A few questions about your quote

Since your last coverage review with us, has anything changed that could affect your insurance, such as new employees, vehicles, locations, services, or products?

The legal entity goes on the policy, and coverage options for owners differ between sole proprietors, LLCs, and corporations.

Is the business an LLC, corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or non-profit?

A new venture and an established business are quoted differently. Where there's operating history, carriers ask for it; where there isn't, they rate on the owner's experience instead. Knowing the stage up front keeps every later answer, and your application, accurate.

Which best describes the business today: brand new and not operating yet, recently started and operating for less than a year, established and operating for a year or more, or are you buying an existing business?

Most carrier applications ask how long the business has been in operation. Answering it once here means it's filled consistently on every carrier form. If ownership has changed, use the year it began operating under current ownership.

What year was the business established?

Underwriters use the owner's background to rate a business that does not yet have its own operating history. This is a description, not a guarantee of any outcome.

Because the business started within the last two years, please describe your experience in this type of work and your experience managing a business or a crew, including years and roles. Carriers typically ask this about newer businesses before they are comfortable offering a quote, so a complete answer here helps.

To a carrier, your purchase is usually a new venture for the new entity even though the operation has history. The seller's policy doesn't transfer to you, so coverage is set up to start at closing, and the operation's track record is disclosed so you get credit for it.

If you're buying an existing business: what is the name of the business you're acquiring, roughly how long has it been operating, and when do you expect the purchase to close?

Experience and licensing directly affect which carriers will offer coverage and at what price. More experience usually means better rates.

How much experience do you have in this line of work, and do you hold any relevant licenses, certifications, or training?

A quick look at how you present the business helps us describe your operations to underwriters accurately.

Do you have a website, social media page, or other materials you can share?

Your selections tell us what you are initially interested in. They are a starting point, not a limit on what your business may need. We also ask a few brief questions about your operations so Lee can spot other coverages worth considering.

What coverage are you looking for today? Select any you are already interested in. You do not need to know exactly what you need: if you pick 'I'm not sure, help me identify what to consider', the questions that follow will help surface what is worth discussing. Lee may also identify other coverages worth considering. (for example general liability, workers comp, commercial auto, tools & equipment, Not-for-profit directors & officers liability (D&O), or 'I'm not sure, help me identify what to consider')

A home office and a rented space carry different property exposures, and landlords usually require specific coverage in the lease. It also sets the square footage we use to rate the space.

Is your business location a home office, or a rented or owned commercial space?

Carriers rate partly by location, and the address appears on your policy documents.

What is the street address of the business, and roughly how many square feet is the space? For a home office, just the office area is fine.

Every location is listed and rated separately on the policy, so we need the address and size of each additional place you operate.

Does the business operate from more than one location? If so, please list the address and approximate square footage of each additional location.

When a separate LLC owns the building and leases it to the operating business, both entities need to be set up correctly on the policy for claims to pay.

If you own your space: is it owned by you or the business directly, or by another entity you manage that rents it back to the business?

Building coverage rebuilds the structure itself after fire, storm, or other covered damage, separate from your contents and equipment. If there's a mortgage, the lender will require it.

If you own the building: do you want building coverage included in the quote?

Property carriers rate on age before almost anything else, so the year built lets us go straight to the right market. Only needed if the quote will cover the building or your business property.

What year was the building built?

Wood frame, masonry or block, steel, and concrete each rate very differently for fire. Only needed if the quote will cover the building or your business property.

What is the building's construction type?

Height affects property rating and, for some operations, liability. Only needed if the quote will cover the building or your business property.

How many stories is the building?

A monitored sprinkler system can meaningfully lower the property rate. Only needed if the quote will cover the building or your business property.

Is the building protected by a fire sprinkler system?

Roof age is one of the first things a property carrier checks. Only needed if the quote will cover the building or your business property.

Roughly what year was the roof last replaced? If it is the original roof, give the year the building was built. If you do not know, answer Not sure.

This is where your policy documents and any important notices are sent.

Is your mailing address the same as the business address? If it's different, please share it.

This is really a general liability question: whether clients visit you, you work at their property, or everything is remote changes which liability exposures matter and how carriers class the risk.

Where will you interact with customers: do they come to your location, do you go to their homes or job sites, is everything online/remote, or a mix?

