Architects insurance
Join over 900k UK customers (including architects like you) – we offer public liability cover from £4.74*
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![Architect viewing drawings on her computer](https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/architect_hero.jpg?w=1024)
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Rated 4.8/5
Based on 39,800 reviews
Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
Why do you need architects insurance?
For architects, precision is key. Interpreting planning legislation, submitting tricky applications, meeting clients’ expectations with your designs – and one wrong measurement or alteration could derail a big project. While you can’t always stop errors from happening, with architects’ insurance, you can make sure you’re covered.
- Protection from big claims relating to professional negligence or incorrect advice
- Cover what you need from legal costs to tools to personal accidents
- Peace of mind for your business and your customers, whether it’s just you or if you have employees
What does architects insurance cover?
The foundation for most architects is PI (professional indemnity) insurance – and if you have a team, employers’ liability insurance is a must. But did you know that there are several more types of cover on hand to protect what’s important to you? The choice is yours as we guide you through crafting your policy.
How much does architects insurance cost?
Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.
Prices start from £4.74 per month
Get your quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
Get your tailored quotes in 7 minutes
The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £56.82 or less annually between 1st Jan – 31st May 2024. Equivalent to £4.74 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 76% of customers have a £1 million limit and 24% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.
Example architects insurance quotes, real prices
![](https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk//wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/maltings.webp?w=100)
£134.63 /month
£1,196.70 /year
A local architect who specialises in restoration and renovation of existing residential buildings and can take on project management
- 1-2 years’ experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in Peterborough
Professional indemnity
£250,000
Public liability
Not included
Employers’ liability
Not included
![](https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk//wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/maltings.webp?w=100)
£240.87 /month
£2,141.08 /year
A small architect firm who design for both residential and commercial buildings
- 5+ years’ experience
- Limited company
- 2 employees
- Based in Brighton
Professional indemnity
£500,000
Public liability
£1,000,000
Employers’ liability
£10,000,000
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 23/09/2020). They’re based on a range of factors, like employees and location. Your own quote will be based on what you tell us about your business. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.
What kind of excess should I expect?
An excess is an amount you pay towards any claim you make on your insurance. For example, if your excess is £250 and you make a claim worth £1000, your payout will be a maximum of £750.
Insurance cover | Lowest excess | Highest excess |
---|---|---|
Professional indemnity | No excess | £2500 |
Public liability | £200 | £750 |
Tools | £60 | £500 |
Employers liability | No excess | No excess |
The figures above are for guidance only and any excess applying to your quote may differ. You’ll get a breakdown of the excesses for each quote when you compare with us.
How it works
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How do I choose insurance?
Making sure you have the right type and level of business insurance can be the difference between getting a claim paid and having to cover the cost of an expensive accident yourself. Read our tips for guidance on what to consider when buying a policy.
Talk to an expert
Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm
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How do claims work?
Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive.
£51 million in claims paid out in 2023
83% of claims were settled in 2023.
The figure above is rounded across our range of products. “Settled” covers paid, declined or withdrawn. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 24/04/2024.
Example claim
Having architects’ insurance through Simply Business has saved architects thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Elaine saved more than £38,000
As part of her architecture service, Elaine (not her real name) agreed to handle the sale tax for her client, but the council claimed that she’d filled in some of the forms incorrectly. Elaine was held responsible for the mistake, and this turned out to be very expensive. Luckily her insurance covered it all.
Insurance payout
£38,173.18
Covering the cost of putting things right
Insurance payout
Covering the cost of putting things right
Covering the cost of putting things right
Chosen by nearly 1 million small businesses and landlords
We started out as a team of five back in 2005. We’ve grown since then, with nearly 1 million customers across 1,500 trades now trusting us to provide their business insurance.
Architects insurance FAQ
Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about architects’ insurance. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
In the world of architectural services, Professional indemnity insurance usually covers everything from design to planning permission to project management.
The level of cover you need depends on a combination of criteria that’s unique to you, including the structure of your business and the value of the architectural work you do (calculated by looking at your turnover for the past year). And you’ll often find that the amount of cover you require for a particular project is specified in the contract.
It’s easy to find this out within a few minutes when you get a quote with us.
In the words of the Architects Registration Board, “all architects in business or practice are expected to hold adequate insurance; this is usually in the form of professional indemnity insurance and is expected under Standard 8 of the Architects Code of Conduct.”
Even architects with several decades of experience get things wrong sometimes. In the worst case scenario, this could mean the collapse of a building, which is why errors can sometimes lead to newsworthy compensation claims and court cases.
We can help you get a quote for professional indemnity insurance in just a few minutes.
Yes. It’s important to make sure you have the right type and level of insurance for the different types of work you do. For example, if you’re a plumber, you may also do building work on certain jobs – you’ll need additional cover for this, but you can have it all on the one policy. When you start your quote, you’ll have the option to add another trade or profession to your policy. If you need to add a third trade, give us a call on 0333 043 8527 and one of our insurance experts will help you set up your policy in minutes.
If you change your business legal structure from sole trader to limited company mid-way through your policy, give us a call straight away on 0333 043 8527. It’ll only take us a few minutes to cancel your existing policy and replace it with one that correctly covers your new legal structure. It’s worth bearing in mind that your insurer and premium amount may need to change.
This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.
If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.
There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions