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The Data Center Insurance Checklist: What Underwriters Ask For

8 min read

October 15, 2026

The Data Center Insurance Checklist: What Underwriters Ask For

A data center insurance submission usually needs a statement of values, electrical and redundancy documentation, a fire protection narrative, battery storage details, loss history, a business interruption worksheet, key contracts, maintenance and commissioning records, and natural catastrophe siting data. A complete, consistent package helps underwriters assess the risk and determine whether, and on what terms, they can offer coverage.

This checklist covers each item, why underwriters ask for it and what tends to slow a submission down. It applies to operators, developers and owners preparing a new placement or renewal. Exact requirements vary by insurer, coverage line and project, so treat this as a starting point to confirm with your broker.

This checklist focuses on property, equipment breakdown, business interruption and construction-related underwriting. Cyber, professional liability, general liability and management liability may require separate applications and supporting information.

The submission package, item by item

#	Item	What to include	Why underwriters ask
1	Statement of values (SOV)	Replacement-cost values for buildings, equipment and other insured property by location and building; separately identified BI or other time-element values as requested by the insurer; and MW of critical load per site	Sets the values at risk and shows how much sits in one location
2	Single-line electrical diagrams	Utility feeds, substations, switchgear, transformers, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, generators and transfer switches	Shows how power reaches the white space and where a single failure could stop it
3	Redundancy topology and certification	N+1 or 2N design for power and cooling, concurrent maintainability, and any Uptime Institute Tier (I–IV) or ANSI/TIA-942 Rating (1–4) certificates	Helps underwriters judge how well the site survives a failure; it doesn't replace an engineering review
4	Fire protection narrative	Detection, suppression type by area, compartmentalization, fire walls, water leak detection and testing records	Fire drives the largest losses and water the most frequent ones in Allianz Commercial's claims analysis
5	UPS batteries and battery energy storage systems (BESS)	Battery chemistry, location, spacing, ventilation, monitoring and suppression, for both UPS battery rooms and any separate energy storage installation	Lithium-ion batteries in or near the white space add fire risk
6	Loss runs and outage history	Five years of insurer-issued loss runs, where available, plus a separate internal record of significant outages and near misses, including causes, corrective actions and recurrence-prevention measures. If five years of history isn't available, provide what you have and explain the entity's or facility's operating history	Shows actual experience and how incidents were handled
7	Business interruption (BI) worksheet	Historical and projected revenue by site; continuing and non-continuing expenses; the policy's business income, gross earnings or gross profit calculation; extra expense needs; dependencies on power, cooling, network and third parties; and realistic restoration timelines	Supports the proposed BI value, limit and recovery period. Critical-equipment lead times, installation, testing, commissioning and customer recovery can extend the interruption; Allianz puts switchgear lead times at up to 80 weeks and transformers at up to 50 weeks
8	Key contracts	Customer agreements, service-level agreements (SLAs), leases and financing documents, especially their insurance, indemnity and liability clauses	Contract terms shape liability and BI exposure and can set required limits
9	Maintenance and testing records	Testing and maintenance logs for UPS systems, batteries, generators, switchgear, transfer switches and chillers	Failures involving UPS systems, transfer switches and generators dominate power-related outages, per Uptime Institute
10	Commissioning documentation	Commissioning plan, test results and handover records for new or expanded sites	Testing, energization and integrated commissioning can expose installation defects, control issues and weaknesses in system interfaces before operational handover
11	Natural catastrophe siting data	Flood zone, wind, hail, tornado, earthquake and wildfire exposure for each location, with any mitigation	Severe weather is a major loss driver; Swiss Re estimates over 25% of US data center capacity may see three or more large-hail days a year
12	Water use and community profile	Cooling water source and use, emissions from on-site generation, permitting status and any local opposition	Water use and community opposition can delay or stop projects, which some underwriters now ask about

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Keep the assumptions and valuation dates in the SOV, BI worksheet and supporting documents consistent, and explain any differences in the figures.

