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Professional indemnity explained
A PI certificate is a short document from your insurer or broker confirming the key terms of your professional indemnity cover. It matters because clients, frameworks and regulators often require evidence before work starts.
Part of: Professional indemnity insurance
In short
Clients can reasonably ask for evidence that you hold the professional indemnity cover their contract requires, usually a certificate, broker letter or policy schedule. A good certificate names the insured and insurer, the policy period, the limit and its basis, defence costs treatment, the excess and territorial limits. Full policy wordings, premiums and claims history are not normally needed. Where PI is compulsory, the Provision of Services Regulations 2009 require insurer contact details and territorial coverage to be made available, and the SRA requires solicitors to give insurer details on request. Refresh evidence after every renewal.
Clients can reasonably ask for evidence that you hold the professional indemnity (PI) insurance their contract requires, and many contracts give them an express right to it. What they usually need is confirmation of the key facts: who insures you, the limit and its basis, the policy period, and the excess. They do not normally need, and are not usually entitled to, your full policy wording, your premium or your claims history, unless the contract says otherwise.
Evidence usually comes in one of three forms:
| Item | Why the client wants it |
|---|---|
| Insured name | Must match the contracting entity, not a sister company or an individual |
| Insurer name (and lead insurer if several) | To check the insurer is authorised and, if required, its rating |
| Policy period | To confirm cover is live now and when it renews |
| Limit of indemnity and basis | Each and every claim or aggregate, and the amount |
| Defence costs | In addition to the limit or inclusive |
| Excess | To see how much of each claim you carry |
| Territorial and jurisdiction limits | Where work is covered and where claims can be brought |
| Material sub-limits or exclusions | Fire safety, cladding or other restrictions relevant to the work |
A certificate is a summary, not the contract of insurance. It normally says the policy wording governs, and it does not usually guarantee that a particular claim will be paid. Clients who rely on it should check that the basis and costs treatment match their contract. See aggregate vs each and every claim and defence costs inside vs outside the limit.
Most professionals do not hand over full policy wordings. Policies can contain commercially sensitive terms, and some wordings restrict disclosure. Sharing the full wording also invites arguments about exclusions before any claim exists. A certificate or broker letter usually gives the client what they need. If a client insists on the wording, ask your broker whether the policy allows disclosure and whether an extract would do.
Sharing your premium or claims history is rarely necessary to evidence cover. If a framework asks for it, check why and what it will be used for.
Some rules go further than contracts. Under regulation 8 of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, a service provider that is required to hold professional liability insurance must make information about it available, in particular the insurer's contact details and the territorial coverage. Government guidance says it is not expected that full details of the insurance are made available. This can apply to professionals whose regulator makes PI compulsory.
Regulators set their own rules on top:
Check your own regulator's current rules for exactly what must be disclosed, to whom and how.
A consultancy joins a public sector framework. The buyer asks for evidence of £5m PI each and every claim at onboarding and at each anniversary. The consultancy's broker issues a letter confirming the insurer, limit, basis, period and excess. A diary note is set for a fresh letter after renewal. See PI for G-Cloud and public sector frameworks.
A contractor's client rejects an invoice because the PI certificate on file expired last month. The policy had renewed, but no new evidence was sent. Many contracts make evidence a condition, so late paperwork can delay payment.
Renewal timing is the most common gap. Certificates show the policy period, so a client's file goes out of date at every renewal. Ask your broker to issue fresh evidence as soon as renewal terms are bound, and keep a list of clients who need it. Our page on requesting a certificate of insurance covers the process.
If you receive a PI certificate, check it against your contract rather than filing it. Confirm the insured name matches the party you contracted with. Check the period covers today. Compare the limit, basis and costs treatment with the clause. Look for any stated sub-limits or exclusions relevant to the work you have commissioned, such as fire safety on a building project. If anything differs, ask the professional to explain or to confirm what they will do about it. A certificate that is out of date or does not match the contract is a prompt for a conversation, not necessarily a sign of a problem.
Apex arranges professional indemnity insurance and can help you evidence cover to clients; a broker reads every enquiry.
Yes, clients can ask, and many contracts give them a right to evidence of cover. A certificate or broker letter confirming the insurer, limit, basis, period and excess usually satisfies the request. Full policy wordings, premiums and claims history are not normally required unless the contract specifically says so.
It should show the insured's name, the insurer, the policy period, the limit of indemnity and whether it is each and every claim or aggregate, how defence costs are treated, the excess, and territorial or jurisdiction limits. It should also state that the policy wording governs, because a certificate is only a summary.
Usually not. Most clients only need evidence of the key terms, and some policies restrict disclosure of the wording. If a client insists, check your contract and ask your broker whether the wording can be shared or whether a certificate or extract would meet the request.
Yes. The SRA Indemnity Insurance Rules require firms, on request by a claimant or anyone with a legitimate interest, to provide the insurer's name, the policy number and the insurer's claims contact details. The SRA can also ask firms for evidence that they hold the required cover.
At least once a year, after each renewal, because certificates show the policy period and go out of date. Some contracts and frameworks set their own timing, such as on each anniversary or on request. Ask your broker to issue fresh evidence as soon as renewal terms are agreed.
Tell us what your business does, your turnover and any claims. A broker reads every enquiry and comes back with options. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Get 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, not advice on your individual circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
