Ask your agent two questions: which companies can you quote for me, and which ones already said no? If the honest answer is one or two companies, that is your problem. An independent broker who works with more insurance companies can send the same application to 3 to 5 of them and tell you who said no. Who this is for: owners who got a single quote at renewal and want to know whether that was the whole market or just one door.
The short version
- One quote is a price, not a market test. A fair shop is 3 to 5 quotes plus a list of who declined and why.
- Some agents work for one insurance company and can only ever show you that company's price. An independent broker can show you every company that will take their business.
- Ask for the market list before you change anything. Sometimes the one quote really was the only market that would take you.
- If you move to a new broker, tell them exactly which insurers already saw your business. Whoever applied there first holds that company for about 30 to 90 days.
- You can often keep your current insurer and just switch brokers, with one short letter and no change to your policy or price.
Why did I only get one quote?
There are four common reasons, and only one of them is a problem with your business.
| Reason | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your agent is captive | This agent works for one insurance company, whether from a local office or a call center. One quote is all they can ever give you. | Keep them for the policies that fit. Use an independent broker for the rest. |
| Your agent works with few companies in your trade | An independent agent can only quote insurers they have a contract with. An agency focused on homes and cars may hold one or two business contracts. | Ask for the market list. If it is short, find a broker who writes your trade every week. |
| Your agent did not shop it | Renewals are easy to roll over with the same insurer. Nobody asked the other markets. | Ask for the renewal to be marketed and for the results in writing. |
| Everyone else declined | Your agent did shop it, and only one insurer said yes. This happens with roofing, prior claims, new businesses, and some states. | Ask for the declines in writing with reasons. A broker with specialty access may still find more. |
What should I ask my current agent first?
- "Which insurance companies can you quote for my kind of business?" You want names, not "several."
- "Which of them did you send my application to this year?" This separates "can" from "did."
- "Who declined, and what reason did they give?" A no in writing tells you, and any future broker, what to fix.
- "If the standard companies say no, can you still reach the specialty ones?" Specialty insurance companies cover roofers, new businesses, and anyone with a past claim, and only some agents can get to them.
If the answers are clear and the market really was one insurer, you have your answer and can decide whether to stay. If the answers are vague, you have a different answer. For how these roles differ, see independent agent versus captive agent.
When you do take your application somewhere else, take it to one broker, not three, and tell them which insurers have already seen it. Whoever sends your application to an insurer first gets that company, normally for about 30 to 90 days, so brokers racing to the same companies leaves you with fewer quotes, not more. See why brokers reach different companies.
What do I send so the new quotes are real?
- The one quote you got, and the front pages of your current policy that list limits, dates, and price (the declarations pages).
- Your claims history report from your insurer (called loss runs) for 3 to 5 years. See how to get loss runs.
- Payroll and sales by job category, and a plain description of what you do and do not do.
- Your subcontractor practices and whether you collect their certificates.
- Vehicle and driver lists if auto is included, and any contract that drives your requirements.
With that package a broker can usually return quotes within a few business days for a standard business, and one to two weeks if specialty markets are involved.
What this looks like in real life
Illustrative example. It is typical of what we see and is not a promise of how any specific situation would be handled.
The setup: A flooring contractor in California with 5 employees and about $780,000 in yearly sales gets his renewal from the agency that also insures his house: one quote, general liability and workers comp for about $23,800, up 11 percent from last year.
What went wrong: He asks which companies were approached. The answer is one, his current insurer. The agency holds two commercial appointments and the second one does not write flooring installers.
What it cost: Illustrative numbers: a contractor-focused broker sends the same application to seven insurers, telling each that the current insurer has already quoted. Four quote, three decline with reasons. The best is about $20,100 with the same limits and the additional insured wording his general contractors require. He saves roughly $3,700 and now knows why three companies said no.
The fix: The single quote was not a rip-off. It was the only quote his agent could get. The fix was not a cheaper company. It was more companies.
Frequently asked questions
Q: My agent only gave me one quote. How can I get more options?
Ask your agent which insurers they can quote and who declined. If they can only reach one or two companies, take one application to an independent broker who works with more of them, and tell that broker which insurers have already seen your business.
Q: How many quotes should I expect at renewal?
Three to five real quotes from different insurance companies is a fair market test, plus a written note on which companies declined and why.
Q: Is it rude to ask my agent which companies they can quote?
No. It is a normal business question, and a good agent answers it without hesitation. An agent who will not name the companies is telling you something.
Q: Can I just send my application to several brokers at once?
It usually backfires. Whoever sends your application to an insurer first gets that company, normally for about 30 to 90 days, so a second broker sending it there gets turned away. Pick one broker with strong reach for your trade, or split the list of companies so nobody overlaps.
Q: What if I like my agent but want more quotes?
Tell them. Ask them to market the renewal to every company they can reach and to show you the results. If their reach is limited, you can keep them for the policies that fit and use a broker for the rest.
Q: Can I switch brokers and keep the same insurance company?
Usually yes, if the insurer works with brokers and the new broker already has a contract with that insurer. A broker of record letter is a short letter you sign that tells the insurer who now represents you. The policy is not rewritten and the price does not change, and your old agent gets a few days, commonly 5 to 10, to respond. If the new broker has no contract with that insurer, the account has to move to a different company. See changing brokers without changing insurers.
Q: Does getting more quotes cost me anything?
No. Brokers quote for free and are paid a commission by the insurer only if you buy. You are under no obligation to switch.
How Morrow helps
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that works with contractors and trades every day. Shopping a renewal that only got one quote across every market that fits, and reporting back who quoted and who declined, is one of the most common things owners bring us.
- Free contract review. Send us the contract or bid documents and we mark up the insurance section in plain English, whether or not you buy anything from us.
- Free, instant certificates. Clients issue their own certificates of insurance online in about a minute, any hour, any day, at no charge.
- Markets you cannot reach online. One application, shopped across many insurance companies for general liability, workers comp, auto, umbrella, and pollution coverage.
One more thing. This article is general information and is not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Your contract and your policy wording control in every case. Requirements vary by customer, by state, and by insurance company, so have a licensed advisor review your own contract and your own policy before relying on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated September 2026.