[secondnature]

Good morning out there!

I am taking an informal poll of designers in the department of contracts and liability inusrance.

How many of you DO have either or both, and have they served you well?

I have operated w/o either for about 7 years, and I am contemplating the use of them.

Thanks for taking a moment to answer.

[jshilan]

I have both. It makes sense and it protects you. It also gives you the opprotunity to project manage in addition to design work.

[agla]

General liability insurance is'nt going to protect you as a designer. Errors and Omissions insurance will. It is not cheap. I was quoted $5,500 just to cover my side business of consulting and residential landscape plans (that is with an LA degree and having a license for eight years). If the insurance companies give liability to new landscape contractors for about a grand, it tells you that they see great potential of financial loss from design mistakes - more than that 20 year old kid backing up a lawn trailer it seems.

You have to have good contracts. Not just to cover your tail in order to get paid. It can also help motivate clients into staying focused on helping you get the job done instead of playing "what if" until the cows come home.

[gnite21]

I have general liability. It's the first time I've gotten business insurance. I'm a designer, with a new business. I don't do installation at all... nor do I purchase plants. Only design and garden coaching on a one-to-one basis.

I actually only got the insurance because I'm going to have a trade show booth, and they required having insurance. I found that I could get insurance just for the event, but it's only a little more to have complete liability insurance. It's 1Mil coverage.

I was considering errors and omissions, too, but decided against it while I'm just getting started. I've not done anything big yet. Might have to have it later on. Not sure.

[Chris Heiler]

I've always carried a General Liability policy because I also act as the general contractor on my projects. I've never had a Professional Liability policy (Errors and Omissions). If I take on more public/commericial commissions I will certainly consider it.

Regarding contracts, I always have a signed Design Commission between myself and my client. I also have another contract between myself and my client for the actual construction of the project.

[Terre]

I use the contract you can find here on Groundtrades, with a couple minor modifications. It has definitely saved my ass twice last year.

Once, wife signed, husband threw a fit and tried to stop payment on the deposit check. I'd already cashed it, and the contract kept him from filing suit to get his deposit back.

Second save was when a client kept coming up with more and more changes, and was under the impression that she could substitute a flagstone patio for a tree without additional costs. She asked, "Can we... " and I would say "sure", but she actually meant can we without cost. The contract bailed me out on that as well.