CASE STUDY - STRUCTURAL ENGINEER PI
Forensic Structural Work. Two Declines. Full Suite Placed.
A structural engineer with over 25 years' experience, operating solo after leaving a major consultancy, needed PI, PL, and cyber cover. Forensic and rectification work put two insurers off. We found the right markets for all three.
THE SITUATION
A structural engineer with over 25 years of experience - including more than 10 years at a major engineering consultancy before going independent - approached us for a full insurance programme. Based in Queensland, the practice operates as a sole trader with occasional subcontracting of drafting services.
The scope is a mix of residential and low-rise commercial structural design and detailing, with a meaningful component of forensic engineering: assessing impact damage, hail damage, fire damage, building movement investigations, and storm damage assessments. The engineer produces forensic reports and investigative assessments as a core part of the business.
That forensic and rectification work - not the standard design work - is what made this a more complex placement than it might first appear.
OUR APPROACH
We took the PI and PL to five underwriters across the specialist engineering market. Each received a full submission including the engineer's experience profile, the project mix, and a clear description of the forensic and rectification scope alongside the standard structural design work.
For cyber, we approached five insurers, selecting options that offered a $1 million limit with a social engineering extension - the right fit for a sole trader who invoices, receives plans digitally, and communicates with builders and clients via email.
THE CHALLENGE
Forensic structural engineering sits in a different risk class to standard structural design. When an engineer designs a new beam or foundation, they control the inputs and assumptions. When they assess why an existing structure failed - after impact, fire, or weather damage - they're forming professional opinions about events that already happened, often in a legal or insurance context. Those opinions can be disputed. Some underwriters price that exposure differently, or decline it outright.
Two insurers declined without quoting - one on occupation classification, one because their rate card couldn't accommodate the risk. The remaining three markets - Chase, About, and Ocean Underwriting - all came back with terms. The spread across those three quotes was around $1,100 for identical cover, with Ocean Underwriting the most competitive on the PI and PL combined.
On cyber, one insurer quoted a lower premium but could only offer a $500,000 limit - insufficient for what was needed. The remaining four insurers could all provide $1 million, with Coalition coming in as the most competitive at around $1,600 including the social engineering extension.
Social engineering cover was a specific priority. For a sole trader who receives large project invoices, communicates with builders and clients over email, and doesn't have an accounts team checking payment instructions, the risk of being tricked into transferring funds to a fraudulent account is real and uninsured without that extension.
THE OUTCOME
We placed the full suite across three insurers:
- Professional Indemnity ($5M) and Public Liability ($20M): placed through Ocean Underwriting at around $9,600 combined, including the broker fee.
- Cyber ($1M with Social Engineering extension): placed through Coalition at around $1,600 including the broker fee.
The forensic work was the key variable. Structural engineers who combine standard design with investigative and forensic reporting carry a broader professional exposure than pure design practices - and the market reflects that. Two insurers declined, but three quoted, and the spread between them was over $1,100. Accessing the full market matters when the occupation carries specific complexity.
The cyber placement also illustrates a shift in what's considered standard for engineering consultants. Invoicing, digital file sharing, and email-based client communication are routine - but without a social engineering extension, a payment diversion fraud sits outside the standard cyber policy wording. For a sole trader managing their own accounts, that's a meaningful gap to close.
Put this placement in context
More Case Studies
All case studiesStructural Engineer: Pool Inspections, Four Declines, One Market
WA sole-trader structural and civil engineer needing a higher PI limit at renewal. His own insurer declined. Four further insurers declined on occupation. Best available terms obtained from a specialist market with appetite for the risk.
Read case study Professional IndemnityFacade Glazing Engineer: Five Declines, One Market
Queensland facade glazing engineer with 18 years' experience. Five insurers declined or quoted unworkable premiums due to the 'structural' label. One specialist underwriter found.
Read case study Professional IndemnityNATA-Accredited Geotech: 5 Business Pack Declines
NATA-accredited geotechnical firm in New South Wales. On this placement, five of the six insurers we approached declined a basic business pack on occupation alone. Full PI, PL, and business pack suite placed through specialist markets.
Read case studyPI Insurance for Structural Engineering
From residential footings to high-rise structures, we arrange Professional Indemnity cover that protects structural engineers from claims when buildings show signs of distress.