What does Professional Liability cover for architects and engineers?
Engineers and architects work on detailed plans and help carry out complex projects. If something goes wrong along the way, they could be held responsible for any financial damages.
In addition, there’s always the risk that a client could claim that you failed to complete a project correctly. As an engineer, you could be asked to redo the job. And if no mistakes actually occurred, you may need legal resources to defend yourself.
An engineering professional liability insurance policy can help cover a variety of costs, such as:
- Professional negligence (actual or alleged)
- Legal defense costs
- Legal judgments
Learn more about what architects and engineers’ professional liability insurance covers.
Why do architects & engineers need Professional Liability insurance?
Engineers and architects are tasked with determining the fine details of major projects, and they often act as project directors when their plans are put into place.
This puts a lot of responsibility in the architect’s or engineer’s hands. If you make a mistake as an engineer or an architect, you can be held responsible for any damages or expenses that are incurred. And if a client is unhappy with a project, they may place blame on you regardless of whether the issue actually resulted from an engineering or architectural error.
To get protection from the unexpected expenses involved in these scenarios, you need professional liability insurance. Engineering and architectural professionals typically have this insurance to cover them in the event of work mistakes or business disagreements.
Professional liability insurance for architects and engineers is relatively common, especially on high-cost projects. In fact, some clients require that their engineers have a certificate of insurance to help provide financial protection in case of a lawsuit.
What are some common risks faced by engineers & architects?
Here are some of the common risks engineers and architects could be exposed to at work:
Business mistakes
Engineers and architects must have excellent attention to detail. Even with meticulous work, however, something could slip through the cracks during the planning stages or as a project progresses.
If you make a mistake in your calculations that costs a client thousands of dollars, you could be sued to reimburse them for your error. Engineering or architectural errors and omissions insurance could help to cover some of those expenses (up to the policy limit).
Accusations of professional negligence
If a client claims you were negligent in your duties as the engineer or architect, you’ll need to defend yourself. That can often involve significant legal fees and judgments if you are ruled liable for your client’s losses.
For example, months after a project is complete, the client claims that you made an oversight that caused a wall to collapse. You review your plans and determine that you did everything right, but they take legal action against you anyway. Professional liability insurance can help to cover the legal expenses up to the limits of your policy.
How much does engineering & architectural Professional Liability insurance cost?
NEXT offers custom professional liability insurance policies, which helps you get the exact coverage you need for your engineering or architecture business.
Professional liability costs are $26 to $45 per month for 40% of NEXT customers. When it comes to professional liability insurance costs for engineers or architects specifically, the median monthly premium is $53.**
The average cost of professional liability insurance for engineers and architects is slightly higher than what most of our customers pay due an increased risk of making costly mistakes compared to many other professions. Some of the other factors which affect architectural and engineering professional liability insurance costs include:
- How many employees you have
- The state where you work
- Your claims history
- How high you set your limit
- Your work experience
NEXT offers tailored business insurance for engineers & architects
NEXT makes it easy to find insurance for architects and engineers, civil engineers, structural engineers, architects, interior designers and other types of small businesses. We make it easy to get architects and engineers professional liability insurance in just a few minutes.
Everything can be done online from the comfort of your home or office. Use your mobile device or computer to compare insurance options, purchase coverage and get an instant certificate of insurance.
Get a quote for errors and omissions insurance for architects and engineers online today.
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