Insureon Launches Customized Resources for Independent Architects & Engineers

Dedicated microsite offers resources to help solo design professionals manage the risks that come with increased opportunity.

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Apr 28, 2015, 09:00 ET

CHICAGO, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Insureon, the nation's leading online provider of insurance for small businesses and independent contractors, has developed risk management tools for architects, engineers, surveyors, draftsmen, and other design professionals. The resources are free at design.insureon.com, the fifth industry-dedicated microsite insureon has launched this year.

By visiting the site, architects and engineers can…

Estimate the cost of liability insurance based on data from past clients on the Sample Quotes pages.
Watch interviews with insureon customers in their field.
Stay current on news events related to design professionals on the blog.
Read in-depth information about how various insurance policies protect design professionals via an eBook and business center.
Submit questions they don't see answered elsewhere through an FAQ page.

Opportunity for independent architects and engineers is significant: Architects are already three times more likely than average to operate as sole proprietors, and the BLS predicts 17 percent growth in architecture employment by 2022, providing a robust environment to launch a new firm. Engineers who operate as contractors can earn 10 to 15 percent more than those who accept positions as fulltime employees.

But as insureon CEO Ted Devine points out, any increase in opportunity comes with increased risk. "Architects and engineers are facing lawsuits over a wider range of issues than they were 10 years ago," Devine said. "They might be sued years after the construction of a building they designed, for defects that they didn't even know they could be held accountable for." Indeed, such a case is currently pending in California.

Beyond anecdotal evidence, though, the hard numbers don't lie: 66 percent of claims against architects are made by clients, and 88 percent of architects agree that "scope creep," or disagreement about a project's limits, is a major source of these conflicts. While any legal claim can be costly, business insurance can cover many of those costs.

For more information about minimizing risk in a small design business, visit design.insureon.com.

About insureon
Since 1997, insureon has provided coverage for more than 100,000 small businesses, including more than 3,000 independent architects and engineers. Through the site's online application, design professionals can buy General Liability, Professional Liability, and other insurance policies.

Contact:
Madeline Carlson
1-630-706-1068
[email protected]

SOURCE insureon