Policies can carry state-specific exclusions, and workers compensation must be arranged for every state where you have employees or jobs, so this changes how we structure your coverage.

Will all of your work take place in Arizona? If not, list every state where you will work or have employees.

General liability generally is not meant to cover claims that arise purely from professional advice or errors in your work. Your answer just helps Lee flag whether professional liability (also called errors and omissions) is worth discussing. It does not commit you to buying anything.

Does the business give advice or provide professional, design, consulting, healthcare, technology, financial, or similar services where a client could claim your work caused them a financial loss?

Products you sell and work you complete can carry their own liability and exclusions that a basic policy may not fully address. Your answer just helps Lee flag whether product or completed-operations coverage is worth discussing. It does not commit you to buying anything.

Does the business make, import, distribute, sell, install, repair, or alter any products, or leave finished work behind such as an installation or a repair?

Finished work includes jobs you complete and leave behind, for example a floor you cleaned, a fixture you installed, a lawn you treated, or a repair you made. Claims can arise after the job is done, which is why carriers ask.

Owner names go on the application. Owners can usually choose to be included in or excluded from workers comp: excluding lowers the premium but leaves the owner without work-injury coverage, and some client contracts require owners to be covered.

How many owners does the business have, and what are their names? For each owner, if we quote workers compensation, would they want to be included in coverage or excluded?

Carriers use this answer to understand whether related business operations affect the quote. Not sure is fine.

Do you or any other owner hold 50% or more of another business?

Employee counts, duties, and locations decide whether workers compensation is required and how it's classed and priced. A 1099 worker who doesn't pass the 'sniff test' (their own business, own insurance, own clients) gets treated as your employee at audit, so it's better to count them here up front. True subcontractors who carry their own insurance go in the next question.

Do you have or plan to hire any employees, including 1099 workers who really work like employees (they work mainly for you, don't carry their own insurance, and don't run a separate business)? If yes: how many full-time and part-time, what do they do, and in which state(s)?

Payroll means the total wages you expect to pay your employees over a year, not your revenue, and not the owners' own draws or profit. Workers compensation and some liability policies are priced per $100 of payroll, so this sets the premium basis.

What is your estimated annual payroll for employees (not counting owners)?

These are genuine outside businesses, not 1099 helpers who really work like employees (those go in the previous question). Requiring subs to carry their own insurance and provide a COI keeps their cost off your audit and your premium down; uninsured sub cost gets charged back to your policy.

Will you subcontract any work to true independent subcontractors who carry their own insurance and can hand you a certificate of insurance (COI)?

Revenue (also called sales or gross receipts) is the total money the business takes in before expenses, not your take-home profit and not payroll. It's one of the main ways carriers size a business, and several policies are rated directly on it. An honest estimate is fine and can be adjusted later.

What is your estimated revenue for the 12 months starting when your coverage begins?

Established businesses are rated on actual revenue as well as the projection. If last year's number differs a lot from what you project, the difference is better explained to the underwriter up front than discovered at audit time.

Roughly what was the business's revenue over the past 12 months?

Sets the limit for replacing the contents at your business location if they're stolen or damaged.

Roughly what is the total value of the computers, office equipment, furniture, and fixtures at your location? If you have none, say None; if you have them but do not want them insured, say no coverage desired.

Gear that leaves your premises needs coverage that follows it. A standard property policy may not protect tools out on a job site.

If you take tools or equipment to job sites, roughly what total value would you want covered? If nothing travels, say None; if gear travels but you do not want it insured, say no coverage desired.

Carriers often cap how much they'll pay per unscheduled item, so listing your most valuable pieces by model and value now prevents an underinsured gap if one is lost or damaged. This schedule is for equipment only. A vehicle you drive for the business belongs on your commercial auto coverage, not here, so we collect it (with its VIN) in the vehicles section.

Do not list cars, trucks, vans, or trailers here. Every business vehicle goes in its own Vehicles section later in the form. This schedule is for tools and equipment only. If any single tool or piece of equipment is worth more than $500, it may need to be listed (scheduled) individually on the policy. If that applies, list each item below: the model and value are required; the year, make, and serial number are optional.

A common request is $1 million, but higher limits are available and often surprisingly inexpensive. If a limit does not come to mind, pick Not sure yet and a couple of options can be quoted to compare.

