Business Insurance Quote Checklist
Gather everything a business insurance quote asks for, from a clear description of your work to payroll, vehicles and current policies, before you reach out.
Describe the business you want to insure
- Write down your legal business name, any trading name and when you started or plan to open.
- List your services or products. Separate your main activity from occasional jobs and work you are adding.
- Note each work location and whether you visit customers, work from home or sell online.
- Prepare current revenue and your next-year estimate; label estimates clearly.
Gather details about people and property
- List employee roles and estimated payroll by type of work. Flag seasonal or changing staffing.
- Make an equipment and inventory list, including items kept away from your premises.
- If you need vehicle coverage, list the vehicles, who owns them and how each is used.
- Have your current policy documents and any available loss-history information ready for the follow-up conversation.
Bring the requirements and your questions
- Have the insurance section of a lease or client contract available, including the deadline.
- Ask which activities, locations and property would be included or excluded.
- Compare limits, deductibles and policy terms alongside the premium.
- Keep sensitive identifiers and private records out of the website inquiry. Ask how to provide any documents needed later.
Turning your notes into a quote
Once the business details, people and property lists and contract requirements are in one place, a quote can focus on your real operation. Clear estimates and a full service list mean fewer follow-up questions and a faster comparison of options, whether you buy online or talk it through with us.
If you plan to buy online, our instant quote page is the next step. For requirements tied to a lease or contract, the COI guide explains the paperwork clients often request, including the difference between being listed as a holder and being an additional insured.
How to describe your activities clearly
The most useful line on a quote request is the description of what your business does. “Consulting” or “cleaning” tells an insurer very little, while “bookkeeping advice for restaurants, mostly remote” or “evening office cleaning for medical suites” tells a great deal. Write it the way you would explain the business to a new employee on their first morning.
List side activities too: a café that sells beans online, a contractor who rents out equipment or a salon that hosts classes. Each one changes the conversation, and naming it up front avoids a second round of questions.
Numbers to have ready
Most quotes rely on a handful of figures. For a new business, give realistic first-year estimates and mark them as estimates. Round numbers are fine; what matters is that they reflect the business as it actually runs.
Matching the checklist to each policy
Different policies lean on different parts of this list. General liability focuses on your activities, revenue and where you work. The property side of a BOP draws on equipment, inventory and improvement values. Workers’ compensation runs on payroll and job duties, commercial auto on vehicles and drivers, and professional liability on the services you provide and the contracts you sign.
Knowing which details feed which policy helps you spot a gap before the quote, such as a missing payroll split or an unlisted vehicle. If you are just getting started, the new-business guide lays out which policies to consider first.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Should I label revenue estimates?
Yes. Marking estimates clearly, especially for a new business, keeps the quote conversation accurate and easy to update later.
What is on a small business insurance quote checklist?
Your business description, services, work sites, revenue, payroll, employee roles, property values, vehicles, current policies and any lease or contract requirements.
Can I use this checklist for an online quote?
Eligible businesses can start a quote online through NEXT, and it goes faster with this checklist in hand.
Should I include work I plan to add next year?
Yes. Note planned services separately from current ones so the quote reflects today’s business while the coming changes stay in view.
Related guides
- Understand insurance terms
- Prepare for a certificate request
- Insurance for a new business
- What underwriters look at when quoting a business
Bring your questions to Mithril1.
Further reading: California Department of Insurance commercial insurance guide.