Architecture clients can be difficult in more ways than one. From the indecisive client to the one worried about the budget or obsessed with the timeline, many design professionals have seen it all. The issue of difficult clients is such a common experience that ArchDaily has featured a humorous cartoon on the topic: 15 Clients [...]
As a design professional, finding the right insurance coverage can be daunting. The idea behind professional liability insurance seems simple enough. Yet you will quickly find that architect insurance rates can vary from provider to provider. To add to the confusion, just because a policy is more or less expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it is [...]
As a design professional, it’s important to know exactly what risks you face in the location that you practice. Implied warranties are a risk in some jurisdictions and can have major consequences. Under an expanded liability, an implied warranty can change who can bring a claim against you and what damages they may recover. Without [...]
Architects must manage countless risks, day in and day out. Yet most of the exposures you deal with will tend to fall into only a few broad categories. You may be in the habit of dealing with each individual situation as it arises, but that can be tedious and frustrating. Instead, it can be beneficial [...]
Architecture is a profession where the stakes are high. If there’s a problem on a project that can’t be easily resolved, a lawsuit is likely. For architects facing a lawsuit for the first time, the situation can be unnerving. It’s helpful to know what to do and when to do it ahead of time, before [...]
Fire exits are an important contingency when designing a building, even though you hope no one will ever have to use them. Contingency planning for your own professional design business works much the same way. Even though you hope you’ll never need it, it’s important to have a plan in place in case you suddenly [...]
A design project can involve a number of professionals, making it difficult to predict when and where a problem might occur. But when it does, a costly and time-consuming lawsuit is likely to follow. Professional liability insurance is available to help protect against this risk. Professional liability insurance is an important risk management tool for [...]
If you have a bad feeling about a client, it may be better to listen to your gut and pass on the job. That’s because working with problematic clients puts you at higher risk of a claim. Professional liability claims involve lawsuits that often put your business and personal assets at risk and can cause [...]
A green revolution is sweeping the country, with carbon neutrality, net-zero energy and other initiatives making their way throughout various industries, including architecture. Yet the risks of green building performance standards are numerous, posing new challenges for you and your firm. Green building performance standards are regulations that require a completed building to meet certain [...]
The risks of climate change are impacting everyone, including architects, engineers and other design professionals. However, there’s not only the risk of severe weather impacting project construction. Architects also face the risk of claims for past projects, months or years after their completion. Architects are at the forefront of providing climate change and sustainable design [...]