TAILORED TO YOUR DISCIPLINE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Coverage built for architects and engineers
From initial concept and regulatory compliance to structural safety and system functionality, architects and engineers face increasing professional exposure. A missed calculation, a construction delay, or a dispute over project deliverables can mean your firm faces claims long after a project closes. Architects and engineers insurance from Navacord helps protect your practice against the professional and business risks unique to design and engineering work.
COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT LIFECYCLE
Support from proposal to project completion
At Navacord, our advisors understand the distinct risks architects and engineers face. We work with your firm to review contractual requirements, licensing standards, and scope of services – ensuring seamless coverage whether you handle building design, structural calculations, or project management.
Who we help
Architects and engineers insurance supports design and engineering professionals, from established practices to growing firms and independent professionals across architectural, engineering, and related design disciplines. Whether you run a solo practice or a multi-disciplinary firm, we build coverage around your scope of work and client contracts.
Across residential, commercial, and institutional projects, architectural firms need protection for claims involving design errors, construction disputes, and building code compliance.
Civil engineers need coverage against design errors on public and private infrastructure, structural design and site work such as inaccurate calculations, specifications or inadequate site observations, including work delivered with contractors and other consultants.
Risk management for engineers involves coverage for claims related to system design errors, equipment specifications, energy performance, building performance, safety, and integrity, or coordination with other disciplines.
With a combined design and construction risk, design-build firms require coverage that spans both roles on a project. Liabilities can include coordination errors and unmet project requirements.
As a project manager or consultant, claims can arise from errors in project coordination, scheduling, budgeting, documentation or specialized design advice.
Our architects and engineers insurance expertise
At Navacord, we understand the licensing requirements and contractual obligations architects and engineers face, and we build coverage that reflects the realities of professional practice.
We build solutions that address specific licensing and contractual obligations and protect against errors, omissions, design flaws, and delays. We also offer project-specific, client-specific and project excess solutions.
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.
Essential architects and engineers coverages
Architects and engineers face risks that go beyond general business insurance. These core coverages help protect your practice against the claims most common to design and engineering work.
- Errors and omissions insurance
Errors and omissions insurance
Protects your practice against claims of negligence, mistakes, or inadequate work that result in financial loss for a client. Often required under provincial licensing rules and client contracts.
- General liability insurance
General liability insurance
Protects against third-party bodily injury or property damage claims that occur at your office or a project site, helping cover legal costs and settlements if your firm is found responsible.
Pollution liability insurance
Helps protect your firm against claims arising from pollution conditions linked to professional services or project activities, including cleanup costs, third-party bodily injury and property damage, subject to the policy terms.
Property and equipment insurance
Covers your office, equipment, and business property, including improvements and inventory, against fire, theft, and other insured perils, helping you replace what's damaged or lost.
- Crime insurance
Crime insurance
Helps protect your firm against financial losses resulting from employee theft, fraud, forgery, funds transfer fraud and other covered criminal acts.
- Business interruption coverage
Business interruption coverage
Helps replace lost income and covers ongoing operating expenses and extra costs if your practice is temporarily unable to operate because of an insured event, such as a fire at your office.
Additional protection for your firm
- Cyber liability insurance
Cyber liability insurance
Protects your practice against data breaches, cyberattacks, and other cyber incidents that expose client information, drawings, or project data, and disrupt your ability to operate.
- Equipment breakdown insurance
Equipment breakdown insurance
Covers the cost of repairing or replacing essential equipment, such as computers, servers, plotters, or office systems, after a sudden and unexpected breakdown.
- Directors and officers insurance
Directors and officers insurance
Protects the personal assets of your firm's directors and officers against claims alleging wrongful acts in how the business is managed or decisions are made.
- Employment practices liability insurance
Employment practices liability insurance
Covers claims from employees alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, helping protect your firm against the cost of defending these claims.
Learn from our architects and engineers insurance experts
At Navacord, when we work with our clients and take a detailed approach. For example, has your gross fees gone up this year? Rather than simply passing along with information to the insurers, we examine the reason-did your fees go up due to more work or simply you are now charging more for the same level of work? Charging more does not increase the exposure, therefore does not increase premiums. Are there any reimbursables we can deduct from the fees? Same idea is applicable here.
FAQs for architects and engineers insurance
Coverage depends on the firm, but commonly includes professional liability, commercial general liability, property, business interruption and cyber insurance. Firms may also need employment practices, directors and officers or crime coverage, depending on their operations and structure.
Requirements vary by profession, province or territory, and regulatory body. For architects, professional liability insurance is mandatory in most Canadian jurisdictions, while requirements for engineering firms also vary. Clients and project contracts may require specific coverage limits or proof of insurance.
Coverage typically includes errors and omissions, general liability, property and equipment, business interruption, and cyber liability. Coverage can be tailored based on your discipline, firm size, and the projects you take on.
Insurers may consider the firm’s disciplines, gross professional fees, project types and construction values, geographic reach, use of subconsultants, claims history, and the coverage limits and deductibles you select. A Navacord broker can help you find the right fit for your practice.
Yes. Many client contracts set minimum insurance limits or require specific coverages before work can begin. We can review your contracts to help confirm your policy meets those requirements.
