How To Guide| Buy E&O Insurance For Architectural Technicians In Canada
From blueprint to skyscraper to ribbon cutting. Together with architects and other building professionals, as an architectural technician you bring together skills, knowledge, plans and experts to ensure your clients’ visions become built reality. In a typical day, your negotiation, design and project management skills are all called upon to deliver architectural design services and solutions to complex construction projects.Related Matters: Why business consultants need E&O coverage
Clients count on you to thoroughly understand the design build process as well as how to best navigate a project from inception through to successful completion.
This article provides some invaluable insights when you are looking to secure errors and omissions insurance for architectural technicians in Canada.
Day-to-day risks | The responsibilities of an architectural technician on the job
Clients rely on you to know the in’s and out’s of construction project management. In a typical day, you are expected to:
- “Assess the needs of clients and users and agree the project brief
- Advise on environmental and regulatory legal requirements affecting the project
- Obtain initial approvals from the various authorities
- Produce feasibility studies and surveys
- Advise clients on buying in materials and on forms of contract
- Prepare and present design proposals using computer-aided design (CAD) and traditional methods
- Lead the design process and co-ordinate detailed design information
- Manage and co-ordinate the design team and professional consultants
- Advise on choosing materials
- Liaise with and produce documentation for statutory and local approval authorities
- Carry out design stage risk assessments
- Manage or co-ordinate professionals working on a project
- Obtain and evaluate tenders and contracts
- Ensure compliance with design, legal, statutory and professional requirements
- Program work schedules and carry out inspections at various stages”1
And as much as you are focused on delivering the very best service and support to your clients, sometimes unforeseen things happen. This is why it is so important to have E&O – aka Errors and Omissions – insurance in place that’s built to address the unique risks and highly specific exposures you face on the job as an architectural technician.
E&O – Because architectural technicians need liability coverage
You understand how things fit together. You are an expert in technical architectural design as well as construction processes. Even with all of your knowledge and experience, you know that no one individual is 100% perfect 100% of the time.
In fact, the potential impact of just one E&O liability situation can quickly impact your bottom line. Here’s why:
- “An allegation of negligence can have a significant financial impact on the individual or the firm providing these technical services.
- Statistics show that the average cost of defending a claim for an architectural technologist or technician is $91,000.
- A lawsuit doesn’t need to have merit to have a financial impact on your business, not to mention the potential damage to your reputation. Often claims against architectural technicians and technologists arise out of design errors that are revealed after a project has been completed.”2
As an architectural technician, you need to know that your essential liability risks will be covered. Errors and omissions insurance for architectural technicians is designed, from the ground up, to precisely cover the risks you face on the job.
Real E&O Claims | How coverage that’s built for architectural technicians actually responded
Here are a few real examples of how ENCON’s E&O liability coverage responded to typical claims that architectural technicians face:
- “An insured technologist was retained to design residential homes but the design was not in conformity with the applicable bylaws and building code provisions. All homes required a redesign as a result.
- A houseguest incurred severe injuries when she slipped and fell down a flight of stairs. The insured technologist was third partied into the claim as he was the designer of the home where the incident took place. The allegations specified there were no handrails on the staircase.
- An insured technologist was retained to provide consulting services for a roof replacement on an office building. After a heavy rainstorm, water entered the building from different locations and caused damage. The technologist was sued along with the owner, the contractor and a structural engineer.”3
Why E&O is essential liability coverage for Canadian architectural technicians
E&O insurance is designed to cover large legal defence costs that are incurred trying to prove liability or innocence as well as the final judgment if your business does not win the lawsuit. You face unique exposures and risk in your day-to-day work as an architectural technician. This way we make it simple and straightforward to buy errors and omissions insurance with us.
An experienced ALIGNED commercial insurance broker will contact you to discuss all the details of the work you do as an architectural technician. Your dedicated ALIGNED broker will work with you to get you aligned with the best errors and omissions liability coverage for your business. If you should happen to have any questions about applying for errors and omissions insurance for architectural technicians, don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-866-287-0448.
Focus matters | What our clients & supporters say about ALIGNED Insurance on Google
Each one of our team members is exclusively focused on delivering the best commercial insurance options to our clients. Thanks to our focus, we’re proud to consistently exceed client expectations. Here’s what our clients are saying about us online:
- “I have never been to the location but did business exclusively on line. I had a need for vacant building insurance and I was given the best service I have ever had concerning an insurance agency. Polite, human and helpful! I felt a personal connection and was given choices rather than being steered! I continued with ALIGNED when the need changed and am more than satisfied!”
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Please note that we do not include the names of people who comment. To read more Google reviews about us, simply search for ALIGNED Insurance on Google.
Focus is what distinguishes you as an architectural technician and it’s what sets us apart as an insurance brokerage. There’s a vast difference between business and personal lines insurance and, here at ALIGNED, since day one, we make commercial insurance our sole and dedicated focus.
Source(s): 1Creativepool – Architectural Technician; 2,3 ENCON Group Inc. “Errors & Omissions: Architectural Technicians and Technologists”
