Contract Review & Consulting for Engineering Firms
Understand the insurance requirements and risk provisions in your client contracts before you sign.
Start With the Fine Print
Contracts can affect your engineering firm’s risk long before a project begins. Our Contract Review & Consulting service helps you identify insurance requirements, risk-transfer language, and other provisions that may affect your coverage or expose the firm to obligations it did not expect.
We focus on the insurance and risk-management side of the agreement. That can include professional liability requirements, indemnification language, additional insured requests, required limits, certificates, waivers, and other insurance provisions. When a question requires legal interpretation, it should be reviewed with qualified legal counsel.
Risk Can Be Transferred to Your Firm
Contract language can make your firm responsible for risks that may extend beyond the work you expected to perform.
Coverage May Not Match the Contract
A client may require limits, endorsements, or insurance terms that are different from what your current policies provide.
Some Obligations May Be Uninsurable
Certain contractual promises can create liabilities that an insurance policy was never designed to cover.
Problems Are Easier to Fix Early
Reviewing requirements before signing gives your firm time to ask questions, negotiate terms, or adjust coverage if needed.
What to Review Before You Sign
The right solution should reflect the firm’s actual services, agreements, people, projects, and growth plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should an engineering firm have a contract reviewed?
Ideally, review the insurance and risk provisions before signing the agreement. That gives your firm time to compare the contract with its existing coverage and address issues before work begins.
Can EIP tell me if my insurance meets a client's contract requirements?
EIP can help compare insurance requirements with your current coverage and identify areas that need clarification. Actual coverage depends on the terms, limits, exclusions, and endorsements in your policies.
Does contract review replace an attorney?
No. EIP focuses on insurance requirements and risk-management issues. Questions involving legal rights, enforceability, or legal interpretation should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel.
What contract provisions can affect an engineering firm's insurance?
Common examples include professional liability limits, indemnification, additional insured requirements, waivers of subrogation, certificates of insurance, and requirements for subcontractors.
Do small engineering projects still need contract review?
Project size is only one factor. A smaller project can still contain broad insurance or liability requirements. The client, scope of work, contract language, and potential exposure all matter.
