Per-Project E&O Coverage

Project Professional Liability Insurance

When your contract includes design scope — even as a design-builder, CM, or specialty sub — your GL policy won't protect you from professional liability claims. Project-specific professional liability (E&O) insurance provides that protection for one project, with limits and pricing matched to your specific contract value and scope.

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What Project Professional Liability Covers

Project professional liability (also called project E&O, design errors and omissions, or contractor's professional liability) covers claims that your professional services — design, engineering advice, construction management — were performed negligently and caused financial harm to a third party.

Unlike general liability (which covers bodily injury and property damage), professional liability covers the financial consequences of mistakes in professional judgment and services.

Claims Covered

Design errors in contractor-provided design documents
Negligent specifications that result in construction failures
Design-build contract scope failures — incomplete or defective design
Engineering judgment errors in construction means and methods
Construction management oversight failures
Advice or recommendations that prove negligent
Defense costs — even on meritless claims
Project professional liability insurance for design-build contractors

Why Not Rely on Your A&E Policy?

If your design firm carries a practice-level A&E E&O policy, that policy is for the firm's practice — it's not project-specific, and limits are shared across all projects. A single large claim on one project can exhaust the entire annual limit.

A project-specific policy provides dedicated, ringfenced limits for one project — protecting your firm's practice policy from being depleted by a single large loss.

Who Needs Project E&O?

Design-Build Contractors

When you provide design as part of your contract, your GL policy does not cover design errors. A professional liability policy fills that gap.

CM/PM Firms

Construction managers and project managers giving advice, overseeing others, and making schedule / cost / design recommendations need E&O protection.

Specialty Contractors with Design Scope

MEP, structural steel, curtainwall, and other specialty subs often have design or engineering obligations built into their subcontracts.

Contractors on Design-Assist Projects

Design-assist roles often blur the line between install and design — triggering professional liability exposure even when full design isn't the intent.

Project E&O FAQ

Why doesn't my GL policy cover design errors?
Standard commercial general liability policies contain a 'professional services exclusion' that removes coverage for claims arising from professional services — including design, engineering, and management advice. If you perform any design scope under your contract, a separate professional liability (E&O) policy is required to cover those claims.
What is a project-specific E&O policy vs. a practice policy?
A practice policy covers all your professional activities for a full year, across all projects. A project-specific policy covers one designated project — ideal for contractors who rarely have design scope, who need higher limits on a particular project, or whose practice policy excludes the specific project type.
Is there a coverage trigger — claims-made vs. occurrence?
Professional liability policies are almost always written on a claims-made basis: the claim must be made during the policy period. A project-specific policy with a completed-project tail (extended reporting period) ensures you're covered for claims that arise after the project ends, often 3–5 years post-completion.
What limits should a design-build contractor carry?
Project-specific professional liability limits are typically scaled to project value. A common benchmark is 5–10% of the project contract value, subject to a minimum of $1M. Many public projects and large commercial projects now require $5M to $10M in professional liability limits for design-build delivery.

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