State facts
Written and reviewed by Michael LaBarbera, licensed insurance agent
South Carolina licenses design professionals through 3 boards we confirmed on official state websites. Architects: South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners. Professional engineers: South Carolina State Board of Registration For Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Land surveyors: South Carolina State Board of Registration For Professional Engineers and Surveyors. Landscape architects: South Carolina Board of Landscape Architectural Examiners.
| Discipline | Board | Status | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| architects | South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners | licensed | The official page provides individual architect and firm license renewal information. |
| professional engineers | South Carolina State Board of Registration For Professional Engineers and Surveyors | licensed | Companies providing engineering or surveying services must register with the board. |
| land surveyors | South Carolina State Board of Registration For Professional Engineers and Surveyors | licensed | Companies providing engineering or surveying services must register with the board. |
| landscape architects | South Carolina Board of Landscape Architectural Examiners | licensed | The board licenses individuals qualified by education, experience and examination. |
| interior designers | Not confirmed | Not confirmed from an official source | — |
Facts come from each board's official website. Board rules change, so confirm details with the board. These facts do not change policy terms; policy wording controls.
National figures, not South Carolina-specific. Each links to its source.
The market is broadly stable with ample capacity despite carrier consolidation.
Source: Insurance Marketplace Realities 2026 Spring Update – Architects & Engineers — WTW (2026-05-07)
Renewal rate forecasts ranged between -5% and -10% so far in 2026.
Source: Insurance Marketplace Realities 2026 Spring Update – Architects & Engineers — WTW (2026-05-07)
Average claims were around $130,000, with severity claims exceeding $250,000.
Source: Insurance Marketplace Realities 2026 Spring Update – Architects & Engineers — WTW (2026-05-07)
Insurers’ scrutiny of risk quality and documentation remained unchanged.
Source: Insurance Marketplace Realities 2026 Spring Update – Architects & Engineers — WTW (2026-05-07)
Carriers quoted through our agency. Shown in no particular order; no ranking or endorsement is implied. Availability in South Carolina is confirmed in underwriting.
| Carrier | Limits | Deductible | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hartford — Small Business design professional liability | $250K–$2M annual limits | $0–$10K deductible | Design Professional Liability — The Hartford |
| Hiscox | Limits capacity up to $10M on a primary or excess basis. | Deductible credit included in base form; aggregate deductible option available. | Hiscox PRO Architects and Engineers — Design, Construction and Real Estate Development |
| Great American | $250,000 per claim/$250,000 aggregate to $5 million per claim/$5 million aggregate. | $0 deductible option for qualified small firms; aggregate deductible option for most firms. Early-resolution credits: 75% within one year or 50% within three years (only higher credit applies). | Great American Professional Liability Division — Protection for Design Professionals |
| GUARD | Up to $5 million per claim. | Deductibles starting at $2,500. | Professional Liability/E&O — Architects & Engineers |
| Travelers | Ask us | Claims guide: agreeing to claim resolution by mediation reduces the deductible obligation by 50%, up to a $25,000 reduction. | Design Professional Liability Insurance — Travelers Claim Services Guide |
| Hanover | Ask us | Additional claim-free and risk management deductible reduction benefits offered. | Professional liability for architects and engineers |
Illustrative scenarios, not actual agency losses or South Carolina cases.
After construction, runoff floods an adjacent property. The neighbor’s demand challenges the drainage assumptions and grading design.
Illustrative claim amount: $400,000.
Retain calculations, site data, assumptions, and changes so design responsibility can be investigated.
A client alleges that the design required late layout changes and delayed the opening of a medical office. The designer disputes responsibility for the schedule.
Illustrative claim amount: $140,000.
Written scope, approvals, and schedule changes help distinguish negligence from an uninsured opening-date promise.
The South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners, per its official website: The official page provides individual architect and firm license renewal information.
The South Carolina State Board of Registration For Professional Engineers and Surveyors, per its official website: Companies providing engineering or surveying services must register with the board.
The South Carolina State Board of Registration For Professional Engineers and Surveyors, per its official website: Companies providing engineering or surveying services must register with the board.
The South Carolina Board of Landscape Architectural Examiners, per its official website: The board licenses individuals qualified by education, experience and examination.
We could not confirm a South Carolina board for interior designers on an official source, so we make no claim about it.
No. Published claims and market data for design professionals are reported nationally, not by state. We show cited national figures so South Carolina firms can see the broader market; your own quote depends on your firm.
Carrier materials we cite list the limit and deductible ranges shown in the table. Availability in South Carolina is confirmed during underwriting.
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.
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.
Generally no: general liability is not a substitute for professional liability when the allegation is a design error.
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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