Of the different disciplines in the engineering fields, structural engineering faces the most risk, especially for buildings under construction. No matter how iron-clad your contracts are or how excellent and meticulous your work is, there is always a risk of being sued.
Carrying structural engineer insurance helps mitigate some of the risks that structural engineers face in their day-to-day work. Without adequate insurance, lawsuits can drain your business and personal assets.
Besides shielding you and your business from litigation, structural engineer insurance also plays a critical role in helping you secure future contracts. Let’s talk about the inclusions a comprehensive tailored insurance for structural engineers has.
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Structural engineers have a legal liability for any personal injury or damage to property that arises during their activities. Claims made within this liability are expensive to defend, and the settlements substantial. That is why structural engineer liability insurance is necessary.
General liability insurance is among the most basic types of insurance that most businesses should have. It is not required by law, but licensing bodies and even clients might angle towards businesses that have general liability insurance.
It is the first policy that a structural engineer should consider. In some instances, general liability insurance is necessary when you sign a commercial lease. Some of the risks that a general liability policy can provide for structural engineers include:
Third-party injuries - General liability insurance will cover fees and expenses for persons injured in the course of your work. The fees and expenses covered include:
Medical bills
Court-ordered payments
Attorney's fees
Funeral expenses in fatal accidents
Third-party property damage - If you’re overseeing a project and something happens that results in the client’s building or any other property incurring damage, general liability insurance will reimburse the value of the damaged property if a claim is filed
It's critical to note that general liability insurance does not cover employee injuries. You need a separate workers' compensation insurance to cover those working under you.
When purchasing general liability insurance, it might be asked whether or not you want to include optional policies. General liability insurance when having optional policies can’t only protect you against personal injury claims and property damage claims but also:
Advertising injuries and reputational harm - General liability insurance has an optional policy called advertising injury coverage. Advertising injury coverage will take care of attorney fees, administrative expenses, court payment orders, and other legal expenses if a third-party files a claim for slander, libel, copyright infringement, and more
Rented premises liability coverage - Rented premises liability coverage is an optional policy in general liability insurance only useful if you’re leasing or renting a commercial space used as an office, storage, or serving any other function. When fire destroys or damages a rented or leased commercial space, rented premises liability coverage will reimburse the landlord if he or she files a claim
You might find the protection general liability insurance too costly. If you’re looking for something cheaper, then go for public liability insurance. Public liability insurance also covers personal injuries and property damage of third-parties. But note that, compared to general liability insurance, public liability insurance is more limited in its scope because it doesn’t have optional policies.
Professional indemnity insurance structural engineer, PI insurance for structural engineers, or E&O insurance covers you when a client claims that your service, design, or advice resulted in financial or economic loss. Also, other perils covered are accusations of negligence, violation of good faith, violation of fair dealing, missed deadlines, and other acts considered errors and omissions. Professional indemnity insurance for structural engineer pays for the following:
Legal defense – If a client brings a claim and sues you, you need to defend yourself in court to determine whether the claim is justified. Your structural engineer professional liability insurance will cover the legal costs associated with the case
Compensation- Should the client win the case and be awarded compensation or the sum of money lost because of your fault, the PI policy will cover these costs
Run off insurance – In case your structural engineering firm ceases to operate or is acquired by another company, there are chances for a claim to be unexpectedly filed in the future. Runoff insurance ensures these claims are still covered, and you're not liable. However, you need to confirm from the insurer they offer run-off insurance as part of the package
A PI insurance cover for structural engineers will not cover:
Fines and penalties
Injury to an employee or contractor
Circumstances that existed before the cover started
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Professional indemnity insurance and general liability insurance are the two most important business insurance you should consider getting. But if you’re running a structural engineering firm, these two aren’t the only insurance you need. Consider investing in commercial property insurance, commercial auto insurance, workers compensation insurance, and more to cover other exposures that general liability and professional indemnity insurance can’t take care of.
Commercial property insurance is a coverage for your structural engineering firm’s office, warehouse, and other rented, leased, or owned buildings. Perils mainly covered by this insurance are:
Building Destruction | Building Damage |
Your structural engineering firm’s warehouse or office might turn into ashes when an uncontrollable fire breaks out. Extreme weather might tear them down too. In such an event, commercial property insurance ensures that you can recover losses by reimbursing the replacement cost or actual cash value of the destroyed office or warehouse of your structural engineering firm | Commercial property insurance doesn’t only kick in if your structural engineering firm’s warehouse or office is destroyed. It will also provide coverage if they're damaged. But note that this only applies if damage is caused by fire, theft, vandalism, extreme weather, and other covered perils |
With its additional coverages, commercial property insurance will take care of the equipment, tools, and contents that become lost or damaged while in the premises of your structural engineering firm’s space.