What umbrella (excess liability) limit would you like quoted? An umbrella generally adds a layer of liability protection on top of your general liability, commercial auto, and (if you carry it) employer's liability limits, subject to the policy wording.

An umbrella generally provides extra limits above the policies listed underneath it, and carriers price it from those policies and their limits. Telling us which ones you have in mind helps Lee approach the right markets. If you are not sure, pick that and it can be sorted out before anything is quoted.

Which of your liability policies would you like the umbrella to sit over? Select all that apply.

An excess or umbrella policy is rated from what sits beneath it, so the carrier, limits, premium, and expiration of each underlying policy are the core of the application. Carriers also set a minimum limit they require underneath, so listing these up front usually avoids a round trip. Anything you leave blank can be picked up from the declarations pages.

Please list the liability policies the umbrella would sit over. For each one, share the coverage, the carrier, the policy number, the each-occurrence and aggregate limits, the annual premium, and the expiration date. If a detail is not handy, leave that box blank.

An umbrella generally follows the coverage sitting underneath it, so carriers ask which endorsements are already on that policy. If you are not sure, pick I'm not sure; the declarations page will show it.

Which of these are already included on your underlying general liability policy? Select all that apply, or None of these.

The declarations pages carry nearly every underlying detail an excess carrier asks for, so sending them is usually faster and more accurate than typing it all in. If you do not have them handy, you can send them later.

If you have them, upload the declarations page for each underlying policy. A declarations page is the summary page at the front of a policy that lists the carrier, the limits, the premium, and the policy period.

If a layer is already in place, its carrier, limit, and expiration date tell us whether this is a renewal, a replacement, or an additional layer on top of what you have. If this would be your first umbrella, answer No.

Does the business carry an umbrella or excess liability policy today?

Excess carriers ask about continuity of coverage and often rate on it. A gap does not disqualify you; disclosing it up front lets Lee approach the markets that treat it best.

Over roughly the last four years, has there been any gap in the business's liability coverage?

Excess carriers each have their own appetite, and these are the operations they ask about most often. Selecting one is not a problem; it simply tells Lee which markets to approach.

Do any of these describe work the business performs? Select all that apply, or None of these.

Small businesses that take payments, store customer information, or simply use email are common targets. A packaged cyber add-on is not the same thing as a standalone cyber policy, which typically carries higher limits and additional coverages. Not every carrier can include the packaged option; if yours can't, a standalone policy is still an option to consider. Whichever way you answer, it's documented in your file so it's clear both options were offered.

Cyber liability helps cover data breaches, hacked email accounts, funds-transfer fraud, and ransomware. It comes two ways: packaged into your business policy when the carrier offers it (convenient, but typically lower limits and fewer coverages), or as a standalone cyber policy, which typically offers higher limits and broader coverage. Would you like it quoted?

A common request is $1 million, but smaller and larger limits are available. If a limit does not come to mind, pick Not sure yet and a couple of options can be quoted to compare.

What limit would you like quoted for the standalone cyber policy?

Cyber carriers rate partly on how many people's records you hold, since that drives the cost of notifying and protecting them after a breach. A good-faith estimate is fine.

Roughly how many people's records does the business store or handle, counting anyone whose personal, medical, or payment-card information you keep (customers, patients, employees)?

MFA is one of the security controls cyber carriers weigh most heavily. Answer exactly as things stand today: this becomes part of your application, and an inaccurate answer can jeopardize a claim later. A No is fine to disclose; it affects pricing and which carriers we approach, and a few carriers require MFA before offering coverage. Many email and cloud systems include MFA at no extra cost.

Is multi-factor authentication (MFA) required to sign in to your business email, remote access, and other important business systems? If it covers some of these but not all, answer No.

Fraudulent payment instructions are among the most common and costly small-business cyber losses, so carriers ask whether a call-back or similar verification step exists. Answer as things actually work today; this becomes part of your application.

Before sending money to a new bank account or changing payment instructions, does the business verify the request through a second channel, such as calling a number you already know?

Backup frequency is one of the biggest factors in how bad a ransomware event gets, so carriers rate on it. Count automatic cloud backup (for example Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) as well as manual copies, and answer for how backups actually run today.

