Here’s the honest truth: a lot of A&E firms “have insurance”… but don’t actually know if it matches what they do.
This checklist is a quick way to sanity-check your program.
1) Professional Liability (E&O) — the big one
If you do design work, drafting, calcs, plans, specs, or stamping — this is the policy that matters most.
Make sure you know:
- do your project types actually qualify? (residential, multifamily, structural, etc.)
- are there exclusions that knock out your real work?
- do you have the right retroactive date? (claims-made detail most people miss)
2) General Liability (GL) / BOP — NOT professional coverage
GL is great — but it’s not “design mistake coverage.”
GL covers:
- slips/falls
- bodily injury and property damage
- jobsite non-professional incidents
It doesn’t cover:
- design defects
- professional negligence
3) Workers Comp (plus Employers Liability)
Even “office firms” can have work comp exposure if:
- employees visit job sites
- they do field inspections
- they travel for project work
4) Cyber Insurance (this is getting big in A&E)
A&E firms are ransomware targets because you store:
- plans
- bids
- project docs
- contracts
- building layouts
Cyber often covers things like ransomware recovery, business interruption, and breach response costs.
5) Auto Coverage (Hired/Non-Owned if needed)
If your staff drives for work (even personal vehicles), you should look at:
- Hired/Non-Owned Auto (HNOA)
- Commercial Auto if vehicles are owned
6) Umbrella (contracts often require this)
A lot of GCs/owners want extra limits.
Umbrella is typically required when jobs get larger, riskier, or more litigious.
7) EPLI (once you have a real team)
This protects the company from employee-related lawsuits like:
- wrongful termination
- discrimination
- harassment
- retaliation
Quick takeaway:
If your firm is doing stamped structural work, multifamily, or any form of design-build, your E&O policy should be reviewed very carefully every renewal.