Beech Underwriting : Everything you need to know

Headquarters: 12-13 Starnes Court, Union Street, Maidstone, ME14 1EB, United Kingdom

Year established: 2001

Underwriting expertise: Terrorism, property, and commercial insurance

Key people: Geoff Stilwell (managing director), Andrew Woodhams (senior terrorism underwriter), Matt Gates (senior underwriter, property & commercial)

About Beech Underwriting

Beech Underwriting Agencies Ltd, a market leader in the placement of terrorism insurance and other specialist-related coverage, is an approved Lloyd’s coverholder. The managing general agency (MGA) underwrites only on behalf of Lloyd’s of London syndicates and A-Rated composite markets. It offers a range of schemes, which includes SME, property owners, and unoccupied property packages.

Beech Underwriting was founded by current managing director Geoff Stilwell in 2001. It was acquired by specialist lines-focused MGA Occam Underwriting in March 2022 after getting approval from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Product offerings at Beech Underwriting

Beech Underwriting provides four types of coverages, which it also refers to as schemes. These are:

1. Terrorism insurance

Offered to clients in the UK and across Europe, Beech Underwriting’s terrorism insurance is a stand-alone cover designed for commercial and residential properties. Among its key features are:

• Sabotage, threat, and hoax cover
• £415 million capacity limit
• 30% day one uplift
• No maximum schedule value
• Emergency hotel accommodation
• Emergency accommodation for domestic cats and dogs
• Loss of metered water
• Non-damage denial of access
• Loss of attraction
• Utilities cover
• Brand rehabilitation
• Seepage, pollution, and contamination clean-up

 2. Unoccupied property insurance

Designed for commercial and residential properties, Beech Underwriting’s unoccupied property package covers buildings in the course of alteration and grade II-listed structures. The following types of properties may also be considered:

• Non-standard construction
• Non-UK domiciled insured properties
• Properties with adverse financial histories
• Unoccupied pubs with confirmed plans

 The scheme comes with the following protection:

• Day one uplift
• Capital additions up to 10% of the buildings (maximum of £1 million)
• Damage to underground cables (subject to a maximum of £5,000)
• Unauthorised use of utilities (subject to a maximum of £5,000)
• Property damage
• Glass
• Loss of rent
• Losses following prevention of access caused by damage within 500 metres of the premises
• Employers’ liability
• Property owners’ liability up to £5 million
• £7.5 million maximum sum insured in any one location, including buildings, contents, and rent

3. SME package insurance

Beech Underwriting offers SME package quotes for office and retail risks through its online quote system. It covers home offices and retailers, including those in these trades:

The policies provide the following coverages:

• Material damage
• Accidental damage
• Capital additions up to 10% of the buildings (maximum of £1 million)
• Unauthorised use of utilities up to a maximum of £10,000
• Damage to services which the insured is responsible for
• Glass
• Money/assault
• Business interruption/ increased cost of working (ICOW)
• Employers’ liability
• Public/products liability up to £5 million
• £7.5 million maximum sum insured in any one location including buildings, contents, and rent

4. Property owners’ insurance

Beech Underwriting property owners’ insurance provides coverage for the following:

• Commercial buildings 
• Residential properties
• Partly occupied/unoccupied buildings
• Property portfolios
• HMOs
• Holiday lets or second homes
• DSS tenants (direct tenancy agreements with insured)
• Students lets
• Grade II-listed properties
• Non-standard construction
• Non-UK domiciled insured structures
• Properties with adverse financial histories

Policies have the same features as unoccupied property coverage.