Contracts
Can a client be named as an additional insured on professional liability?
Written and reviewed by Michael LaBarbera, licensed insurance agent
Usually not: additional-insured status is typically a general liability request, and professional liability policies generally do not add clients as additional insureds. Separate the contract's coverage requirements by policy before requesting certificate wording, because a certificate cannot create coverage or an endorsement.
Why do contracts ask for this?
Owner and contractor templates often apply one additional-insured clause to every listed policy. Professional liability protects the design firm against allegations of its own negligent services, so adding the client who may bring the claim generally does not fit the policy. The request should be negotiated rather than ignored.
What can a certificate show for professional liability?
A certificate of insurance can show the carrier, policy period and limits. It cannot change policy terms. We issue same-day certificates and Live Certificates that clients, owners and general contractors can retrieve on demand, so the evidence of coverage stays current.
How should a firm respond to the clause?
Mark up the clause to apply additional-insured status to general liability, and list professional liability limits without additional insureds. Ask us to review the specific request, and obtain legal review for contractual obligations.
What sources support this answer?
General information, not legal advice. Policy wording controls; carriers are quoted through our agency and no endorsement is implied.
Related guides and tools
Follow-up questions
Is a certificate of insurance the same as being an additional insured?
No. A certificate is evidence of coverage; additional-insured status requires an endorsement on the policy.
Can I add an owner to my general liability?
Often yes, by endorsement. Ask us which form the contract requires.
More buyer questions
- Do architects need professional liability insurance?
Most architecture firms carry professional liability insurance because clients, owners and contracts commonly ask for it and because design-error allegations can arise years after a project closes.
- Does general liability cover design errors?
Generally no: general liability is not a substitute for professional liability when the allegation is a design error.
- What is a retroactive date?
A retroactive date is the prior-acts boundary on a claims-made policy: services performed before that date may fall outside coverage even when the claim arrives during the current policy.
- Can a client be named as an additional insured on professional liability?
Usually not: additional-insured status is typically a general liability request, and professional liability policies generally do not add clients as additional insureds.
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