Architect's Liability Insurance: An Explanation of Risks

Two Types of Risks: Design and Construction Site

As an architect, a project often begins with an initial meeting and an idea. This is followed by designs, drawings, recommendations, site visits, and consultations with clients and contractors. Throughout that process, you’re constantly making decisions that others rely on.

A contractor works with your plans. A client bases their budget on your advice. Suppliers and contractors get to work on the details you’ve worked out. If something goes wrong, it can have financial consequences.

That is the first risk: professional liability. Consider a design error, incorrect dimensions, an incomplete file, or advice that later leads to additional costs. If a client suffers financial loss as a result, you may be held liable.

In addition, there is a second risk. As an architect, you regularly visit construction sites for consultations, inspections, or project handoffs. Things can go wrong there, too. You might unintentionally cause damage to third-party property, or someone might be injured as a result of your actions.

This falls under civil liability. It does not involve a mistake in your professional services, but rather damage that occurs during your day-to-day activities.

Although both situations fall under liability, they involve two different risks. That’s why it’s important to understand exactly what coverage each insurance policy provides. This way, you can avoid surprises when a damage claim actually arises.

Business Liability Insurance Scenario: You’re on Site

A General Liability Insurance policy (AVB) covers injuries and property damage caused by your business or work activities.

On its PLI page, Oddny uses an example that’s perfectly suited to architecture: you’re visiting an ongoing project and accidentally knock over a ladder. An employee of the contractor is injured. In addition to medical expenses, a claim for lost income follows.

That’s not a design flaw. That’s on-site work.

For architects and interior designers, this is a familiar scenario because you often don’t just work behind a screen. You walk through a shell of a home. You discuss details amid tools and materials. You examine a custom piece of furniture while the floor isn’t yet finished. It’s precisely in these situations that a small lapse in attention can have major practical consequences.

According to Oddny, the standard coverage amount for the General Liability Insurance (AVB) is €2,500,000 per claim, with a maximum of €5,000,000 per insurance year. This provides flexibility for larger personal injury or property damage claims, as long as the damage falls under the policy terms.

No insurance policy covers everything. Damage caused intentionally is excluded from coverage. Damage to items in your custody—such as rented or borrowed items—also requires extra attention. But for the physical risks of working on-site, the general liability insurance is often the first layer of coverage you should consider.

BAV or AVB: What’s the Difference for Architects?

The confusion between BAV and AVB is understandable. The names are similar. The consequences are not.

A BAV, or professional liability insurance, covers professional errors. These are errors in your professional services that result in financial loss. In architecture, this can involve consulting, drafting, planning, technical design, or project management.

General liability insurance (AVB) covers physical damage: injury or damaged property. A ladder on a construction site. A damaged floor during a site survey. A client tripping over your bag during an on-site presentation.

For a self-employed architect, both types of coverage can be relevant. Not because you’re careless, but because your work carries responsibility in multiple areas. At an architectural firm, you set the direction. On the construction site, that direction takes on real weight.

There’s another reason to be precise with language. The title “architect” is protected in the Netherlands. Ondernemersplein explains that to use the title “architect,” you must be listed in the Architects’ Register, citing the Act on the Title of Architect. For clients, that title stands for craftsmanship. But craftsmanship doesn’t mean that nothing ever goes wrong. It means that you handle responsibility professionally.

What do clients often explicitly require?

For private projects, insurance is sometimes not discussed until something happens. For commercial or construction-related projects, the situation is different.

A real estate firm, municipality, contractor, or larger client may request proof of insurance in advance. Sometimes the contract specifies that you must have valid liability insurance. Sometimes the request doesn’t come until the start of the project: “Can you send your policy schedule?”

This may seem like a bureaucratic formality, but there is a logical reason behind it. Many parties work side by side on a construction site. According to Arboportaal, responsible client management in construction begins early in the process—including during the design phase—because decisions made there influence workplace safety later on the construction site. See the explanation of laws and regulations regarding responsible client management in construction.

As a self-employed architect, you’re not always the party in charge of the construction site. Still, you operate within that system. You attend meetings, take notes on details, give instructions, check the work being done, or discuss deviations. A client wants to be sure that damage doesn’t fall through the cracks.

A similar situation applies to interior designers. You might be working in a home that already contains valuable furniture, in a store that needs to open quickly, or in an office where staff are present during construction. In such cases, product liability isn’t just a term in a contract. The question is: who is liable for what if your presence or work causes damage?

Which insurance policy fits your way of working?

Don’t start with the policy name. Start with your workweek.

Are you primarily involved in design, consulting, and drafting? Then you need to take a close look at professional liability. Do you regularly visit construction sites, homes, stores, restaurants, or offices under construction? Then physical liability becomes more important. If you do both, you’ll likely want to discuss both areas.

Ask yourself three questions:

• Do I visit locations where others are working, living, or walking around?

• Could my presence there cause injury or property damage?

• Could my advice or design cause financial loss without anything being physically damaged?

The first two questions point toward general liability insurance (AVB). The third points toward professional liability insurance (BAV). The answer may vary by project. An interior designer who only creates mood boards faces different risks than a designer who has custom furniture installed and personally inspects the site.

That’s why Oddny doesn’t want to treat insurance as a series of separate boxes. Your work isn’t a form—it’s a dynamic practice.

Calculate your premium as an architect or interior designer

Good insurance for architects starts with understanding: what do you create, where do you work, who is affected by your work, and what happens if things don’t go as planned?

At Oddny, you can take your time to assess your situation using our liability insurance for creative self-employed professionals. Premiums for creative self-employed professionals start at €9.63 per month, depending on factors such as your field of work, revenue, coverage amount, and deductible.

Want to see right away what this means for your practice? Then use the premium calculator. You don’t have to start with the exact policy name. Start with your work: drafting table, construction site, client meeting, project handover. Then it will become clear which coverage fits your needs.

Protection isn’t about fear. It’s about giving yourself the freedom to continue doing your work seriously.