Specialist protection for contractors who assume responsibility for both design and construction under D&C contracts.
Design & Construct Professional Indemnity (D&C PI) insurance protects businesses that accept professional responsibility for both the design and construction aspects of a project.
Under D&C contracts, liability for design errors, specification failures and professional negligence is often transferred to the contractor — even where design services are performed by subcontracted consultants. This insurance responds to claims alleging design faults, breaches of professional duty or failure to meet contractual design obligations, helping protect contractors against long-tail and high-value claims that can arise years after project completion.
Design & Construct Professional Indemnity insurance is commonly arranged by:
Covers claims arising from errors, omissions or negligence in designs, drawings, calculations, specifications or documentation.
Responds to allegations of failure to meet professional standards, statutory obligations or contractual design requirements.
Covers liability arising from the acts or omissions of subcontracted designers, engineers or consultants.
Covers legal fees and expenses incurred in defending claims, even where liability is not ultimately established.
Cover responds only if the policy is active when a claim is first made and notified, regardless of when the work was performed. Continuous renewal is essential to maintain protection for prior services and prevent gaps in cover.
The retroactive date determines how far back completed projects and prior work are insured. Claims arising from work performed before this date are generally excluded, making the retroactive period a critical component of protection.
Continuous cover is critical. Policy structure is influenced by contract wording, project values, complexity, design exposure and how risk is allocated under D&C agreements.
D&C contracts consolidate design risk with the contractor
Design defects can trigger significant rectification and delay costs
Claims can arise years after project completion
Principals and financiers often mandate high PI limits
Standard PI or Contract Works insurance may not respond adequately
Speak with a broker experienced in D&C contract risk.
Get My Design & Construct PI QuoteImportant: Design & Construct Professional Indemnity policies vary significantly between insurers, particularly around defect exclusions, contractual liability and fitness for purpose obligations. Definitions, endorsements and retroactive dates are critical. Specialist broker advice is strongly recommended.