PI insurance for architects

Secure architects' professional indemnity insurance quickly and without fuss. We're simply priced, flexible and upfront.

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Architects PI insurance
Architects PI insurance
Architects PI insurance
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What is insurance for architects?

Insurance for architects usually consists of more than just one insurance type. However, architects' professional indemnity insurance is a must for a number of reasons. Adding public liability insurance for architects is generally smart, given the nature of architects’ work. Other covers will depend on the extent of your architect’s activities.

How much does architect insurance cost?

Suited professional indemnity insurance for architects starts at £20.41 per month. Your price will be based on the limits you require and your business size.

Self employed professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity

from £7.67 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £8.89 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £9.54 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £20.41 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Self employed professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity

from £22.78 per month

Provides you with legal defence against claims of professional mistake or negligence causing a financial loss to your clients.

Up to £2,000,000 cover

Zero excess

Dedicated legal team

A+ insurer

Competitive prices

Core cover
Commercial legal expenses insurance.
Business legal protect

Cover of £100,000 commercial legal expenses included with your policy subscription.

Protects you and your business against a range of issues not typically covered by professional indemnity or public liability.

IR35 & HMRC investigations

Legal matters concerning your business

Negative PR (£25,000 cover)

Criminal prosecution

Compliance & regulation issues

Unpaid invoices (over £200)

Also includes free telephone advice & help from qualified professionals.

Tax and commercial legal advice

Counselling for you and your staff

Access to a legal template library

Identity theft assistance

Included
Self employed public liability insurance.
Public liability

from +£4.76 per month

Protects your business against claims of causing an accidental injury or property damage to either your clients or a third party.

Up to £2,000,000 cover including products liability

No excess

Expert legal team

A+ specialist insurers

Covers claims against your client caused by your business

Business equipment insurance.
Electronic business equipment

from +£7.00 per month

Pays for repair or replacement if your portable electronic equipment (and accessories) get damaged or lost.

Equipment up to £10,000 cover (£3,500 per item)

Accessories are included (£500 per item)

Hired equipment is covered

Worldwide - your devices are covered anywhere you are

Personal accident insurance.
Business owner protect

from +£10.07 per month

Reimburses your taxable business expenses while you’re recovering from a serious illness or injury.

Up to £2,000 a month

Up to 6 months following the first 30 days of illness

Any tax deductible expenses included

Receive a lump sump payout if you suffer an accident leaving you with partial or total disablement:

£5,000 lump sum

Fast customer service

Quick payout

Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
Answer 4 questions then select the policies and limits you need.
What people say
2 March
Extremely impressed

Extremely impressed with the professional and supportive service I received.

Kellie Williams
on Google
16 February
Very efficient

After shopping around for business liability cover, I found suited, I had a few questions and Jana from suited was very efficient...

Chezza
on Trustpilot
14 February
Great!

The website is easy to use and the process is intuitive, clear and easy to follow.

Matt M
on Trustpilot
11 February

I was recommended Suited, because I’d been stalling. Simple to use website, offered clear, concise information and selection...

Mokolada
on Trustpilot
12 December

Really fantastic service by the suited insure team! Always found the insurance side to be a bit confusing but the team took me...

Michael Ryan
on Google
15 September

A simple and flexible service for what I required. Great communication from start to finish.

Matthew Allen
on Google
1 August

I was looking for business insurance this easy to use and very well explained web site made the process simple and painless. Had a quote...

Piers Field
on Trustpilot
In detail

What insurance do architects need and why?

Architects need professional liability insurance which protects them against a variety of risks inherent in their profession:

Accusations of professional errors and omissions

Architects provide complex professional services, and even with the utmost care and diligence, errors or omissions can occur. 

Client assurance

Clients often ask that their architect is appropriately insured. Having architect professional liability insurance in place can provide assurance, making clients more likely to trust and work with you.

Financial stability

Architects' professional indemnity insurance, in combination with other essential covers, safeguards the architect’s financial stability. In the event of a significant claim, the insurance ensures that architect can continue their business operations without jeopardising their personal assets. 

Architects Registration Board (ARB) requirement

Architects registered with ARB are expected to cover their professional liabilities through professional indemnity insurance.

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) requirement

Architects registered with RIBA have the obligation to have at least £250,000 of professional indemnity insurance.

Architects' professional indemnity insurance

Also known as architect professional liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance is a critical component of risk management for architects. It helps protect both their professional integrity and their financial well-being, ensuring that they can continue to provide their services with confidence.

Do architects need professional indemnity insurance?

Professional indemnity insurance is a key cover for architects. Even a small error or negligence can lead to financial losses for clients. Without the protection of professional indemnity insurance architects can find themselves in an extremely changing situation if a client decides to pursue a legal claim.

Architect trade bodies in the UK such as Architects Registration Board (ARB) or Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) recognise that architects are entrusted with significant design responsibilities affecting practical as well as ethical outcomes. As such one membership obligation is to have adequate professional indemnity insurance.

What does architects' PI insurance cover?

Architects' professional indemnity insurance provides cover for various liabilities and risks that architects may face in the course of their professional services. The specific coverage can vary based on the insurance policy and provider.