How often is your important business data backed up?

Carriers always ask, and a past incident doesn't automatically disqualify you. Disclosing it up front lets us pick the market that treats your history best and keeps the application accurate.

In the past 3 years, has the business had any cyber claims or incidents, such as a data breach, a hacked account, ransomware, or money lost to fraudulent payment instructions?

Standalone cyber applications ask this because mergers and parent companies join computer networks and inherit each other's exposures. If none of these describes the business, select None of these.

Do any of these apply to the business: it is a subsidiary or franchisee of another company, it completed a merger or acquisition in the past 12 months, or it plans one in the next 12 months? Select all that apply, or None of these.

This is your election, and it is recorded either way so it is clear the option was presented. Picking No simply leaves it off the quote you are shown, and you can ask about pricing it at any point before you decide, subject to what the carrier offers. If a lease, loan, or contract calls for terrorism coverage, pick Yes so the quote is built to match. The description above is a general summary, not a statement of coverage: the policy language controls.

Terrorism coverage is generally offered as an option on commercial liability and property policies under the federal Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). Broadly, it responds to damage or injury arising from an event the federal government certifies as an act of terrorism, which policies commonly exclude or limit otherwise. It is usually quoted for an additional premium, and some leases, contracts, and lenders call for it. Availability, cost, and exactly what is covered depend on the carrier and the policy wording. Would you like terrorism coverage included in your quote?

Carriers always ask. Gaps or past claims don't disqualify you, but knowing up front lets us pick the market that treats your history best.

Have you carried insurance for this business, and have there been any claims or losses in the past 5 years?

Carriers ask these together on almost every application. Choosing No, none of these records a No for each item. Choosing Yes shows each item so you can answer it individually. A past matter does not automatically prevent coverage, and an inaccurate answer can affect coverage after a policy binds, so it is worth answering carefully.

Has the business, or any owner, officer, partner, or manager, had any of the following? Use the time frame shown for each item, and count claims and incidents whether or not you were insured for them.

• a claim, complaint, charge, hearing, demand, or administrative, regulatory, civil, or criminal proceeding involving an employment matter (such as wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or a wage-and-hour dispute) against the business or any owner, partner, officer, or manager who would be covered (past 3 years)
• a claim against the business or anyone this policy would cover, including for professional work done before this business started (past 5 years, or earlier if still open)
• an incident or situation you are aware of that could reasonably lead to a claim (no time limit)
• a bankruptcy filing by the business, or the business being placed into bankruptcy (ever)
• a felony conviction of the business or an owner, officer, or partner (past 5 years)
• a bankruptcy declared by the business or an owner, officer, or partner (past 3 years)
• a business-related lawsuit, mediation, or arbitration filed against the business or an owner, officer, partner, or manager (ever, no time limit)
• an insurance policy for the business that a carrier cancelled, or declined to renew or issue (ever)

Carriers ask this on nearly every application, and employment claims are usually handled by a separate coverage called employment practices liability (EPLI) rather than by general liability. Answering it just lets Lee flag whether that coverage is worth discussing and approach the market that treats your history best. A past matter does not automatically disqualify you, and an honest answer keeps your application accurate.

In the past 3 years, have any claims, complaints, charges, hearings, demands, or administrative, regulatory, civil, or criminal proceedings involving an employment matter been made against the business, or against any owner, partner, officer, or manager who would be covered, whether or not you were insured for it? Employment matters include things like wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or a wage-and-hour dispute.

This is a standard underwriting question, and it follows the people the policy would cover rather than the entity, so it applies even to a brand-new business whose owners worked elsewhere first. A 'circumstance that may give rise to a claim' means something has already happened that a claim could still come from, even if no one has filed one yet. Disclosing it up front keeps your application accurate and protects your coverage if that matter later turns into an actual claim.

Aside from anything you have already told us, has any claim been made in the past 5 years, or earlier if it is still open, against the business or against anyone this policy would cover, including for professional work done before this business started, or are you aware of any incident or situation that could reasonably lead to a claim, whether or not you were insured for it?

Carriers ask this as a routine financial question. A past bankruptcy does not necessarily prevent coverage; disclosing it simply keeps the application accurate and helps us approach the right market.

Has the business ever filed for, or been placed into, bankruptcy?

