Professional liability insurance for engineers is the American name for professional indemnity, which is what a UK engineering practice buys. The cover answers for the financial consequences of a negligent design, calculation, specification or inspection, and its defining feature in engineering is how long the exposure lasts.
The same cover, the UK name
UK appointments, frameworks and professional bodies use professional indemnity. An overseas client asking for professional liability is asking for the same thing, and confirming that in writing is quicker than arguing about the wording of a certificate.
The long tail
Claims arising from building work can be brought years after completion, and the policy that answers is the one in force when the claim arrives. Continuous cover with an unbroken retroactive date is therefore the practice's most important insurance asset, and run off after closure is not optional in practice.
Appointments and warranties
The standard of care in the appointment should be reasonable skill and care rather than fitness for purpose, because the policy answers for negligence and not for a guaranteed outcome. Collateral warranties widen who can claim, and insurers ask how many are given and on what terms.
What employers require
A stated limit, frequently in the aggregate, and often a requirement to maintain cover for a period after practical completion. Public sector frameworks add insurer criteria. Those requirements outlive the project, which is why they belong in the fee rather than in a later surprise.
Questions people ask about professional liability insurance for engineers
Is professional liability the same as professional indemnity?
Yes, under two names. Professional indemnity is the UK term and what appointments here use.
Why does continuity matter so much in engineering?
Because construction claims arrive years after completion and only a live policy answers, whenever the work was done.
What standard of care should I agree to?
Reasonable skill and care. Fitness for purpose is a guarantee and usually falls outside the policy.