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Aipedia: Building services engineers
PI for building services engineers usually responds to claims arising from negligent design or advice whether or not AI was used, subject to the policy terms. The real questions are the exclusions, the cyber boundary and whether your declared activities match what you actually do.
Part of: AI in building services engineering
In short
Building services engineers are not required by statute to hold PI, but CIBSE Code clause 3.8 requires cover where appropriate and telling clients whether it is held and if it lapses, and most appointments require it. PI wordings may respond to negligent professional services without distinguishing the tools used. Cover questions arise from cyber and data exclusions, fire safety restrictions, fitness for purpose and guarantee terms, software or product supply, and any AI-specific clauses. Neither CIBSE nor the Engineering Council has published anything on AI and PI. Describe your AI use and services accurately to insurers.
Clause 3.8 of the CIBSE Code requires members to assess their liabilities and hold PI insurance "if appropriate", and to tell clients whether cover is held and if it lapses. PI is not compulsory by statute for building services engineers, but appointments normally make it a contractual requirement, often with a specified limit and terms. Neither CIBSE nor the Engineering Council has published a statement on AI and PI.
Most PI policies cover legal liability arising from negligent acts, errors or omissions in the conduct of your professional services. In general, an undersized plant schedule caused by an AI tool is treated the same as one caused by a spreadsheet error: what matters is whether the work fell below the standard of a reasonably competent engineer, and whether the claim falls within the cover. Using AI does not usually remove cover by itself. However, wordings vary, and some insurers may introduce technology or AI clauses, so the specific wording matters. See whether PI covers AI mistakes and AI exclusions and clauses.
AI can repeat one error many times: a wrong rule in an auto-routing tool, a faulty template in a specification generator or a flawed assumption in a portfolio of energy models. That matters for insurance because many claims arising from one cause may be aggregated and treated as a single claim, subject to one limit and one excess, depending on the aggregation wording. Whether that helps or hurts depends on the size of the combined loss and how the limit applies, on an each and every claim or aggregate basis. Check the limit your appointments require against the scale of a systematic error, not only a single project failure, and ask your broker how the aggregation clause in your wording would treat linked claims.
Illustrative scenario: an MEP consultancy starts offering AI fault detection subscriptions alongside design work but does not mention this at renewal. A client claims for damage after the service missed a fault. The insurer questions whether the subscription, which includes a software licence, falls within the professional services described on the proposal form, and the firm faces uncertainty and delay while cover is considered.
Answer proposal form questions about AI accurately, and describe all services, including software supply, monitoring and net zero advice. Explain how AI outputs are checked. Tell clients whether you hold PI, as clause 3.8 requires, and avoid suggesting cover is broader than it is. Keep records showing how AI-assisted work was reviewed; AI use and your PI insurance explains what to document. Choosing an appropriate limit is covered in how much PI cover engineers need.
Related: CIBSE and EngC on AI, AI and building data and PI for building services engineers. Back to AI in building services engineering.
Apex arranges PI for building services and M&E engineers. A broker reviews your wording, exclusions and declared activities and how the policy treats AI-assisted design and advice.
Usually, if the claim alleges negligence in your professional services and no exclusion applies, subject to the policy terms. Wordings generally focus on the standard of the work rather than the tool used.
You must answer proposal questions accurately and give a fair presentation of the risk. If you are asked about AI, or your use of AI changes the services you provide, tell your insurer or broker.
Not by statute. CIBSE Code clause 3.8 requires PI where appropriate and disclosure to clients, and most appointments require cover contractually, often at a specified limit.
PI usually covers claims from negligent professional services. Losses from cyber attacks or data breaches affecting your own systems usually sit with cyber insurance, and some PI policies exclude them.
Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start a PI quote Request a callbackApex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
