What information do I need for a professional liability insurance quote in Texas?

By Mark Melliand, owner, Melliand Insurance Agency · 13 years as an independent agent · Published October 26, 2026

The short answer: Expect questions about what services you provide, who performs them, how much revenue each service brings in, how you contract with clients, what coverage you’ve had, and whether there have been any claims, complaints or circumstances that could lead to a claim. What an insurer actually asks depends on your profession, the insurer, your services and the specific application.

Professional liability applications vary substantially by profession. One insurer, for example, groups its errors and omissions applications separately for accounting, design, legal and real estate professionals, among others, with industry-specific supplements for its miscellaneous professional liability category (Travelers). The items below come from sample applications and general insurer guidance. They’re illustrative, not a complete application, and not every item applies to every business.

For what professional liability may cover, see our guide to what professional liability insurance covers.

Information at each stage

Information to start	Information for underwriting	Documents that may be requested
Business name, any DBA, entity type and locations	Date established, subsidiaries or affiliates, and any name changes, mergers or acquisitions	Organizational chart, if you have affiliated companies
A plain description of every service you provide	Revenue by service, and work or clients outside your main services	A services list or brochure
Approximate annual revenue, clearly marked as an estimate if you’re new or growing	Past, current and projected revenue; largest clients or projects	Financial information, if the insurer asks for it
Number of owners, employees and subcontractors	Qualifications and years of experience of key people; how subcontractors are used	Résumés or a summary of qualifications
Whether you use written client contracts	Limitation-of-liability, indemnity, warranty or guarantee terms; quality-control and complaint procedures	A sample client agreement or scope of work
Current coverage, expiration date and desired start date	Prior insurers, limits, retention, retroactive date and any extended reporting period	Current declarations, forms and endorsements; available prior claims reports, if requested
Whether there have been any claims, complaints or disputes	Answers to the application’s claims and circumstances questions, as worded	A claim or circumstance supplement, if a question is answered “yes”

(Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative; Arch sample application, illustrative; biBERK, general guidance)

Business identity and experience

Identity. Your legal name, any DBA, your entity type and your locations. One sample application also asks for subsidiaries and for name changes, purchases or mergers in the past five years (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative).
Experience. When the business was established, and the professional qualifications and years in practice of principals and key professionals (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative). Have licenses, certifications or designations ready where your profession has them.
People. The number of owners, professionals and staff who provide services.
Subcontractors. One sample application asks what share of revenue comes from subcontracted work and whether subcontractors must carry their own E&O insurance (Arch sample application, illustrative).

Services and clients

A specific description of every service you want covered. Be specific. A vague description can cause confusion later about what the policy covers.
Other business activities, outside your main services (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative).
Revenue: past, current and projected, and how much comes from outside the U.S. (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative). Some applications ask for revenue by service (Arch sample application, illustrative). Clearly mark estimates as estimates.
Largest clients or projects, with the services provided and revenue, where the application asks (Skyward Specialty and Arch sample applications, illustrative).

Contracts and risk management

Written contracts. Whether you use one for every client, sometimes, or never (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative).
Contract terms. Whether your contracts contain hold-harmless or indemnity agreements, guarantees or warranties, or limitations of liability (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative). Another form asks how often contracts deviate from your standard terms and who can agree to changes (Arch sample application, illustrative).
Insurance requirements in client contracts, such as required limits.
Quality control. Procedures you use to avoid errors, whether you have a formal complaint procedure, and whether clients sign off on changes during a project (Arch sample application, illustrative).

Prior insurance and the coverage you want

Current declarations, coverage forms and endorsements
Current expiration date and desired effective date
Requested limits and deductible or retention
Prior professional liability coverage: insurer, limit, retention, premium and policy period (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative)
Retroactive date, if your current policy has one, and whether an extended reporting period is in force (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative). A retroactive date can affect coverage for work done before it (IRMI).
Declined, cancelled or non-renewed coverage, if the application asks (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative)
Available prior claims reports, if requested. A loss run is a report from an insurer showing claims filed under past policies (biBERK, general guidance).

Claims, complaints and known circumstances

Answer every claims and circumstances question accurately, according to its exact wording. Questions vary. One sample application asks about client complaints, refund requests, regulatory investigations, claims and suits during the past five years, and separately whether you’re aware of any fact, circumstance or error that could reasonably be expected to result in a claim (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative). Another asks about claims and complaints during the last three years (Arch sample application, illustrative). These periods belong to those individual applications, not a universal requirement. Don’t assume a matter falls outside a question just because no lawsuit has been filed. The question may cover complaints, demands or circumstances too.

