Design-Build E&O Coverage for Contractors
Design-build E&O coverage is specialized professional liability for contractors operating in design-build project delivery — where a single entity holds both professional design responsibility and construction execution responsibility under one contract. Design-build delivery fundamentally changes the professional liability exposure of a contracting firm, creating integrated design and construction liability that neither standard contractor E&O nor standard A&E professional liability fully addresses.
What it covers
- Design errors in design-build delivery — architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and civil design failures for which the design-build entity is responsible
- Specification mistakes that cause performance failures, remediation requirements, or consequential losses to the project owner
- Engineering input errors from design-build contractor engineering staff or subcontracted design professionals
- Construction management and coordination failures within the design-build scope
- Claims arising from the integrated design and construction professional liability that single-entity responsibility creates
- Prior acts from completed design-build projects — claims on delivered projects that surface after project closeout
- Defense costs — forensic design review, expert witnesses, technical document production, and trial costs
- Damages including project owner remediation costs, delay-related losses, and consequential damages from design failures
Who it's for
- General contractors operating as the design-build entity on design-build projects — holding both the design contract and the construction contract
- Design-build joint ventures where the contractor is the prime entity and a design firm is a sub-consultant
- Specialty contractors with design-build responsibilities on their trade scope — mechanical design-build, electrical design-build
- Construction managers transitioning to design-build delivery and taking on new professional liability exposure
- Contractors bidding on public design-build projects where professional liability is a prequalification requirement
Why CCA
- Design-build E&O programs structured specifically for contractor professional liability in design-build delivery — not repurposed A&E E&O with contractor endorsements
- Coverage for both the design and construction professional liability components of design-build delivery — single integrated program
- Retroactive date managed from your first design-build project to ensure all prior design-build professional services are protected
- Project-specific design-build professional liability available for single major design-build engagements requiring dedicated limits
- Coordination with your general liability and umbrella program — design-build claims often straddle the professional and operational coverage lines
Common questions about design-build e&o coverage
Standard contractors professional liability is typically written for contractors who perform professional services ancillary to their construction role — value engineering, design-assist, CM coordination. Design-build E&O is written for contractors who hold prime professional design responsibility under a design-build contract. The exposure is fundamentally different — the contractor is the design professional of record for liability purposes, even if a licensed architect or engineer under the contractor stamps the drawings.
The design-build entity — typically the contractor — holds integrated responsibility for both design and construction. When a design error causes a problem, the project owner's claim is against the design-build entity, which is the contractor. The contractor may then have claims against their design sub-consultants, but the project owner's primary claim runs against the design-build prime. Design-build E&O covers the contractor's liability at the prime level.
It depends on the policy form. Some contractors professional liability policies cover design-build exposure; others have design-build exclusions or require a specific design-build endorsement. We review your existing policy to confirm whether design-build coverage applies before you sign a design-build contract. If your existing policy does not cover design-build, we obtain the appropriate endorsement or a separate design-build policy before you commit to design-build delivery.
Yes. Contractors Choice Agency holds licenses in all 50 states and writes contractors professional liability programs coast to coast. NPN 8608479.
We work with AM Best A+ rated specialty carriers with proven appetites for construction professional liability risks. Carrier selection depends on your specific operation, project types, professional service scope, and state.
Contact us immediately at 844-967-5247. We provide 2-hour claims response during business hours and will guide you through notifying your carrier, preserving documentation, and protecting your coverage position from the first day of a claim.
Yes. Monthly payment plans are available through most carriers and premium finance options. We walk you through payment options when presenting your professional liability quote.
Founded in 2005 — over 20 years insuring specialty contractors. Contractors professional liability programs have been a core focus throughout our history as contractor project delivery methods have evolved.
Basic information needed: business name, years in operation, annual revenue, project types and sizes, professional service scope (design-build, CM, design-assist, value engineering), states you work in, current E&O coverage if any, and claims history for the past five years.
Yes. New contracting firms can obtain professional liability coverage, though the retroactive date will be the policy inception date with no prior acts coverage initially. Coverage builds as you renew. We explain how this affects your protection and what to watch for in your first few years.
We are experienced with project-specific professional liability requirements — minimum limits, project-specific endorsements, additional insured language, and retroactive date provisions. Tell us what your contract requires and we will confirm your policy meets those requirements before binding.
Yes. Professional liability coverage typically applies wherever you perform professional services. Workers compensation requires separate state filings where you have employees, but professional liability follows your operations nationwide.
844-967-5247, Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm Mountain Time.
12220 E Riggs Road Suite #105, Chandler, AZ 85249. We serve contractors nationwide by phone and online.
josh@contractorschoiceagency.com. We respond to professional liability quote requests within 15 minutes during business hours.
Yes. Submit the online quote form at contractorsprofessionalliabilityinsurance.com/quote and we will respond within 15 minutes during business hours. For fastest service, call 844-967-5247 directly.
Yes. We help manage certificates of insurance for your subcontractors and issue certificates to project owners as required by your contracts — including professional liability certificates with the specific language and limits your project owner requires.
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E&O, professional liability, and design-build coverage for general contractors, construction managers, and specialty firms — nationwide.