Four items that commonly stall a submission

Values that don't reconcile. Values should reconcile, not necessarily match. Explain differences between replacement-cost values, construction budgets, financing amounts and BI projections. Use consistent site names, valuation dates, ownership assumptions and equipment schedules so underwriters can understand how the figures relate.
A BI worksheet without dependencies. A single revenue figure isn't enough. Underwriters want to see which revenue depends on which systems and suppliers, and how long each would take to restore given current equipment lead times.
Thin fire protection and BESS detail. A one-line description such as "fully sprinklered" won't answer the questions underwriters have about suppression type, compartmentalization and battery siting. Expect follow-up questions if the detail is missing.
Loss runs requested too late. Loss runs come from prior insurers and can take time to arrive. Request them as soon as you start the process.

What a risk engineering visit looks at

For larger sites, an insurer's risk engineer will often visit or review the site before quoting or at renewal. Engineering scrutiny has grown sharply: Zurich says its risk engineers' annual hours on data center reviews rose 500% from 2020 to 2025 (Risk & Insurance).

A visit typically covers:

Power path. Utility feeds, switchgear, transformers, UPS and battery rooms, generators and fuel storage, and how they're separated and protected.
Cooling. Chillers, cooling towers, computer room air conditioning (CRAC) and computer room air handling (CRAH) units, liquid cooling loops and leak detection.
Fire protection. Detection and suppression systems, fire separation, and impairment procedures when systems are offline.
Housekeeping and operations. Combustible storage, hot work permits, contractor controls and change management.
Maintenance practice. Whether testing and maintenance records match what's on site.
Exposure. Neighboring properties, flood and storm defenses, and site security.

Have your facilities lead and someone who knows the maintenance records on hand. Recommendations from the visit may affect terms, so ask how they'll be reported and what timeline you'll have to respond.

How far ahead to start

The larger the program, the earlier you need to begin. A placement spread across many insurers takes longer than one with a single insurer, and engineering reviews add time.

As planning targets to confirm with your broker, not guaranteed lead times:

Straightforward renewals: start gathering documents about three to four months before the renewal date.
Large or multi-insurer programs: start earlier, often four to six months out, to leave time for engineering visits and for marketing the program to enough insurers to fill the limits.
New construction: involve your broker during design, well before construction starts. Builder's risk and delay in start-up (DSU) terms depend on the construction schedule, commissioning plan, equipment lead times and projected financial exposure.

Start with the core documents and reconciled values, then agree the marketing and engineering sequence with your broker. Insurer discussions, site reviews and follow-up information requests may run in parallel. Starting late usually means fewer insurers have time to look at the risk.

Frequently asked questions

What do insurers need to quote a data center?

Insurers commonly request a statement of values, electrical and redundancy documentation, a fire protection narrative, UPS battery and energy storage details, a business interruption worksheet, key contracts, maintenance and commissioning records, and natural catastrophe information. They may also request five years of insurer-issued loss runs, where available, plus a separate record of significant outages and corrective actions. New entities or facilities should provide the available history and explain any gaps. Exact requirements vary by insurer, coverage line and project.

What is a statement of values for a data center?

A statement of values identifies the property and values proposed for insurance at each location, usually including buildings and equipment. Depending on the insurer's format, BI or other time-element values may appear on the same schedule or in a separate worksheet. Supporting details may include construction type, occupancy and MW of critical load.

Does Uptime Institute Tier certification lower my premium?

It can help underwriters assess resilience, but it isn't a guarantee of better terms. Underwriters still look at engineering, maintenance records, fire protection and loss history.

How long does a data center insurance submission take?

It depends on the program's size and how complete the documents are. Larger programs placed across many insurers, or those needing an engineering visit, take longer. Start early and request loss runs first.

Do I need a risk engineering visit?

Often, for larger or higher-value sites. The insurer decides based on values, exposure and what the submission shows. Complete records and knowledgeable site personnel can reduce follow-up questions and help the engineer assess the risk. Any effect on pricing, coverage or required improvements depends on the findings and the insurer.

Talk to a Fullsteam advisor

Preparing a submission or renewal? Talk to a Fullsteam advisor

This article is general information, not insurance, legal or financial advice. Submission requirements, coverage, pricing and availability vary by insurer, location, policy wording and the facts of each risk.

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by Tyler Crawford

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