Almost every carrier asks this before it will quote, and it asks about the owners personally, not just the business, so it applies even to a brand-new company. Answering it up front lets Lee prepare an accurate application without following up for more information. Any of these items may affect which carriers will offer terms, and an inaccurate answer can affect coverage after a policy binds, so it is worth getting right.

Has the business, or any of its owners, officers, or partners, had any of the following? Select all that apply: Convicted of a felony in the past 5 years; Declared bankruptcy in the past 3 years; Had business-related lawsuits, mediations, or arbitrations filed against them; None of the above.

This is a standard application question. A prior cancellation, non-renewal, or declination will not necessarily stop us from placing your coverage, but knowing about it up front lets Lee approach carriers that will look past it and keeps the application accurate.

Has any insurance carrier ever cancelled a policy for the business, or declined to renew or issue one?

A certificate proves your coverage to a landlord or client; an additional insured, mortgagee, or loss payee is a party your policy also protects or names, usually because a lease or contract requires it. Capturing exactly who needs what up front means your certificates can go out as soon as the policy binds, with no re-quote.

Does anyone need proof of your insurance (a certificate), or need to be named on your policy? This includes a landlord, client, property manager, or lender that your lease or contract requires you to add as an additional insured, mortgagee, or loss payee, and anyone who simply needs a certificate proving your coverage. If yes, for each one please share what they need, their name, mailing address, and their relationship to you. If no one does, just answer No.

If your contracts keep requiring you to add new parties, a blanket additional insured endorsement can cover them automatically, so you avoid a policy change and a new certificate every time someone asks. Your answer just tells me whether to build that into the quote.

Beyond anyone above, do you expect to regularly add clients, vendors, or others to your policy as additional insureds, for example because your customer contracts routinely require it?

Quoting to the exact requirements in your lease the first time avoids re-quotes and rejected certificates.

Does your lease or landlord spell out insurance requirements for your space, such as limits, being named additional insured, or wording like primary & non-contributory or waiver of subrogation? If yes, paste or attach them so the quote can be built to match them.

Insurance applications use the EIN to identify the business, like a Social Security number for the company. If you do not have an EIN yet, that is fine; for most lines of business except workers compensation we can quote without it.

What is your Federal EIN (Employer Identification Number)? If you have one, answer Yes and share it, or let us know you will send it later. If you are a sole proprietor without an EIN, answer No and leave it blank; there is no need to send your Social Security number.

This sets the policy's effective date, so coverage can line up with a lease, a contract, or your first job.

When would you like coverage to begin? A near-term date works as a placeholder for quotes; it can be adjusted before anything is finalized.

Almost every standard business policy carves out drone (UAV) operations, so flying one for work leaves a gap unless a dedicated drone policy covers it. Flagging it here means separate drone coverage can be quoted alongside the rest from the start, and if a drone policy is already in place we can offer a competing quote when it's timely.

Most commercial policies (general liability, property, and business owners policies) exclude the use of drones or other unmanned aircraft. Do you use, or plan to use, a drone in your business? If you'd like a quote, we can place separate drone coverage for you through SkyWatch.

Sharing your renewal date means we can offer a competing drone quote when it's timely, so you have time to compare before your current policy renews.

When does your current drone policy renew or expire?

How a drone is used decides which carriers can write it at all: inspection and photography sit inside most drone programs, while spraying, delivery and flying over crowds usually do not.

How do you use drones in your business? (for example roof or structure inspections, aerial photos or video, mapping and surveying, agriculture)

Drone policies are rated per aircraft, so the count sets the base premium before anything else.

How many drones would you like to insure?

Make and model tell the carrier the airframe weight and capability, which is what the hull rate is built on.

What is the make and model of each drone? (for example DJI Mavic 3, DJI Matrice 350)

Hull coverage generally pays up to a stated value, so a figure that is too low leaves a gap and one that is too high buys premium you could not collect on.

What is the total value of the drones and attached equipment you'd want covered for physical damage (hull)?

Insurers price commercial drone coverage around the FAA Part 107 certificate that authorizes paid drone work, so it is one of the first things SkyWatch asks.

Do all drone operators hold a current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate?

Pilot count, and the ratio of pilots to aircraft, are rating factors, and carriers generally want every operator named.