Stocks and Contents Coverage | Business Equipment and Tools Coverage |
Inside your structural engineering firm’s buildings are computers, blueprints, records, CCTV cameras, furniture, and others. When these become damaged or lost due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils, stocks and contents will kick in to reimburse your losses | Business equipment and tools is the additional coverage in commercial property insurance that will reimburse your investments on ladders, personal protective equipments, harness, probe, cameras, and other valuable items that become damaged or lost due to fire, theft, vandalism, extreme weather, and other covered perils |
Commercial property insurance reimburses your losses based on the replacement cost a covered property. Premiums are expensive but replacement cost commercial property insurance is very worth the investment because it will fully recover losses. In a replacement cost, commercial property insurance will provide money not taking depreciation into account. So if your $2 million warehouse got destroyed, you’ll receive the same amount of money.
Your structural engineering firm doesn’t only design and analyze bridges, commercial and residential buildings, dams, and more. It also provides services such as building additions, window and door modification, loft conversions, and alteration or removal of internal walls, etc. That being said, you might find builders' risk insurance useful.
Builders' risk insurance protects a project you’re working on against destruction or damage. Understand that this provides protection while a project is in the process of completion. Perils covered are explosions, fires, theft, vandalism, extreme weather, etc.
You need workers' compensation insurance to run a structural engineering firm legally. This is a coverage that will kick in if the structural engineers and other employees working for you experience a work-related injury or disease. The coverages of workers' compensation insurance are as follows:
Coverage | Function |
---|---|
Employee Treatment/Medical Procedure | An employee of your structural engineering firm will experience an accident that results in contusions, concussions, lacerations, and other injuries. If not injuries, then the employee might suffer from heatstroke, fatigue, and other illnesses. Workers' compensation insurance sees to it that you don’t pay for the medical treatment/procedure of an employee when such things happen |
Hospitalization | Injuries or illnesses will sometimes cause your structural engineering firm’s employee to be hospitalized. In such a case, workers' compensation insurance will cover hospital bills regardless of where the employee is admitted |
Medication | Your employee will need to buy meds for the faster healing of a work-related injury or illness. Workers' compensation insurance also takes on the job of covering the costs of the medicines needed by your employee |
Rehabilitation | Your employee might need rehabilitation to fully recover from a work-related injury or disease. In connection, workers' compensation insurance will cover therapist fees and other rehabilitation expenses |
Lost Income Compensation | You need to cover lost wages if an employee of your structural engineering firm suffers from a work-related injury or illness. Workers’ compensation insurance helps with this. When an employee can’t come to work, workers' compensation insurance provides a weekly allowance equal to two-thirds or 67% of the average weekly wage |
Death Benefits | Sometimes, work-related injuries and illnesses will result in the death of your structural engineering firm’s employee. In such an event, workers' compensation insurance functions to cover funeral expenses and provide death benefits to the deceased’s dependents |
Your structural engineering firm will need commercial auto insurance if it owns at least one vehicle used for business purposes. Commercial auto insurance provides the following defenses against exposures associated with a commercial vehicle:
Coverage | Function |
---|---|
Auto Liability Coverage | The commercial vehicle will cause an accident and your structural engineering firm will be responsible for injured third parties and damaged property. Auto liability coverage in commercial auto insurance will help. It will pay the emergency treatment of injured third parties and reimburse the owners of damaged properties. Auto liability coverage will also pay for your firm’s attorney fees, administrative costs, and other legal expenses if someone decides to take legal action |
Physical Damage Coverage | Commercial auto insurance provides physical damage coverage and sees to it that your structural engineering firm’s commercial vehicle is in pristine shape. Physical damage coverage has two forms - collision and comprehensive. When your structural engineering firm’s commercial vehicle incurs damage after colliding with a vehicle or another object, collision physical damage coverage will provide for parts repair and replacement. On the other hand, comprehensive physical damage coverage will pay for parts repair or replacement if the commercial vehicle is damaged by fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils. Both forms of physical damage coverage don’t cover the repair or replacement of aftermarket parts. Also, they don’t provide coverage if the commercial vehicle got damaged after rolling over |
Rental Reimbursement Coverage | Your structural engineering firm will need to rent a commercial vehicle while the one it owns is being repaired. Commercial auto insurance has rental reimbursement coverage. Rental reimbursement coverage will cover vehicle rental expenses |
MedPay/Personal Injury Protection | The driver of your structural engineering firm’s commercial vehicle will surely sustain injuries upon causing an accident on the highway or getting involved in one. MedPay and personal injury protection will help with this. MedPay will cover medical expenses and funeral costs. On the other hand, personal injury protection is more comprehensive as it takes care of compensation for lost income and after-hospital visits aside from medical expenses and funeral expenses |
Go for a business owner’s policy if you want to purchase general liability insurance and commercial property insurance. A business owner’s policy combines commercial property insurance and general liability insurance so that there’s no need to buy each separately. What makes a business owner’s policy good is that it will also feature other useful insurance solutions such as workers comp, commercial auto, or professional liability insurance depending on the company underwriting it.
Structural engineer insurance costs are customized to the firm depending on various factors and risks faced. On average, smaller structural engineering businesses will pay lower insurance premiums than larger companies.
A structural engineering business will pay about $155 per month or $1,860 annually for professional liability insurance with a policy limit of $1 million per occurrence.
For a more accurate estimate, you can compare structural engineer insurance quotes online. Start by clicking the "Get Quotes" button to get the cheapest rates from the best companies.
