You won’t find a specific premium here – that would be an irresponsible promise, since the premium differs for every site. What I do explain openly are the factors: what makes two similar companies’ quotes genuinely differ, and what the company can actually influence.
- The main premium drivers: activity (risk class), construction type, values, range of covered perils, deductible, claims history, security.
- The company has real influence over several factors: security, maintenance, deductible, scope of cover.
- The goal isn’t the lowest premium, but the best cover-to-premium ratio – that’s the point of comparing offers.
What the company can’t change
The activity’s risk class (a carpentry workshop’s fire risk differs from an accounting office’s), the site’s location (flood exposure, surroundings) and the building’s characteristics (age, structure, roofing) are all givens. These set the starting point – and that’s why two companies’ premiums can’t be compared to each other: the same cover carries a different price on a different site.
What it can
The level of security (locks, alarms, and in some cases guarding – which typically also shapes the burglary cover’s premium and terms), the state of fire protection and maintenance, the choice of deductible, the conscious scope of cover (what’s actually needed, what isn’t), and, over the longer term, a claims-free history. Together, these give real room to manoeuvre – including for lowering the premium, but the smarter way: more protection for the same money.
Why don’t I quote premium figures?
Because the combination of the above factors is unique to each site, and any “average premium” would mislead – in both directions. The correct path: a survey, then quotes from several insurers for the same risk, side by side in one table – so the premium is seen together with the cover it buys. On how the comparison works: comparing quotes; on the pitfalls of a cheap-looking quote: common mistakes when taking out cover.
The best frame for the premium question is proportion: the annual premium for property insurance is typically a fraction of the single claim it protects against. So the right direction for saving isn’t trimming the sums insured, but shaping the cover precisely: spend on the company’s real risk – and don’t pay for what isn’t.
Have a question specific to your premises? Book a free 20-minute site survey consultation →