How many drone pilots or operators does the business have?

The limit you choose drives the premium and also whether the policy satisfies the contracts you fly under; many clients and venues state a minimum.

What liability limit would you like for the drone coverage? SkyWatch offers limits from $500,000 to $5,000,000.

Hull is optional and is the expensive half of a drone policy, so knowing whether you want it lets us quote what you actually need instead of pricing both.

Would you like hull coverage, which pays to repair or replace the drone itself if it is damaged, lost, or stolen?

Drone programs are filed state by state, and indoor flying is rated differently from outdoor, so this decides which markets can quote you.

Which states do you fly in, and is it mostly outdoors, indoors, or both?

Loss history is the single biggest factor in a drone quote, and a claim a carrier learns about later can undo an offer that was made without it.

Have you had any drone-related accidents, damage, or claims in the past 5 years? Describe each, or write None.

A professional-liability (malpractice) policy is built around your credential. The license number and issuing state let the carrier confirm you're in good standing and quote the right class.

What professional license, certification, or designation do you hold, what is the license number, and which state issued it? For example: Arizona Physical Therapist license #12345.

The NPI is the standard identifier for healthcare providers. It's optional here and only helps the carrier match your record. Skip it if it doesn't apply to you.

If you're a healthcare provider, what is your National Provider Identifier (NPI)? Leave this blank if you don't have one.

Your specialty and the exact services you perform drive how a professional policy is classed and priced. A pediatric focus and a sports-injury focus underwrite differently even within the same license.

What is your specialty or main type of work, and roughly what services do you personally provide?

Years of experience is a standard underwriting input; brand-new practitioners and seasoned ones are rated differently, and time in practice before this business still counts.

How many years have you practiced in this profession, including any time before starting this business?

Carriers ask about prior allegations on every malpractice application. Answering up front keeps the quote accurate and avoids a surprise at binding; your answer is documented in your file either way.

In the past 5 years, has any client or patient alleged a mistake, error, or negligence in your professional work, whether or not a formal claim was filed?

Licensing-board history is a standard malpractice underwriting question. It rarely prevents a quote on its own, but it has to be disclosed up front so the carrier can place you correctly.

Has your professional license ever been suspended, revoked, restricted, or disciplined, or have you been the subject of a licensing-board complaint or investigation?

Care applications ask this because carriers look closely at the people who go into a client's home. A disclosure here does not by itself decide the outcome, and an answer that turns out to be inaccurate can affect coverage after a policy binds, so it is worth answering carefully.

Have you, or has any owner or officer of the business, ever been charged with, indicted for, or convicted of any act in violation of any law or ordinance, other than traffic offenses?

This covers any action taken by a licensing board, a hospital, or a payer, including one that was agreed to voluntarily. Carriers ask about all of them together on care and medical applications.

Have you, or has any owner or officer, ever had hospital privileges, a DEA registration, a healthcare or professional license, or reimbursement privileges denied, refused, revoked, suspended, restricted, reprimanded, placed on probation, or voluntarily surrendered?

Abuse and molestation is the exposure care carriers look at most closely, and applications in this space ask about allegations rather than only findings. An inaccurate answer can affect coverage after a policy binds.

Have you, or has any owner or officer, ever been accused of sexual misconduct of any kind?

Care work is hands-on and often unsupervised, which is why this question appears on the application. Disclosing it keeps the application accurate.

Are you, or is any owner or officer, aware of a health condition that could impair the ability to carry out the duties of this business, including addiction to alcohol, narcotics, or other controlled substances?

This is a standard application question, and it follows both the business and the people behind it, so it applies even to a brand-new company. A prior cancellation or declination does not necessarily stop a placement; knowing about it up front keeps the application accurate.

Has any insurance company ever cancelled, declined, non-renewed, or rescinded a policy for you or for this business?

Carriers ask about known incidents as well as filed claims. A circumstance that may give rise to a claim means something has already happened that a claim could still come from, even if no one has filed one. Disclosing it up front keeps the application accurate and documents it in your file.

Have you, or has this business, ever been involved in a claim or a demand for money, been involved in a lawsuit, or become aware of any complication, incident, or adverse outcome that could reasonably lead to a claim or lawsuit?

Professional liability carriers commonly consider how consistently written agreements define the services and fees before work begins.

