Design and Construct Insurance for Australian Builders
Design and Construct (D&C) projects blur the line between builder and designer. When your contract takes on design responsibility — novated engineers, in-house drafting, design-build variations — your liability profile shifts and a standard builder’s policy won’t respond. You need combined design and construction cover purpose-built for D&C risk.
Silverback Insurance arranges integrated Design and Construct programmes for head contractors, principal contractors, and developers running D&C residential, commercial, and civil projects across Australia.
What a D&C Insurance Programme Covers
- Professional Indemnity for D&C — claims arising from design errors in documents you own or novate
- Contract Works / CAR — physical damage to the works, temporary works, and materials on site
- Public and Products Liability — third-party injury and property damage during construction and completion
- Plant and Equipment — owned and hired plant, tools, and temporary structures
- Run-off PI cover — post-completion design defect protection, typically 7–10 years
Key D&C Risk Issues We Solve
- Novated consultant alignment — matching your PI limit and scope to the novated engineer’s policy
- Contract obligation review — head contract and subcontract PI clauses that exceed standard PI wordings
- Fitness-for-purpose exclusions — negotiating wordings that don’t exclude your actual obligation
- Run-off on project completion — making sure the defects liability period is covered after PC
- Building Act and NCC compliance — cover for claims tied to building code and Australian Standards breaches
Typical D&C Projects We Broker
- Mid-rise and high-rise residential — Class 2 strata developments under NCC
- Commercial and industrial — offices, warehouses, logistics centres, retail centres
- Civil and infrastructure — roads, bridges, tunnels, water and wastewater
- Renewables and energy — solar farms, battery storage (BESS), wind projects
- Hospitals, schools, and public buildings — government and institutional D&C contracts
Why Silverback for Design and Construct Insurance?
- D&C wording expertise — we read the head contract and line up PI, CW, and liability accordingly
- Specialist PI markets — relationships with insurers that actively write D&C PI in Australia
- Project-specific and annual options — one-off single-project cover or annual practice policies
- Contract review support — we flag onerous insurance clauses before you sign
Request a quote for Design and Construct insurance — or call us on 0410 152 835 to discuss your next D&C project.
Design & Construct Insurance FAQs
What is design and construct insurance?
Design and construct (D&C) insurance is a specialised form of professional indemnity cover for builders who carry design responsibility under their construction contracts. It bridges the gap between standard contract works and public liability insurance (which excludes design liability) and standard professional indemnity (which excludes construction activities).
Who needs design and construct insurance?
Any builder or contractor who designs, specifies, or takes contractual responsibility for design elements of a project. This includes design-and-build contractors, builders who engage and manage design consultants, and contractors working under novated design arrangements. Many government and commercial contracts specifically require D&C cover.
Does my standard public liability policy cover design errors?
No. Standard public liability and contract works policies typically exclude claims arising from professional services, design errors, or faulty specifications. If you carry any design responsibility — even if you subcontract the design work — you need a specific D&C professional indemnity policy to cover that exposure.
What does design and construct insurance cover?
D&C insurance covers legal liability for financial loss arising from design errors, faulty specifications, incorrect advice, or breaches of professional duty in relation to construction projects where you have design responsibility. It can also cover defence costs and investigation expenses.
Can I get D&C cover if I subcontract all design work?
Yes, and you should. Even if you engage external architects, engineers, or designers, you can still be held contractually liable for their design under the head contract. D&C insurance covers your liability for the design component regardless of who performs the actual design work.