Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is an independent insurance broker based in Bristol that arranges professional indemnity (PI) cover for firms across the United Kingdom, including a number of Bath-based architects, surveyors, engineering consultancies and other professional practices. Although our Bristol office is around 13 miles from Bath, we do not maintain an office in Bath itself. Our team works with Bath clients remotely using telephone, email and video meetings, with occasional in-person meetings arranged where they add value.
We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference 724952. As an independent broker, our role is to understand each Bath client's professional services and contractual obligations, and to approach insurers on the firm's behalf to arrange suitable PI cover.
The sections below set out the local professional services landscape, the PI issues we see most often in Bath, and how our remote service is set up to work for firms in the city.
Bath's professional services sector
Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage city, and that designation shapes a meaningful part of its economy. Heritage tourism, conservation and the management of listed building stock underpin work for a wide range of professional firms in and around the city, from architects and chartered surveyors through to specialist heritage consultants.
The local business base is mixed. Bath is home to engineering consultancy Buro Happold, which was founded in the city and retains its headquarters there. Wessex Water is also headquartered in Bath. The creative and publishing sector has a long-standing presence through Future Publishing, while the broader creative industries, including design and digital agencies, draw on a local talent pool linked to the University of Bath and Bath Spa University.
The professional services market in Bath skews towards smaller practices: sole practitioners, partnerships and small companies offering specialist advice. Architecture practices working on heritage stock, Bath stone conservation and conservation-area development are a notable feature. Chartered surveyors deal with the valuation, condition and management of protected properties, including Grade I and Grade II listed buildings. Accountants, tax advisers and management consultants serve a base of professional and creative businesses alongside private clients.
The Royal United Hospital and university-led research generate a smaller cluster of healthcare-adjacent consultancies, including clinical and life-sciences advisory work. Bath's proximity to Bristol means many firms work across both cities and the wider South West, with Bristol's larger financial and professional services market sitting on the doorstep.
The pattern that emerges is one of relatively small, specialist professional firms operating in a high-value and architecturally sensitive environment. That mix has a direct bearing on how PI cover should be arranged.
PI insurance for Bath-based professional firms
Professional indemnity insurance responds to claims that a client (or sometimes a third party) has suffered loss because of professional advice, design or services. For Bath firms, several local features influence the cover that is appropriate.
- Architects on heritage stock. Practices regulated by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) are required to hold PI on terms set by the regulator. Working on listed buildings, conservation areas and World Heritage Site properties raises particular issues around historical defects, the scope of design responsibility and the use of specialist contractors and craftspeople.
- Surveyors and valuers. Firms regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) must hold PI on RICS minimum terms, which include aggregation and run-off requirements. Valuing protected and historic property, and advising on its condition, can sit at the higher end of risk for insurers.
- Engineering and building services consultancies. Bath supports a meaningful engineering consultancy base, with work often involving structural, civil, mechanical and environmental services. PI for engineering consultancies needs to address joint and several liability and contractual indemnity clauses on construction projects.
- Accountants and tax advisers. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) set minimum PI terms for member firms. Specialist work such as tax planning or audit engagement carries additional considerations.
- Creative, design and digital firms. Where work involves software development, data, content or branding, there is an overlap between PI and technology errors and omissions (E&O) cover. Intellectual property and content-related exposures are relevant to many Bath-based creative practices.
Bath firms regularly hold appointments with developers, contractors, local authorities, the National Trust, English Heritage-aligned clients and private estates. Contractual indemnity clauses in those appointments can affect the cover required, and we read appointment documents alongside the proposal form when arranging or renewing cover.
How Apex serves Bath firms
Apex is a remote-first broker. From our office at 53 Queen Charlotte Street in Bristol we work with professional firms across the UK, including in Bath, by scheduled telephone and video meetings, secure email and document exchange. We do not maintain a Bath office, and most of our work for Bath clients is carried out without face-to-face meetings. Because Bath is close to Bristol, in-person meetings can be arranged where they add value, but they are not a default part of the service.
Three points shape how we work with Bath firms:
- Independent market access. As an FCA-regulated broker (firm reference 724952), we approach a range of UK insurers and, where appropriate, Lloyd's syndicates. We are not tied to a single insurer or panel.
- Focus on professional firms. Our work concentrates on PI and related covers for professional services businesses, including architects, surveyors, accountants, IT consultants and management consultants.
- Claims advocacy. Where a claim or circumstance arises, we act on the client's behalf with the insurer and any appointed solicitors. We do not act for the insurer.
Bath clients generally find that documents, quotations and queries can be handled remotely, with telephone and video meetings used for renewal discussions and any significant changes to the business.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Bath?
No. Apex Insurance Brokers is based in Bristol and serves Bath firms remotely by telephone, email and video meeting. Our Bristol office is around 13 miles from Bath, but we do not have a physical office in Bath itself.
Are you authorised to advise Bath firms?
Yes. Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Our authorisation is UK-wide and applies to clients based in Bath and the surrounding region.
Do you understand the PI requirements that apply to Bath architects and surveyors?
We work regularly with architects and surveyors, and we read each client's appointment terms and applicable regulatory rules before approaching insurers. For ARB-regulated architects and RICS-regulated surveyors, we factor the minimum PI terms set by the regulator into the placement, including aggregation and run-off provisions.
Can you place cover for practices working on heritage and listed property?
We discuss PI for firms working on listed buildings, conservation-area properties and World Heritage Site stock. The structure of cover depends on the scope of services, the type of properties involved and the firm's claims history. Some insurers have more appetite than others for heritage-related work, and we explain the differences between the options available.
How are claims handled if we are in Bath?
Claims and circumstances are notified to insurers through us. We manage correspondence remotely and coordinate with appointed solicitors and the insurer's claims team. Bath clients typically deal with us by email and telephone, with video meetings used where required.
Do you understand the risks associated with heritage and listed-building work?
We discuss the particular features of heritage and listed-property work with each client, including issues around historical defects, the use of specialist materials and contractors, and the boundary between design responsibility and conservation advice. Cover availability and terms depend on the insurer's underwriting and the firm's experience and claims history.
What happens to our cover if we close, sell or restructure the firm?
PI is generally written on a claims-made basis, so run-off cover may be required when a firm ceases trading, is sold or restructures. Regulators including the ARB, RICS, ICAEW and ACCA set minimum run-off periods for member firms. We discuss run-off and continuity at renewal and at the point of any change in the business.
Speak to Apex about your PI cover
If you are based in Bath and would like to discuss professional indemnity cover, contact our team in Bristol:
- Telephone: 0117 325 0027
- Email: info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk
We will arrange a call or video meeting to talk through your firm's services, current cover and renewal timing.
About Apex Insurance Brokers — Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA firm reference 724952. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House 07014570. Registered office: 53 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, BS1 4HQ. Last reviewed: May 2026.