How often do you use a standardized written contract, engagement letter, or service agreement with your clients?

When written agreements are not used consistently, carriers may ask how the business confirms the scope of work and fees with its clients.

If you answered Never or Sometimes, how do you and your clients confirm what work is included, what is excluded, and what it will cost?

Whether you're licensed, still getting licensed, or working unlicensed changes both which carriers can quote you and whether the Registrar requires a contractor license bond.

Do you currently hold an Arizona ROC contractor license, are you working on getting one, or do you not plan to get one?

Your ROC classification tells carriers exactly which trades you're licensed for.

Which Arizona ROC contractor license classification(s) do you currently hold? You can list more than one (for example CR-42 Roofing, C-11 Electrical).

Knowing the classification you're applying for tells carriers which trades to expect, and it's what determines the type of contractor license bond the Registrar will require.

Which Arizona ROC contractor license classification(s) are you working on getting or plan to get? You can list more than one (for example CR-42 Roofing, C-11 Electrical).

Residential and commercial work are underwritten and priced differently, and some carriers will only write one or the other. Telling us which you do gets your quote to the markets that actually want your kind of work.

Is the work you do residential, commercial, or both?

A rough split is enough. Carriers rate the two differently, so an even mix and a mostly-residential book with the occasional commercial job land in different places. Estimating by revenue is fine.

Since you do both, roughly what percent of your work is residential and what percent is commercial? (should total 100%)

Carriers underwrite the trades partly on the owner's hands-on years, which is a different fact from how long the company has existed. If you bought an established business, or worked for years at someone else's before starting your own, that time is part of how a carrier assesses the risk, so it is worth stating. A round number is fine.

How many years have you and any other owners worked in this trade, counting experience at other companies before this business?

Carriers use the height band to identify whether additional safety questions apply. Pick the highest band you ever work at, not just your usual jobs.

What is the greatest height above ground at which you or your staff work? Select one. Not sure is fine.

Recent jobs are how a carrier classifies a business that has no website yet. Without either, an underwriter is guessing at what you actually do, and guesses go to the higher rate.

If you don't have a website yet, could you share a list of your last few jobs or current bids?

Carrier applications may ask how completed work is checked and recorded when they review a contractor's operations.

Is completed work inspected against the plans or specification, with the results documented?

Carrier applications may use this information to understand controls for work performed in customers' homes or premises.

Do you run background checks on employees who work inside customers' homes or premises?

Carrier applications may ask about controls used for cutting, welding, soldering, and similar hot work.

Do you have written safety guidelines for any cutting, welding, soldering or other hot work at a customer's location?

Carrier applications may ask how contractors manage underground utility exposure before digging or trenching.

Do you contact utility location services (811) before any digging or trenching?

Carriers may consider driver screening practices when evaluating business auto exposure.

Do you check motor vehicle records before letting an employee drive for the business?

General contractors who manage subcontractors are rated differently than trades that self-perform their work, so this one answer changes which applications we prepare.

Do you act as a general contractor, hiring and coordinating subcontractors on your projects?

When more than a quarter of the work is subcontracted, carriers require a dedicated contractor supplement, so this number decides whether we need the extra detail below.

Roughly what percentage of your total job costs go to subcontractors? (Enter a number, e.g. 40)

New tract and multi-unit residential construction carries the construction-defect exposure carriers underwrite hardest, so this is a knockout question on every contractor supplement.

Will any of your work involve NEW construction of condominiums, townhouses, duplexes/triplexes/four-plexes, patio homes, apartments, or single-family homes in tract developments (10+ homes)?

Unit count is what separates a duplex from a 200-unit complex on a construction-defect rating, and the two go to different carriers.

If yes: describe that new residential construction work, and the largest number of individual living units in any one project.

Each of these is separately excluded or separately rated by most contractor programs. Naming the ones that apply lets us look for a market that can consider them instead of waiting on a declination.

Do any of your operations involve the following? Select all that apply.

These are the vehicles that go on your commercial auto policy. The VIN and value let carriers identify and schedule each vehicle for physical-damage coverage, and annual mileage is a rating factor. Enter every business vehicle here, not on the tools-and-equipment schedule earlier in the form, which is for equipment only.

