What happens after you submit
Kinro's request has four steps and starts with one question: what kind of work do you do? After you send it, a licensed Kinro agent reviews your answers and follows up by phone, text or email for anything the form didn't cover. Expect that contact; it's how the quotes get finished.
Kinro then shops the insurers that write your kind of business. Kinro says its agents work with 50+ insurance companies; that's Kinro's figure, and we haven't checked it independently. Kinro also says viewing a quote costs nothing and you're under no obligation to buy.
Who you're dealing with: Kinro Insurance Services LLC, an independent insurance agency that acts as your broker, with National Producer Number 22233799 (as listed on kinro.com). You can confirm any agent's license with your state insurance department. Our Kinro review covers what the company is and how it places policies with insurers.
How long does it take?
The form itself takes a few minutes. Chubb, which sells small-business policies online, says a basic online quote "will often take only a few minutes," and policies that need customising take longer.
What slows quotes down is missing information: payroll, revenue, claims history, vehicle details. Gather those first with our checklist of what you need for a business insurance quote, and use the class code lookup if you don't know how insurers classify your work.
What you'll be asked
Chubb says online forms start with basics such as your location, industry and number of employees. To price the policy, the insurer then needs the numbers your premium is based on:
| You'll be asked for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What your business does | Sets your class code, which decides which insurers will quote and at what rate |
| Annual revenue or gross sales | A common base for general liability premiums |
| Payroll, by type of work | The base for workers' comp, and for general liability in some trades |
| Number of employees | Workers' comp, and the size of the risk the insurer is taking |
| Claims in recent years | Your loss history, shown on "loss runs" you can request from your current insurer |
| Vehicles and drivers | VINs and three years of driving history for commercial auto |
Utica National's premium audit guide lists the bases a general liability policy can be rated on: gross sales, payroll, subcontracted costs and admissions, sometimes more than one. Because your quote uses estimates, the insurer audits the real figures after the policy year and adjusts the premium up or down. Estimate honestly; a low guess comes back as a bill.
How to compare two quotes
Price is the last thing to compare, not the first. Line the quotes up and check each of these:
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Limits | The per-occurrence limit (most paid for one claim) and the aggregate (most paid in the policy year). On Insureon's cost pages, its customers' typical general liability policy has a $1 million per-occurrence limit and a $2 million aggregate. Match whatever your contracts require |
| Deductible | What you pay before the insurer does. A cheaper quote with a higher deductible isn't cheaper if you claim |
| Occurrence vs claims-made | An occurrence policy covers incidents that happen while it's active, whenever the claim arrives. A claims-made policy covers claims made while it's active, back to a retroactive date. |
| Exclusions | What each policy won't pay for. Compare the exclusion lists line by line |
| Premium basis and audit | Whether the premium is an estimate based on payroll or sales that will be audited |
| Admitted or surplus lines | Admitted insurers are backed by your state's guaranty fund if they fail. The NAIC notes that guaranty funds don't cover the surplus lines market |
| Quote or indication | A bindable quote is a firm offer; an indication is a rough estimate. See quote vs indication vs binder |
If two quotes differ a lot in price, check these rows first, then ask the agent to explain the gap.
Why one insurer says no and another says yes
Each insurer has an appetite: the types of business, states and sizes it wants to write. One online form can only quote you with one insurer's appetite, which is why getting a "no" from one doesn't mean the market is closed.
Insurers rarely publish their appetite in full. QuoteSweep's Observed Appetite study (May 2026) found that only 2.2% of 509 carriers publicly disclose any appetite rule that combines industry, state and business size. Where the same carrier published both a PDF guide and a web page, the two agreed only "fair" (Cohen's kappa +0.25). So a broker who knows which insurers want your class saves you more than form-filling time.
How willing insurers are depends on what you do. Here is how carriers rated common business types on their own websites and underwriting guides, as QuoteSweep recorded them on March 4–10, 2026:
| Business type | Carrier records | Preferred | Standard | Limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General contractors | 24 | 18 | 5 | 1 |
| Professional services | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 21 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| Technology companies | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
| Real estate | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| Healthcare offices | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Wholesale distribution | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Trucking | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
The ratings are QuoteSweep's reading of each carrier's own material: "preferred" where it says it actively wants the class, "limited" where it writes only some risks in it. A trucking company should expect more declines than a consultant, and more value from a broker. Read more about carrier appetite.
Which insurer is cheapest?
No insurer is cheapest for everyone. Each one prices its own classes and states, so the cheapest for a plumber in Ohio may not be the cheapest for a restaurant in Florida. The U.S. Small Business Administration says prices and benefits "can vary significantly" and advises comparing several options.
For typical prices before you quote, see small business insurance costs and business insurance cost by industry. Asking about a $1 million liability policy? General liability insurance cost has the figures by trade. To compare named insurers, see our roundups of small business insurance companies and, for trades, contractor insurance and the insurers that write contractors.
Quotes by type of coverage
Most quote requests cover more than one policy. What changes by line:
- General liability: priced on revenue, payroll or another exposure base for your class. Have your annual revenue and a clear description of your work ready. If you have a small space and modest revenue, also ask for a business owner's policy (BOP), which bundles liability with property coverage.
- Workers' compensation: priced per $100 of payroll in each job classification, then adjusted by your experience modification rate, as the Texas Department of Insurance explains. Payroll by job type is the number to get right.
- Commercial auto: needs every vehicle's VIN and each driver's license and three-year driving record, per Progressive Commercial's quote checklist.
- Professional liability: for advice and services. Expect questions about your contracts, services and past claims.
- Commercial property: needs your building details and what your equipment and stock are worth.
Agent, broker or buy direct?
You can buy from an insurer directly online, through a captive agent who sells one company's policies, or through an independent agent or broker who quotes several. The SBA notes that agents are paid commission by the insurers they place you with, and recommends comparing several. A broker like Kinro is the comparing route; buying direct is quicker when you already know which insurer wants your business. More on the choice in our business insurance guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is comparing quotes free?
Yes. Kinro says there's no payment to view a quote and no obligation to buy. QuoteSweep may be paid by Kinro if you buy a policy through it.
Will I get calls or emails after I submit?
Yes. A licensed Kinro agent follows up by phone, text or email to complete your quotes. That's the trade-off for having someone shop insurers for you.
Can I get a quote without giving my personal information?
You'll need to give your business details and a way to contact you, because the agent has to come back with prices. Exact figures such as payroll can be estimates at the quote stage; the insurer checks them at audit.
How much is business insurance for a small LLC?
Your legal structure matters less than your trade, size and location. See small business insurance costs for typical figures by policy and by business type.