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Guidance for making a claim
6 October 2026
Read time: 12 minutes
If you need to make a claim on your commercial insurance policy, you may be looking for some guidance on how to do so. Here, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to make a claim, track a claim, and any extra bits of important information that may be useful to you.
How to make a new claim
If you have an active Intact Insurance or RSA Insurance policy and need to make a new claim, you can do so by getting in touch, or using our online claims portals (exclusive to property and motor claims).
Depending on what policy you have will determine how best to make a claim. Visit our claims page and choose your policy's product to find out how to make a claim.
Our claims service
We strive to deliver a first-class claims service every time.
Before a claim is made, we:
Invest time to get to know our brokers and customers, understanding what’s important to them
Involve everyone from underwriters and claims handers, to risk managers. This helps ensure we’re prepared for when the claim is made
Meet to gather information and intelligence, even before an incident occurs
Run scenario tests on how we’ll respond and work in collaboration
Have regular claims relationship health-checks to ensure we stay on track together
When a claim is made, we focus on settling the claim as quickly and fairly as possible. Every claim receives a nominated claims handler, who has the right expertise to handle the claim from start to finish. We have a tailored approach to each claim, and in-house teams as well as supplier network partners.
After a claim is made, we’ll discuss with the customer how to avoid recurrence as part of our risk management service.
Making a Commercial Property claim
For any commercial property policies, claims can be made and tracked online by our brokers and customers via our online portals.
Make a Commercial Property claim
Preparing to make your property claim
Before you start your claim
Check your policy excess amounts, which are in your policy schedule. This document would have been sent to you by post or email when you took out your policy.
If you're making a claim on behalf of a policyholder
We’ll need them to confirm they’re happy for you to register a claim under the policy.
When you register a claim
To help us process your claim as quickly as possible, have the following details to hand:
- Your policy number
- What happened and where
- The time and date of the incident or loss
- Details of the loss or damage
- Your VAT status
Buildings or contents claims
If you need to make a claim related to building or contents damage, ensure you have the following ready before making your claim:
Building damage claims
Photos of the damage
Supporting documents, such as repair estimates. This should include details of the repairs needed
Depending on the severity of the damage, we may assign a Loss Adjuster to your claim who are experienced in major loss.
Contents damage claims
Photos of the items being claimed for
Supporting documents such as repair and replacement estimates or invoices for completed repairs
Proof of purchase, such as receipts and invoices
Damaged items: before throwing away any damaged items, please contact our claims team for inspection. If safety is a concern, photograph the damage before you dispose of the item.
Claims for water or oil leaks
If damage to your property or contents has been caused by an oil or water leak, here are some top tips for what to do. Water and oil leaks can lead to substantial damage, so acting promptly is crucial.
What to do if you’ve experienced a water leak (escape of water) or burst pipe
Turn off the water supply immediately to stop the leak. If you’re unable to do so, contact a plumber for assistance
- Contact a plumber to locate and repair the leak promptly
- If you’re concerned about electrical damage, consult an electrician
- If you’re unable to prevent further damage, contact us as soon as possible
What to do if you’ve experienced an oil leak (escape of oil)
If you detect a strong smell of oil indoors, ventilate the area by opening windows and doors
- If you suspect an oil leak, seek advice from the environmental health department at your local authority
If possible, shut off your oil supply at the tank immediately
If the oil has contaminated land, entered drains, or could affect water sources (groundwater, ponds, rivers etc), contact the environmental health department at your local authority immediately
Important information about making an escape of water claim:
If you suspect a contractor caused the leak, send us a copy of their estimates or invoices. It would be useful if you also include any relevant evidence such as photos of the pipework
If the leak was caused by weather freezing the pipe, select weather as the cause when you register your claim
If there are any additional costs for finding the leak (such as removing tiles), we may be able to help if you have trace and access cover. Please provide details of the costs and share any photos you have
Stock or business interruption claims
If you need to make a claim related to stock or business interruption, ensure you have the following ready before making your claim.
Stock claims
Purchase invoices for the damaged stock
Itemised list of damaged stock
Business interruption claims
A copy of the last audited accounts, including detailed Trading, Profit and Loss account for the last completed financial year
Claims for property theft
Experiencing theft from your property can be incredibly distressing. Rest assured, we’re here to support you. If theft occurs, here are the steps we’d encourage you to follow:
Contact the police
Immediately file a report with the police, and obtain a crime reference number. We’ll need this number when you make a claim.
Secure your property
Make your property safe and secure following a break in. If you need assistance, you can contact our emergency helpline or the police.
Before making a theft claim, remember to:
Make a comprehensive list of all stolen items
Collect together relevant receipt or invoices for the stolen items
Making a Commercial Motor claim
For any commercial property policies, claims can be made and tracked online by our brokers and customers via our online portals.
Preparing to make your motor claim
Before you start your claim
Make sure you have these details to hand:
Your policy number
Vehicle registration
Accident date and time
Accident location
Questions we may ask the driver
As part of our claims process, we may ask the following:
Their date of birth
Do they have any pending prosecutions?
Have they been asked not to drive by a doctor or the DVLA?
Have they been involved in any incidents?
Have they had any losses or thefts in the last 5 years?
Have they had any motoring convictions or fixed penalty points in the last 5 years?
Have they held a full UK/EU license for at least 12 months, and driven regularly in the UK?
Are they the registered owner and keeper of the vehicle?
Extra information we may ask for
To help us process your claim as quickly as possible, we may also ask for:
Third party registration
Third party contact details
Witness information
CCTV footage
Photos of damage and the accident scene
Emergency motor assistance
As part of our claims service, we offer emergency helplines for commercial motor policyholders:
24-hour emergency assistance
24-hour emergency windscreen repair