How much PI insurance cover does a it consultant need?
IT consulting has no statutory PI minimum. BCS (British Computer Society) recommends 'appropriate' cover. Standard placements start at £250k for freelancers and scale to £5m+ for consultancies handling regulated data or critical infrastructure.
The regulatory floor: BCS / voluntary
IT consulting has no statutory PI minimum. BCS (British Computer Society) recommends 'appropriate' cover. Standard placements start at £250k for freelancers and scale to £5m+ for consultancies handling regulated data or critical infrastructure.
Regulatory floor: not fixed — contract-value based.
But the regulatory floor is a floor, not a target. Actual placements are usually materially higher.
What drives the number above the floor
- Software project failure risks are the primary claim driver.
- GDPR/ICO exposure often needs £1m+ separately or as an extension.
- IR35 status doesn't affect PI cover but may affect contract-value assumptions.
- Cyber cover is separate from PI — both are usually required.
Typical placement bands
Small practice: floor to 2× floor.
Medium practice: 2-5× floor.
Larger practice: 5×+ floor, guided by claim exposure and turnover.
Bespoke risks (larger transactions, complex work): bespoke sizing with the broker.
The Apex approach
We size PI limits by looking at three factors: regulatory floor, worst-case single claim exposure, and aggregation risk across the book of work.
For most firms, that produces a limit materially above the regulatory floor.
The right limit balances cost against catastrophe protection — we work through this with you at placement.
Frequently asked
What's the BCS / voluntary minimum for a it consultant?
Is the regulatory minimum enough?
How is my premium calculated?
Does aggregation matter?
What about run-off?
Can we change limit mid-year?
Related
- IT consultant PI insurance UK guide 2026
- Sizing your PI limit — decision framework
- Aggregate limit vs each-and-every claim
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.
Choose your profession and enter your fee income to see a guideline range.
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.