PDI

09/02/2026

AI is becoming a regular part of the design process, but its insurance implications are still evolving.

While firms continue adopting new tools, carriers are still working through how AI-related claims may be evaluated and covered. As a result, assumptions about coverage can create unexpected risk.

Now is a good time to ask: Does your policy address AI-assisted professional services, and do you have documented review practices?

Read more about emerging E&O risks at www.pdiins.com.

09/02/2026

When clients insert contract language requiring "error-free" documents or the "highest standard of care," they may be creating uninsurable liability for design professionals.

The American Society of Civil Engineers breaks down the legal foundations, contractual risks, and protections every architect and engineer should understand.

While owners often assume that design professionals guarantee flawless projects, the law recognizes that design is an iterative, judgment-based process subject to uncertainty.

08/31/2026

ENR's 2026 Top 500 Design Firms report shows overall revenue up 7.4%, driven largely by AI-related spending. A rising market means more projects and more professional liability exposure.

A good time to make sure your E&O coverage is keeping pace.

https://www.enr.com/toplists/2026-top-500-design-firms-1

08/28/2026

Snøhetta's Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library just opened in the North Dakota Badlands — a 96,000-sq-ft building of rammed earth and mass timber that barely rises above the prairie. Rather than placing a building in the landscape, the architects made the landscape the architecture.

Designed by Snøhetta, the environmentally ambitious museum built from rammed-earth and mass timber is integrated into North Dakota's rugged badlands landscape.

08/26/2026

Design-build projects often place more responsibility under one roof, creating exposures that don't always exist in traditional project delivery models.

As project roles expand, contractual obligations can expand as well. Certain commitments may fall outside the scope of a standard professional liability policy, leaving firms with unexpected gaps in protection.

A careful review of both project contracts and insurance coverage can help identify potential issues before they become costly problems.

Learn more about PDI's specialized design-build expertise at www.pdiins.com.

08/26/2026

PDI makes it easy for retail agents to get their A&E clients covered. Download the right application, complete it, and forward it directly to the PDI team. Fast responses and four decades of design professional expertise behind every submission.

https://www.pdiins.com/applications/

08/24/2026

The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index score for July came in at 46.6, marking nearly three and a half years of declining billings — the longest slump in the index's history. Client inquiries are rising, but signed contracts are still falling.

A challenging market makes the right professional liability coverage more important than ever.

The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index® (ABI) score for July was 46.6, signaling a modest decline from June.

08/21/2026

Some of the most serious structural problems are the ones you can't see.

Reinforced concrete can conceal corrosion, stress, water intrusion, and other deterioration long before visible warning signs appear. New sensor technologies are giving architects and engineers another way to monitor what is happening inside a structure throughout its lifecycle.

This article from Architect Magazine looks at how concrete sensors could provide earlier warnings of structural problems, while also raising important questions about the limitations and responsibilities that come with relying on monitoring technology.

Worth a read for design and engineering professionals:

https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/your-building-could-be-failing-you-just-cant-see-it/

Discover how concrete sensors for building safety can reveal hidden structural damage and warn of potential failures. Learn how they work.

08/19/2026

Turning an empty office building into apartments may sound straightforward. From a design and engineering perspective, it can be anything but.

Office-to-residential conversions can introduce significant challenges involving fire protection, means of egress, building systems, accessibility, and code compliance. Existing conditions can also force architects and engineers to find solutions that weren't contemplated when the building was originally designed.

NFPA takes a closer look at the challenges design professionals should consider as more communities explore adaptive reuse of existing office space.

Read more from NFPA:
https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/nfpa-journal/2026/08/06/office-to-residential-building-conversion-challenges

A high-profile New York City project highlights the complex structural, fire protection, and code requirements involved in building conversions.

08/18/2026

Architects and engineers spend years building successful careers and businesses. But have they considered how to protect the assets they've worked so hard to build?

When a licensed professional applies their seal to design documents, personal liability can become part of the equation.

Asset protection planning is worth discussing with qualified legal, financial, and insurance advisors. For some professionals, that may include exploring whether a family trust fits into their broader strategy.

For questions about professional liability protection, visit www.pdiins.com or call 317-570-6945.