accountants, IFAs, brokers, surveyors, engineers etc. Yes — statutory requirement.
Freelance IT consultants, management consultants, marketing consultants etc. Yes if any corporate clients; strongly recommended even for consumer clients.
Life coaches, executive coaches, mentors etc. Yes if serving corporate clients or handling material advice.
Pure hobbyists giving occasional informal advice. Probably no.

Frequently asked

Do I need PI if I'm a sole trader?

Depends on profession. Regulated professions: statutory yes. Non-regulated: contract-driven and risk-management-driven.

Do freelance IT contractors need PI?

Almost always yes. Corporate client contracts commonly require PI. Even where not required, standard professional exposure applies.

Do I need PI as a limited company director?

Distinguish: PI covers the company's professional advisory work. Director statutory duty covered by D&O. Both may be needed.

Can I self-insure instead of buying PI?

Legally possible for non-regulated professions. Practically difficult — requires significant capital and specific expertise. Rarely appropriate for most professional firms.

Do I need PI for occasional freelance work?

Yes if the work is genuinely professional-services in nature and clients are commercial. No requirement for pure hobby activity.

Do I need cover if I only advise family and friends?

Not legally required for informal advice. Prudent for anyone providing advice that others rely on financially.

Do UK sole practitioners in regulated professions need PI?

Yes. SRA, ARB, ICAEW, ACCA, RICS, FCA all require PI cover for sole practitioners in their regulated activity.

If I'm employed do I need my own PI?

Employed professionals typically rely on the employer's PI cover. Own cover typically unnecessary. Where you do external freelance work, own cover often needed.

What might your PI premium look like?

A guideline range built from the premiums insurers have actually quoted on risks we handle. Pick your profession and enter a few details — it updates instantly.

Profession

Annual fee income — gross, last 12 months

Limit of indemnity

Any claims history?

Any higher-risk work? — e.g. large or overseas projects

Guideline range — this is not a quote

Choose your profession and enter your fee income to see a guideline range.

Get an actual quote →

How these figures are produced

This guide is built from Apex's own market data: the premiums insurers have actually quoted and charged on professional indemnity risks we have handled. Each night that data is aggregated into anonymised rate bands by profession, fee income and limit of indemnity. No client information is published — a band only appears where it contains at least five separate records, and unusually high premiums are excluded so a single atypical risk cannot distort the guide.

The range shown spans the typical spread of recent market outcomes for similar risks. Individual quotes can fall outside it in either direction. Figures exclude insurance premium tax at 12%.

This calculator is not a quote and is not an offer of insurance or advice. Your actual premium depends on full underwriting of your business, including your activities, claims record and insurer appetite at the time.