In the event of a significant claim, architects' professional indemnity insurance maintains the continuity of their business by covering financial liabilities. This is particularly important for small to medium-sized architectural firms.

Cover responds to client accusations of:

  • Breach of your duties
  • Acting negligently
  • Failing your duty of care
  • Making an error

For example, a client or a third party may accuse you of:

  • Design flaws result in issues such as structural instability, safety hazards, or code violations.
  • Infringement upon the intellectual property rights of another party, such as copying a design without permission.
  • Missed deadlines, resulting in negative financial consequences for clients. 
  • Failure to act in the best interests of the client, such as recommending products or materials for the project in order to benefit financially.

Switching your professional indemnity insurance

Every now and again, you may wish to consider a better deal. If you decide to switch your architect insurance to a new insurer, remember that you can no longer make claims against the previous policy.  Ensure your past work is covered with the new insurers under what is called “retroactive cover”.

Should I keep professional indemnity insurance if I take a break or retire from being an architect?

It’s wise to keep your professional indemnity if you’re taking a break or retiring from architecture. Claims against professional misconduct or errors can surface months or years after you delivered the work, 

Remember: If you have cancelled your policy, your insurance will no longer work.

How long you keep your cover in place is up to you. Consider the type of work you did and the likelihood that a client might bring a claim against you. 

Public liability insurance for architects

Public liability insurance addresses legal claims related to accidental injuries or property damage. In the context of an architect’s activities, the risk is typically low unless the architect’s work is also manual. 

Do architects need public liability insurance?

Architects often need public liability because they have a lot of contact with clients, their properties, building sites and more. Public liability insurance for architects safeguards your business from unforeseen incidents that can cause injury or property damage.

What does public liability insurance cover?

It's prudent to include this insurance if you engage in regular face-to-face interactions with clients and third parties during your daily activities.

Cover includes:

  • accidental injury or death
  • accidental property damage

For example: 

Someone may claim compensation because:

  • You failed to warn a client or a third party of a risk on a building site or on your premises, and they sustained an injury
  • During a site visit, you did not secure the entrance after entering or leaving, which led to a theft or an injury to a member of the public.
  • While inspecting a client’s house, damage occurred to the interior, and you are asked to pay for repair or replacement.

Other insurance architects buy

The insurance needs of an architects vary depending on your circumstances. Can you handle a legal dispute financially? Is expensive computer equipment integral to your income? What would happen to your business if you became ill and couldn't cover operating costs?

Commercial legal expenses insurance

Most commercial legal expenses insurance will protect architects against various tax and legal issues you may encounter due to your profession, which are not covered by professional indemnity or public liability.

At Suited, we combined £100,000 of commercial legal expenses insurance with helplines and other tools to better assist architects in dealing with these issues. We call this Business Legal Protect, and it’s part of your subscription.

Business Legal Protect provides qualified advice and assistance with:

  • Legal and tax matters concerning your business
  • Criminal prosecution
  • Compliance & regulation issues
  • Unpaid invoices (over £200)

For example:

  • HMRC investigates your tax affairs
  • You are facing an investigation from a professional body
  • You need legal help chasing a significant unpaid invoice
  • You’re being taken to court for breach of contract

Electronic business equipment insurance

Modern equipment used to create architectural designs is a lot more advanced and can be very costly.  The tech transformation within the industry means many architects have increased their investment in electronic business equipment.  

If you are one of them, you may like to protect it by having electronic business equipment insurance that would pay for the cost of damage or replacement.

Income protection insurance

Income protection insurance covers your earnings if you become so ill you cannot continue to work.

Architects Suited insures

Suited offers insurance that caters to the needs of a range of architect professionals, including:

  • Architects who work on low-rise projects (up to 3 storeys commercial or residential projects)
  • Architectural technicians and technologists
  • Landscape architects
  • Architects undertaking feasibility studies

For all the above professions, Suited offers up to £2,000,000 of professional indemnity and public liability cover.

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FAQs

Common questions

How much PI cover do I need as an architect?

The cover limit should reflect your contractual liability, trade body requirement and the financial impact your mistake could have on your client. It is tempting to reach for the lowest PI limit on offer to save on insurance, but £100,000 may not be enough during a complex claim situation.

How much does architect PI insurance cost?

Insurance for architects varies significantly depending on the extent of activities. Suited has managed to bring architect PI insurance costs down to an affordable level starting at around £20 a month.

Why choose Suited architect PI insurance?

Suited used only UK-based insurers with the right experience and top financial ratings. The claims service is supported by one of the largest law firms in the UK, specialising in professional indemnity claims.

Does Suited offer freelance architect insurance?

Suited insures businesses, the self-employed, contractors and freelancers for certain architectural activities.

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Architects pi insurance
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Go retroactive

Include retroactive cover to insure previous work.

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Pay less when not working by hibernating your PI cover.

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Call us with any questions or queries. Our Bristol based team is available from Monday to Friday and answers straightaway.

Monday—Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm

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If your plans change

No problem, Suited uses a simple subscription model making it easy to walk away.

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14 day promise *

If you call to cancel within the first 2 weeks we’ll give you a full refund.

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No longer need us? Cancel anytime, no more to pay.

* 14 day promise is not available online, please speak to a member of staff. Not available if you have reported a claim.

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