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|
CoverWallet | $145 | $1,740 | Online insurance quote comparison |
NEXT | $150 | $1,800 | Buying more than one type of business insurance for structural engineers |
Hall and Company | $170 | $2,040 | Structural engineer professional indemnity insurance |
Rarely do two businesses pay the same premium for structural engineering insurance. A carrier considers numerous factors that affect the cost of your premiums. These factors include:
Business location
Annual projected revenue
Policy limits and deductibles
Business property and equipment
Number of employees
The type of policy you purchase
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Finding the most suitable structural insurance engineer for your company is critical. There's no shortage of insurance companies, but we have narrowed it down to some of the best to make it easier for you to select. Read to know their pros, cons, and monthly pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage
Well-organized and easy to use with an online policy management system.
Easy to reach customer support and agents
A top commercial insurer
Coverwallet is an online brokerage firm, not a carrier
Coverwallet is an excellent option for structural engineering businesses looking to manage their insurance policies. It offers the best quote comparison and comprehensive insurance solutions at affordable and competitive prices.
Note that CoverWallet doesn’t have tailored insurance for structural engineers. Instead, it sells specialized insurance available for all kinds of engineers. This is available in four insurance plans:
Basic - Allows you to get insured with general liability insurance with products and completed operations. You can’t get other business insurance if you go for this one. The basic plan is a good choice for independent structural engineers
Standard - The standard plan is also a good match for independent structural engineers. In this one, you can decide to get general liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance
Pro - CoverWallet’s pro plan is a business owner’s policy that offers general liability insurance and professional liability insurance with commercial property insurance - get this one if you’re running a startup structural engineering firm
Pro plus - This is a custom plan where you’re free to get all insurance products CoverWallet sells to customers
Best for: Structural engineer insurance online quotes comparison
Average cost: $145 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Get insured online
Responsive customer service
NEXT will impose hefty fees if you’re a high-risk structural engineer
NEXT doesn’t have tailored structural engineer insurance. However, the company will cover you through its tailored engineering insurance. Inclusions are general liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and commercial property insurance.
Know that there’s a 10% discount if you buy more than one type of business insurance form NEXT. Also, this company is the best option if you’re particular about certificates of insurance. Upon getting insured, you can get a live certificate of insurance via the NEXT website or app and send it as a text message, email, or social media post.
Best for: Buying more than one type of business insurance for structural engineers
Average cost: $150 per month
Our rating: 9/10
You can quickly get quotes online
You have multiple quotes to compare
Insightful and helpful customer support
Specializes in engineering firms
It is an insurance broker, not a carrier
Hall and Company specializes in professional liability insurance for structural engineering and other engineering fields. The company also provides other types of insurance coverage. The company provides insurance quotes from multiple companies so that you have plenty of coverage comparisons at your disposal.
Hall and Company excels in providing clients with meaningful input, responsive service, and thoughtful options, helping you develop customized covers that provide your structural engineering company with adequate coverage.
Best for: Structural engineer professional indemnity insurance
Average cost: $170 per month
Our rating: 8/10
You should plan for the worst by getting adequate insurance for your structural engineering firm. We provide you with comprehensive and actionable information on the best types of insurance from the best companies. We also provide you with quotes from leading insurers for comparison and help you pick the best insurance for your firm.
John Murphy Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
Worst insurance comapny I have ever dealt with. A commercial vehicle represented by GUARD t boned my wife and daughters family vehicle in the middle of the day. Driver was cited and insurance claim insued. Fast forward 4 months and refusal of full amount of claim is still happening. Driver was found guilty, repairs started on my vehicle and when it comes to the final bill and diminished value we cannot get any help. I am out a family car, have an injured and traumatized wife and children, and now have to get legal and BBB involved for a company to do the RIGHT thing. Scott Lewis, Kevin Ware, Heather White, and Ryan P, lied about communcation on my claim, demonstrated Bias by overpromising and under delivering . They refused to pay the full amount owed and have associates untrained in vehicle condition assessment and reconditioning. Also, not one GUARD insurance representative has contacted my wife (the injured party) in 4 months to follow up on medical treatment. STAY AWAY IF YOU ARE SHOPPING INSURANCE!
Kasey Arey Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
This company gives you a price that was in place for a year and when you have to use it there is fine print were they can go back and charge you more. Would not recommend them to any one. Crooks
Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
Had general liability and workers comp with amguard. Paid high premiums and yet still got audited every year and had to pay more. Was able to prove less risk the first two audits and disputed price down but none the less had to pay more just so I could renew coverage. Third time the audit ( based on what I paid my premium on ) was ridiculous and tried to prove that there was no increase in risk from what I paid for my premium. However they would not believe it and required I paid full audit amount in order to have redline removed. Basically you do what they say and pay whatever outlandish bill they come up with or they will make sure you can’t run your business anymore. ????
Felicia Broadus Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
Avoid these SCAM ARTISTS! They don’t pay claims!!! Save yourself the trouble and money!
Felicia Broadus Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
They are the worst, my truck was hit in January 23 and the claim adjuster has not been out to this very day! They have every excuse in the book as to why. They have not been to the collision shop. PLEASE AVOID THESE SCAM ARTIST!