How much does building inspector insurance cost?

Professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions insurance (E&O insurance) or professional indemnity insurance, costs an average of $89 per month, or $1,068 annually, for building inspectors.

This policy covers the cost of client lawsuits over claims that your work was unsatisfactory, negligent, late, or never completed.

For instance, if you overlook a serious issue in a building, like a termite infestation, a professional liability insurance policy would cover your legal defense costs, settlement, and other financial losses if a client sued over professional negligence.

Below is the average professional liability policy for building inspectors who buy from Insureon:

Premium: $89 per month
Policy limits: $1 million per occurrence; $1 million aggregate
Deductible: $1,000

Several factors influence the cost of professional liability insurance, including the types of buildings you inspect, location, your claims history, and the policy limits you choose.

As with other types of insurance, you can save money on professional liability coverage by choosing lower limits or a higher deductible.

Reducing your risks also helps you avoid claims and keep your premium low. This includes clear communication with clients and thorough documentation of all communications and agreements.

Building inspectors pay an average of $42 per month, or $505 annually, for general liability insurance. This policy is sometimes called public liability insurance.

General liability insurance covers common third-party risks at building inspection businesses, such as a client who trips in the middle of a building inspection and suffers a bodily injury, or accidental damage to a client's property.

For example, if a client trips over your ladder during an inspection, general liability insurance coverage would pay for their medical expenses and any legal fees if the client sues over bodily injury.

It also helps pay for attorney's fees and other legal expenses if someone sues your business over copyright infringement or other advertising injuries, including defamation.

Below is the average general liability policy for building inspectors who buy from Insureon:

Insurance premium: $42 per month
Policy limits: $1 million per occurrence; $2 million aggregate

The per-occurrence limit is the maximum your insurer will pay for a single covered incident, while the aggregate limit is the most the insurer will pay for all claims during the policy period, typically one year.

General liability insurance costs depend on factors such as the coverage limits and deductible you choose, the types of professional services you offer, your business income, and any additional insured endorsements you select.

Learn more about how your insurance premium is calculated and how to save money on your general liability coverage.

Building design companies, including building inspectors, pay an average of $67 per month, or $804 annually, for a business owner’s policy.

A business owner's policy, or BOP, bundles general liability coverage with commercial property insurance to cover both third-party risks and your business property, including your physical building. It typically costs less than purchasing each policy separately.

A BOP protects against customer injuries, property damage, and vandalism, along with damage to your building inspection equipment. Because of its increased coverage and affordability, it’s the policy most often recommended by Insureon’s agents.

This is the average BOP for building design professionals who buy from Insureon:

Insurance premium: $67 per month
Policy limits: $1 million per occurrence; $2 million aggregate
Deductible: $500

Small, low-risk building design companies are often eligible for a business owner's policy.

Building inspection business owners may see higher costs if they choose to add endorsements to their policy. Insurance endorsements, such as business interruption insurance or equipment breakdown coverage, are often recommended to help pay for lost income if a fire or power outage forces your business operations to cease for an extended period of time.

The cost of a business owner's policy is based on many factors, including the value of your business property, where you are located, the types of buildings you inspect, the number of employees you have, and your specialty.

Building design businesses, including building inspectors, pay an average of $50 per month, or $601 annually, for workers’ compensation insurance.

This policy covers medical expenses and lost wages related to employee injuries. It usually includes employer's liability insurance to protect against lawsuits from injured workers.

Businesses with employees typically must purchase workers' comp to comply with state requirements and avoid penalties. For example, all building inspection businesses in California, Pennsylvania, and New York must carry workers' comp if they have one or more employees. Florida businesses need coverage when they have four or more employees, and coverage is optional in Texas.

Since health insurance plans can deny claims for injuries related to your job, workers' comp coverage is also recommended for independent contractors as a financial safety net and for peace of mind.

The cost of workers' comp depends on several factors, primarily the number of employees you have and their occupational risks. You can save money on workers' comp coverage by classifying your employees correctly and implementing a risk management plan to avoid work-related injuries and subsequent claims.

Building design professionals, including building inspectors, pay an average of $230 per month, or $2,755 annually, for commercial auto insurance.

This type of insurance pays for legal costs and medical bills if your building inspection company vehicle injures someone or damages their property in an accident. It can also cover vehicle theft, vandalism, and weather damage.

Most states require commercial auto insurance for vehicles owned by a building inspection business. For personal, rented, and leased vehicles used for work purposes, look to hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA) instead.

The cost of commercial auto insurance depends on several factors, including your policy limits, the coverage options you choose (e.g., additional insured endorsements), the number and value of your vehicles, and the driving records of anyone permitted to drive.

Building design firms, such as building inspectors, pay an average of $81 per month, or $975 annually, for cyber insurance. This policy is also called cyber liability insurance or cybersecurity insurance.

Cyber insurance helps building inspectors and other building design professionals recover financially after a cyberattack or data breach. It can cover data breach investigations, cyber extortion payments, and costs related to complying with your state's data breach laws.

A cyber liability insurance policy is especially crucial for building inspection companies that store sensitive client information, such as credit card numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses.

The cost of cyber insurance and the coverage you need depend on the amount of sensitive information you handle at your building inspection business.