List every car, van, or truck the business owns, leases, or operates. This is where your commercial-auto vehicles belong, including a personal vehicle used for the business. For each one, enter the VIN and tap Look up vehicle to fill in the year, make, and model automatically (or type them in), then add the approximate value and roughly how many miles it is driven in a year.

Carriers order motor vehicle records on every listed driver, and an unlisted driver is the most common reason a commercial auto claim gets questioned.

For each driver, their full name, date of birth, license number, and the state that issued the license.

The USDOT number is how a carrier pulls your federal safety and inspection history, which is a large part of a trucking quote.

What is your USDOT number?

The MC number shows you are authorized to haul for hire across state lines, which is a different filing from intrastate work and a different market.

What is your MC (motor carrier) number?

A new venture whose authority is not active yet is quoted differently from an operating carrier, and some markets will not bind until it is granted.

Is your operating authority active yet?

Commodity and radius are the two biggest rating factors on a trucking policy, and several commodities are excluded outright by most cargo forms.

What commodities will you haul, and will you run intrastate (Arizona only) or interstate?

Cargo carriers classify and rate based on what you haul, and some commodities carry more risk than others. Picking the closest category helps match your operation to the right cargo program.

What type of commodity do you primarily haul? Choose the category that best fits, and the next question will list the specific commodities within it.

The specific commodity refines the cargo classification within the type you selected. If you haul several, pick your most common one and note the others in the comments at the end.

Which specific commodity best describes your primary freight? This list updates based on the commodity type you chose above.

Cargo limits are set per truck, based on the most valuable load you would carry at once. Choosing a limit close to your typical maximum load helps the quote reflect your real exposure. If a limit does not come to mind, pick Not sure yet and a couple of options can be quoted to compare.

Motor truck cargo coverage pays for direct loss or damage to the freight you are hauling. What cargo limit would you like quoted? A good guide is the highest value of goods you would carry on one truck at one time.

This is the fork for the rest of your quote. A fixed location is rated on the building and its contents; anything mobile adds commercial auto and usually event coverage. Getting this right up front keeps me from asking you questions that don't apply to your operation.

Which best describes your setup: a fixed storefront or shop, a food truck, a trailer, a cart/stand/booth, or catering out of a commissary kitchen? If it's more than one, pick the main one and tell me the rest.

Some general liability programs exclude selling from a vehicle stopped in the roadway, and street vending is generally rated separately from a truck that parks at an event or on a lot.

Do you sell directly to customers on public streets or in residential neighborhoods, including driving a route and stopping for people who flag you down?

Serving or selling alcohol generally brings a liquor liability exposure that a general liability policy does not cover on its own, and it changes which carriers can write the account.

Will you serve or sell alcohol? If so, will you provide it, and do you hold a liquor license?

Commercial cooking equipment brings a fire exposure that carriers rate separately, and hood and suppression requirements usually follow it.

Will you use any cooking equipment beyond a microwave, such as fryers, grills, or stoves?

A refrigeration or power failure that spoils product is generally addressed by a separate spoilage coverage rather than by general liability, subject to the policy wording and carrier guidelines.

Do you rely on refrigeration or freezers to keep product from spoiling? If yes, roughly what value of product do you hold at one time, and is the equipment owned or leased?

Venues and events sometimes require you to name them on your policy or show them a certificate. If any venue asks for that, list it in the Certificates & additional insureds question under Insurance Details so it goes on the certificate.

If you sell at events, fairs, festivals, farmers markets, or other venues rather than only at your own location: which ones do you work? If you operate only from your own location, just say so.

Venue and event contracts commonly set their own limits and endorsement wording, so the actual document generally answers more than a summary of it can.

For any events, fairs, festivals, or markets you work: do any of them spell out insurance requirements, such as a limit, being named as additional insured, or specific wording? If you have the requirements in writing, you can share them here.

Most roofing carriers ask for a written program and a documented fire watch, and hot work without one is a common reason a roofer is declined.

Do you have a written safety program and a fire-watch procedure for cutting, welding, soldering, or other hot work at a customer's location?

New tract and multi-family construction is a much higher-risk category for roofers and many carriers exclude it, so we need to know up front to place you with the right market.

Will any of your work involve new construction of tract homes, multi-family buildings, or apartment complexes?