Where to Get Business Insurance Quotes: The Ultimate Guide
Use our research to learn about the big players in the UK business insurance market. Find the very best option for you, whether that's the cheapest cover you can find or the best liability coverage. We also list the major search engines and business insurance providers, so you can get quotes quickly and easily.
How to Get Business Insurance Quotes
The three most common ways to get business insurance quotes are by using:
- Comparison sites: It can be quickest to compare business insurance quotes via a comparison site, but you might not always get quotes online especially for complicated situations. You'll find brokers and insurance companies in comparison site panels.
- Brokers: Brokers work for you and typically survey a number of insurers to find the best insurance at the cheapest price. They can save you time and money on the premium, but charge fees.
- Insurance companies: A few insurance companies work directly with customers, although many can only be accessed through a broker. If you go direct, know that the agent you speak with is working for the company, not you.
While we're all accustomed to getting online quotes at the drop of a hat for our personal insurance, be aware that business insurance can be more complicated so you may need to speak to a provider after entering your information into an online quote system. That's not as bad as it sounds, as brokers and agents alike can help to answer your questions and make sure you get the cover you need.
Which is best to use—comparison site, broker or direct insurer? Not surprisingly, there are pros and cons to each method. Let's discuss.
Comparison sites vs. brokers vs. direct insurance companies
Comparison Sites. Known for being the quickest route towards getting a range of insurance quotes, many comparison sites now offer business insurance as well as car insurance, home insurance, etc. While comparison sites can be better suited to businesses with straightforward insurance needs (e.g., standard, lower-risk businesses with no previous claims, etc.), they can also provide access to suitable brokers for handling more complex situations. For these, you'll most certainly need to follow up with a call to discuss the peculiarities of your situation.
Our partner QuoteZone has a wide range of products, and Simply Business is a highly popular comparison engine that's used by sites such as GoCompare for their business insurance.
Pros
- Fill out one form to potentially get quotes from multiple insurance providers (brokers and insurance companies)
- Free to use
Cons
- Might struggle to quote for unique/difficult/niche situations
Business Insurance Brokers. Brokers can be especially useful for insuring niche businesses or those with a hard-to-insure profile (e.g., previous or outstanding claims, hazardous work, etc.)—and also for answering your questions about coverage. For example, many business owners wonder what limit of insurance they need, which is something a broker can help you work through.
The best way to find a good business insurance broker can be word of mouth, but failing that you can use a comparison site or find a BIBA broker using their search tool. BIBA stands for the British Insurance Brokers' Association, and they're the UK's leading general insurance intermediary organisation. You'll come across a range of sizes for broker businesses; some brokers will be one-person shops while others such as Towergate operate nationwide service.
Pros
- Talk to one party to potentially get quotes from multiple insurance companies
- Expert advice to answer your questions
- Insurance brokers work for you, not the insurance companies
Cons
- There's a lot of variability in quality and service from broker to broker
- They typically charge extra fees to arrange, change or cancel a policy
- Not all brokers work with all insurers
Direct Insurance Companies. You can also opt to get quotes directly from an insurance provider that offers business insurance such as Direct Line or AXA, but remember you'll only get one quote from each company so there's a risk you'll overpay (e.g., if that insurer isn't offering great prices for your risk profile). Even if you decide going direct is the best option for you, be sure to check quotes elsewhere even if just to give yourself comfort that you're getting a good deal.
Pros
- No middle men
- No extra fees
- Potentially better online account access
Cons
- Take longer to check prices in the market
- Insurance agents work for the insurer, not you
Regardless of the path you take to get quotes, before you sign on the dotted line be sure that an insurer is qualified to offer insurance by checking the Financial Services Register, which is maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Business insurance quotes
Fill out a quote here and our commercial insurance search engine partner QuoteZone will connect you with up to 5 insurance providers. You’ll have a chance to build a policy to fit your needs specifically, and ask any questions you might have before signing up.
Business car insurance quotes
If you will be using your personal car for business use (i.e., driving between multiple work locations, visiting clients) then you should first contact your current car insurance provider to ask if they can expand your coverage and, if so, how much extra premium you'll need to pay.
If the price seems high from your current provider, then check the market—start by getting car insurance quotes for business use via QuoteZone but you may want to check other avenues as well. If you get a significantly cheaper quote elsewhere, and you decide to cancel your current car insurance, first find out what cancellation fees you'll have to pay, and how much of a premium refund you'll get—if any.
