Apex publishes long-form pillar guides for each of the professional sectors we serve. Each pillar sets out the regulator’s minimum terms, the wordings insurers use, the exposures that drive premium and the practical mechanics of placement and renewal. Use this page as an index.
The ten sector pillars
Every pillar below is written to be useful whether you are placing PI cover for the first time, comparing quotes from more than one broker, or preparing for a renewal after a claim. They are updated as regulators publish new rules and as insurer appetite shifts.
Solicitors
SRA Minimum Terms and Conditions, £2m/£3m limits, six-year run-off, aggregation, conveyancing premium drivers.
Read the pillar →Architects
ARB Code, RIBA Chartered Practice PI requirements, design-and-construct exposures, cladding and BSA 2022.
Read the pillar →Accountants
ICAEW and ACCA PI minimums, audit exposures, tax advisory, insolvency practitioner cover.
Read the pillar →Surveyors
RICS PII Requirements 2026, valuation exposures, building surveys, EWS1 and post-Grenfell fire safety.
Read the pillar →Financial advisers (IFAs)
FCA CASS and COBS, pension transfer specialists, DB-to-DC advice, network vs directly-authorised placement.
Read the pillar →Engineers
Consulting and structural engineers, ICE and IStructE, single-project PI, retroactive cover and run-off.
Read the pillar →IT professionals
Software developers, contractors, cyber-PI overlap, IR35 and umbrella arrangements, US-jurisdiction risk.
Read the pillar →Insurance brokers
FCA-authorised brokers, ARs and principal firms, mis-selling and disclosure claims, PI as a Threshold Condition.
Read the pillar →Design and construct
Contractor design responsibility, JCT and NEC, single-project PI, novated design teams, warranty overlap.
Read the pillar →Management consultants
Advisory firms, project overrun claims, US-jurisdiction exposure, sector-specific consultancy risks.
Read the pillar →How to use the pillars
Start with your regulator. If you are an SRA-regulated firm, the solicitors pillar sets out what the SRA Minimum Terms and Conditions require. If you are ARB-registered, the architects pillar covers the ARB Code and the RIBA Chartered Practice requirements. Read the sections on run-off cover and aggregation before you compare quotes — those two pieces of wording move more premium and cause more disputes than headline limits do.
Each pillar links out to related material: profession-specific claim scenarios, sector wiki entries, insurer wording comparisons and premium drivers. Where a pillar references another, follow the link — the material is written to be read across as well as down.
Getting a quote from Apex
The pillars are informational. If you want to speak to a broker about your firm’s cover, call 0117 325 0027, email info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk, or use the quote form. A named broker will call you back to understand the firm before we approach the market.
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 724952.