Some applications state that the application becomes part of the policy if one is issued (Skyward Specialty sample application, illustrative). Application answers can affect underwriting and coverage. Answer accurately and completely, follow any instructions to update information before coverage begins, and ask for clarification if a question is unclear. The consequences of an inaccurate or incomplete answer depend on the facts, policy wording and applicable law.

If you answer “yes,” expect a supplement asking for details such as dates, allegations, amounts and status (The Hartford sample claim or circumstance supplement, illustrative).

Disclosing on an application isn’t the same as giving notice

Disclosing a matter on an application tells a prospective insurer about it.
Giving notice under your existing policy is a separate obligation, with its own requirements. Some claims-made policies also let you report circumstances that might lead to a claim while the policy is in force (IRMI).

Do not assume an application, a new quote request or an email to an agent satisfies an existing policy’s notice requirements. Check the policy’s required recipient, method, information and deadlines. Seek prompt assistance if a claim or reportable circumstance may exist.

Timing, briefly

Many professional liability policies use claims-made coverage (Texas Department of Insurance). Check when a claim must first be made, when and how it must be reported, any retroactive date, and any prior-knowledge or related-claims provisions. Extended reporting provisions and prior-acts coverage serve different purposes and depend on the policy wording (IRMI). Before cancelling or replacing coverage, review continuity and reporting obligations. A replacement policy does not automatically preserve coverage for earlier work. Our professional liability guide explains timing briefly.

If you’re a new business

With no prior coverage, answer the prior-insurance questions accurately, rather than leaving them blank.
If the business has never carried insurance, explain that history to the insurer; provide any claims or disputes information the application requests.
Provide relevant qualifications and experience for yourself and your key people.
Projected revenue will be an estimate. Mark it clearly, and explain how you arrived at it.
If you plan to use a standard client agreement, have a draft available in case it’s requested.

Preparation checklist

A specific description of all services
Revenue by service, with estimates marked
Owners, key professionals, qualifications and subcontractors
Your standard client agreement, if requested
Current declarations, forms and endorsements, if you have coverage
Retroactive date, expiration date and desired effective date
Available prior claims reports, if requested
A list of any claims, complaints, demands or circumstances, to review against the application’s wording

Protect sensitive information

Don’t send Social Security numbers, banking details, passwords or confidential client records through ordinary email or a website form. If an insurer needs sensitive information, ask for an appropriate secure way to provide it.
Don’t casually forward privileged legal advice or detailed claim files.
Start with what’s needed for the first discussion. Further documents can follow if the insurer requests them.

Questions to ask Mark

Which application and supplements apply to my services?
Which documents are needed now, and which only if an insurer asks?
How should I send sensitive documents securely?
If I have an open matter, how do I check my current policy’s notice requirements before applying elsewhere?
What should I compare across limits, retentions, defense costs and retroactive dates?

Talk through your needs

Melliand Insurance Agency is an independently operated insurance agency affiliated with Premier Group Insurance (PGI), a nationwide agency network. Availability of any coverage depends on your business and the insurer’s underwriting.

To discuss your business’s professional liability questions, call (972) 346-4666 or email melliandinsurance@gmail.com. Hours are Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM Central. There is no walk-in office. In-person visits are available by appointment at your home or business throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

References

Texas regulator

Texas Department of Insurance, FAQ: Professional liability insurance

Sample applications and forms (illustrative only)

These samples illustrate common questions. They don’t establish requirements for every profession or Texas policy.

Miscellaneous Professional Liability Insurance Application, form MP 01 07 05 23 (2023 edition), published by Skyward Specialty: sample application
Arch Essential Miscellaneous Professional Liability application, form MPL0160 (2017 edition): sample application
The Hartford, Supplemental Claim or Circumstance Form, ML 00 H009 01 0714 (2014 edition): sample supplement

Insurer guidance (general description, not policy terms)

Travelers, Errors and omissions applications and forms
biBERK, What is a loss run?

Industry references

IRMI, Prior acts coverage
IRMI, Circumstance

This guide is general information, not a statement of coverage, eligibility or price. Your policy wording controls, and availability depends on your business and the insurer. Requesting a quote does not bind coverage.