Design work involves more than just a finished deliverable.
Insurance that understands your design responsibilities
With new design technologies to adopt, broadening contractual requirements to meet, sustainability concerns to consider, and client expectations to manage, even the most competent design professional can face claims long after a project closes. Design professional insurance from Navacord provides broad and responsive insurance coverage for design professionals, including interior designers, to help protect your practice against professional and business risks.
Your work in focus
Build coverage around the way you design
Whether you consult independently or lead a multi-disciplinary design studio, your coverage should reflect your projects, client requirements, and working relationships. We take time to understand your role, including any sourcing, project coordination, or installation work. With deep industry expertise, our advisors work with you to keep your insurance aligned with how you run your business.
Who we help
Design businesses manage distinct liabilities, even when collaborating on the same project. We help you explore tailored insurance solutions based on your discipline and scope of services, whether your practice focuses on interiors, visual communications, or digital user experiences.
Incorrect measurements, unsuitable material specifications, or coordination errors can lead to costly rework and claims involving your design decisions.
Ordering the wrong furnishings, damaging client property during placement, or arranging installations can lead to replacement costs and liability claims.
Incorrect artwork files, missed client revisions, or unlicensed images can lead to reprinting costs, client losses, and copyright claims.
Multi-channel campaigns can involve disputes over creative intellectual property, licensing usage rights, or campaign execution, requiring specialized media liability protection.
Website architecture and digital deliverables generate unique professional exposures, while access to client systems introduces critical cyber risk considerations.
Independent designers need dedicated coverage for their individual responsibilities, even when sub-contracting under another agency’s master contract.
Our design professionals insurance expertise
We bring industry knowledge and practical risk management advice to the specific details of your design practice, from professional obligations to day-to-day business operations.
We build solutions that address specific licensing and contractual obligations and protect against errors, omissions, design flaws, and delays.
As one of only 6 Canadian members of the Professional Liability Agents Network (PLAN), we support thousands of design consulting firms with specialized insight.
Our offerings extend beyond basic professional liability to include general liability, property, auto, cyber liability, and directors' and officers' liability.
We tailor coverage limits to match your project size, discipline, and the contractual requirements you're working under.
We deliver practical advice to reduce professional liability risk throughout the design and construction process, helping firms understand exposures, review contracts, and implement strategies to reduce future claims.
Coverage designed around your work
Key insurance coverages for design professionals
Professional liability is an essential foundation, but your practice may require additional protection for wider operational risks. We help you evaluate essential coverages tailored to your specific operations.
- Professional liability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Also known as errors and omissions insurance, this covers claims alleging professional negligence, design errors, or omissions in your services. It helps cover legal defence costs and damages, subject to policy terms.
- Commercial general liability insurance
Commercial general liability insurance
Commercial general liability protects against third-party bodily injury and property damage claims arising from business operations, such as a slip-and-fall at your studio. It typically excludes professional service errors.
- Commercial property insurance
Commercial property insurance
This protects physical assets, such as computers, workstations, studio furnishings, equipment, and project materials while being transported and other property you are responsible for until the project is completed and accepted by the customer, against insured perils like fire or theft. Off-site equipment may require specialized floater endorsements.
- Business interruption insurance
Business interruption insurance
Following an insured property loss, business interruption helps replace lost income and pay ongoing operating expenses during recovery. It does not cover project delays or client cancellations.
- Cyber insurance
Cyber insurance
Cyber liability covers expenses from data breaches or cyber incidents affecting your systems or client data. Coverage can include incident response, data restoration, business interruption, and legal liabilities.
- Commercial auto insurance
Commercial auto insurance
If your business owns or leases vehicles for client meetings or site visits, commercial auto covers third-party liability and physical damage risks.
Excess liability insurance
Excess liability provides higher coverage limits above underlying policies to meet substantial client contract requirements. Professional liability typically requires a separate dedicated excess policy.
Learn from our design professionals insurance experts
“For design professionals, risk often begins with the contract, not the design itself. A clearly defined scope, well-managed client expectations and insurance aligned with the services you actually provide can help protect your practice long after a project is complete.”
FAQs for design professionals
These policies address distinct exposures. Commercial general liability covers third-party bodily injury and property damage from operations. Professional liability covers allegations involving errors, omissions, or negligent advice in your design work.
It depends on the policy and the working relationship. A studio’s coverage for liability arising from a freelancer’s work does not necessarily insure the freelancer directly. Discuss subcontracted services, contract requirements, and each party’s insurance with your advisor before work begins.
Most professional liability policies operate on a claims-made basis, meaning coverage depends on when the claim is first made and reported, and whether the work occurred after your retroactive date. Completing a project does not eliminate future liability risks.
Not automatically. Coverage depends on your policy and discipline. Visual, graphic, and digital design practices should discuss media liability endorsements to address copyright, trademark, and intellectual property risks.
Be ready to describe your services, typical projects, client locations, and use of freelancers or subcontractors. Your advisor may also ask about claims history, existing coverage, contract insurance requirements, and other activities to help identify appropriate coverage options.
