Interior Designer Insurance

Interior Designer Insurance

Protect your professional interior design services against claims of negligence, errors, or omissions with interior designer insurance.

Trusted by over 300,000 Canadian small business owners!

Save up to 35% on your insurance

Get the best insurance quote in a few clicks!

Trusted by over 300,000 Canadian small business owners!
Save up to 35% on your insurance
Get the best insurance quote in a few clicks!
Get a Free Quote
Zensurance - Interior Designer

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Interior Design Professional

Insurance for interior designers

Interior designers can create a visual and functional masterpiece for even the most basic rooms with a keen eye for complementary colours and styles. Homeowners and business owners trust interior designers to transform their spaces beautifully. However, there’s always a risk of something going wrong in any occupation, such as a liable slip-and-fall accident or a professional error at a client’s expense.

It’s important to be protected against the risks of the job. We’re providing this guide to help you get started with the basics of interior designer insurance.

Interior designer insurance describes a combination of liability insurance policies that cover the risks specific to those encountered by interior designers and those with similar careers. Whether you provide your services to individuals or businesses, interior designer insurance may provide significant financial protection should you be liable for a third-party loss or be accused of negligence.

An interior designer liability insurance policy is customizable based on your needs, but it will normally include the following coverages:

  • Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance: Most occupations – including interior design – come with common risks for which you can be held liable. These risks can occur within your property (your office space) or your client’s property.  CGL insurance protects you from claims where you’re responsible for the bodily injury or property damage of a third party. For example, say you’re painting a client’s home. You accidentally trip over the can, and paint spills all over their carpet. In this case, your CGL insurance could cover the cost to replace the ruined carpet.
  • Professional liability insurance: It’s essential to have professional liability insurance when you offer professional advice that’s relied upon as part of your job. It covers you for anything you may say or do that is perceived as negligent or erroneous that causes a loss to a third party (a loss could be a financial loss or damage to property, for example). For example, suppose you’re refurbishing a client’s living room and decide to showcase their expensive china ornaments on new shelving. Unfortunately, the shelving fails to withstand the weight of the china, and they end up losing their entire collection. Professional liability insurance could provide you with the finances to cover that loss in this scenario.
  • Cyber liability insurance: In this day and age, many businesses use technology to keep track of their customer data. If you store personal information (such as financial details or addresses) online or on an electronic device, cyber liability insurance could protect you should that information become compromised. For example, your laptop is hacked, and confidential client floor plans and financial data are used as ransom. Cyber liability insurance could cover expenses such as incident response costs and the costs of notifying clients.

Additional coverage:

  • Commercial auto insurance: Your occupation requires travelling to and from clients’ locations. Due to this, it’s important to protect your liability and your business property while in-transit. Commercial auto insurance covers you for any incidents you may be held responsible for while behind the wheel. Additionally, if your business equipment is stolen or damaged while in the vehicle, this coverage may provide financial protection to repair or replace the equipment.

Interior designers can typically expect to spend a minimum of $1,150 annually for a policy that includes professional liability with a $250,000 limit and commercial general liability with a $1 million limit. The costs vary depending on criteria specific to your interior design business, and the details you provide during your quote help us provide an accurate cost for adequate coverage.

Here are some of the following details insurers take into consideration when calculating your quote:

  • Industry
  • Years of experience (and design certifications)
  • Number of employees
  • Claims history
  • Project ownership (responsible for design and build)
  • Annual and projected gross revenue

If you provide residential or commercial interior design services, it is highly recommended to carry some form of liability insurance.  Although there are no interior designer insurance requirements in Canada, it’s an essential form of protection for your business from costly lawsuits or risks.

We’ve insured over 1,000 design professionals. Some of our clients fall under the following interior design roles:

  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Commercial/Industrial designer
  • Hospitality designers
  • Interior home decorators
  • Retail space planners
  • Visual merchandisers

Getting insured is quick and easy!

Complete our 5-minute online application for a free interior design liability insurance quote.

Get a Free Quote

Common claims scenarios

Pop up shop - liability

Problem: A client hired you to design a pop-up clothing store, but you went significantly over budget due to your oversight, causing the retailer to incur additional expenses as it was too late to change plans. As a result, the client sues you for negligence and their direct loss of income.

Outcome: Your professional liability insurance policy covers defence costs and monetary judgment, totalling $100,000.

Statue - Property Damage

Problem: A large and heavy statue that you recommended as a centrepiece in a client’s mansion caused damage to their expensive marble floors during the move. The client sues you for the damages to their flooring.

Outcome: Your commercial general liability insurance covers the cost of property damage and legal fees, totalling $85,000.

email icon

Problem: You accidentally click on a spam email link, and a hacker gains access to your computer. They subsequently steal your clients’ personal information, including their names, addresses and credit card details.

Outcome: Your cyber liability insurance may cover your legal expenses, notification costs, and the cost to retrieve your client’s information, totalling $250,000 depending on the limit purchased.

Frequently asked questions

If I hired an engineer or architect for a project, will they be covered?

Contractors such as engineers or architects can be covered under your policy, but may need to raise your coverage limits or ask them to have their own liability insurance coverage. If you’re including professional services in your projects that go beyond the scope of interior design, it’s always best to check your policy limits with a broker to ensure you’re covered adequately.

How does different design project types affect my insurance premium?

Insurers calculate your premium based on the project size and the likelihood of a risk occurring. Generally, the bigger the project, the greater the potential risk, which can lead to higher premiums. While project size is one aspect of a quote, the likelihood of a risk occurring considers other things about your business such as your claims history and years of experience. For a tenured interior designer with no previous claims, a premium can be lower than average even for larger projects.

What are the common liabilities of an interior designer?

Due to managing complex and sometimes highly costly projects, interior designers are most likely to run into accusations of negligence or erroneous work. If a third-party files a lawsuit against your business, professional liability insurance may provide financial protection, regardless of whether the claim is found to be valid or not.

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Ready to start? Let’s get a quote!

You’ve dedicated your career to making others feel great about their spaces. You deserve a broker dedicated to making you feel great about your business protection.

We pride ourselves on our easy, fast, and transparent process to buy business insurance for interior designers. It takes just five minutes to get a quote, so get started today! Our brokers are happy to answer any of your questions along the way.

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