Business van insurance quotes
Given the expensive nature of van insurance, it's good to compare as many options as possible to find the best deal you can get. Fill out a quote form with The Van Insurer—they work with over 55 brands, more than any other comparison engine for van insurance.
What information do you need to get a business insurance quote?
To get a business insurance quote, you'll need some basic information about your business to hand:
- Business name
- Structure (e.g., sole trader, partnership, limited company)
- Address
- Turnover
- Number of employees
- Largest contract size (for professional indemnity quotes only)
- Types of cover you need (e.g., public liability, employers' liability, professional indemnity, etc.)
- Details of previous claims
Plus you'll need to answer a series of questions about your business that will depend on the work you do (e.g., a construction company will be asked if they work on riskier projects like hospitals).
Business vehicle insurance
If you're after business car or van insurance quotes, you'll need information such as:
- Vehicle make, model and trim
- Year of production
- Current vehicle value
- Address
- Who will drive the vehicle
- NCD and claims history
- Details of any modifications
UK's popular business insurance providers
Here are some of the largest business insurers in the UK, along with information on how to access their products: direct or via a broker:
| Insurance Company | Buy Direct | Via Broker |
|---|---|---|
| Ageas | x | |
| Allianz | x | |
| Aviva | x | x |
| AXA | x | x |
| Markel | x | x |
| Canopius | x | |
| NIG | x | |
| QBE | x | |
| RSA | x | |
| Zurich | x | |
| Direct Line for Business | x |
FAQs
Can you buy business insurance directly from an insurer, or do you need a broker?
In many cases, business insurance policies are arranged through a broker in the UK. In many cases, a business can need quite a bit of guidance and support to ensure they find the right cover at the right price. A broker who is an expert in business insurance can help navigate the market. This is especially true for products like professional indemnity insurance, where insurers can be wary of offering cover to certain types of businesses or ones they don't understand well.
That said, you can buy business insurance direct from Direct Line for Business, AXA, etc. without using a broker. FYI, while Direct Line offers an online quote system, we've found that after filling in your details you won't necessarily get an online quote—you may still need to call in to talk to an insurance agent.
While going direct can seem convenient and result in lower fees, keep in mind that insurance agents works for the insurance company (e.g., Direct Line, AXA, etc.) not for you. Also they only quote for their in-house products, even if they aren't the best or cheapest for you; on the other hand an insurance broker (while they charge arrangement fees) should put your application out to a number of insurers to help find you a competitive price for the cover you need.
What to look for in a business insurance broker
Many businesses seeking business insurance end up using a broker, but are all brokers the same? Absolutely not. Brokers come in various sizes, have unique fee structures and specialise in different niche markets (e.g., accountancy, finance, design, etc.). In addition, not all brokers work with all insurers, and vice versa.
Top Tip: There are a lot of brokers in the business insurance market, but there is a much smaller pool of underwriters. While it can be useful to test out more than one broker, be wary of doing so because they might all be sending your details to the same set of underwriters—a situation better avoided. Before asking a broker to get quotes for you, be sure to enquire about which underwriters they'll use. This is useful to avoid overlap, and also to ensure that you get sufficient coverage of the market.
Questions to ask a broker
- Insurers: Which insurers does a broker usually place business with? And which insurers do they not have a relationship with?
- Niche: How much business does a broker place for businesses in your field?
- Fees: What fees does a broker charges to arrange a policy for you?
- Finance: Can a broker arrange monthly payments if you need them, and if so, what it will cost?
Finally, check customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Reviews.co.uk and Google to see what real customers have to say. For example, customers have rated Towergate with 4.6 stars out of 5 at Feefo and our business insurance partner QuoteZone with 4.8 out of 5 stars at Reviews.co.uk.
When checking reviews be sure to look at the one-star reviews as these indicate a 'bad' experience. Look for customer experiences related to the ease of contacting customer service, speed of getting insurance documents, claims experiences and renewal prices. Also check the number of reviewers as reviews with only a few dozen ratings are less reliable.
Why can't I get an online quote for business insurance?
Most insurance-providing websites utilise online quote forms, which feed into a back-end search engine to find potentially suitable insurance policies or providers. However, it's not always the case that these engines can generate actual quotes or the functionality to buy online instantly—it depends on the engine you're using as well as the details of your application, and which type of coverages you need.
To ensure you get the cover you need and that the insurer has a good understanding of the business risks, you may need to talk with an agent or broker before getting a formal quote. But if this means you get the most suitable cover at the best price, it is well worth a few minutes on the phone.