ARB Standard 8 · Self-check tool

How adequate is your PI cover under ARB Standard 8 and BSA 2022 s.135?

A 12-question walkthrough for UK architects and design practices. Work through it in a couple of minutes and see whether your professional indemnity arrangements read as reasonable, warrant a fresh review, or point to material exposure under the Building Safety Act 2022. Results stay in your browser — nothing is submitted, nothing is stored on our servers.

Reviewed by Matthew Bartlett, Director, Apex Insurance Brokers Limited · Published 16 July 2026

What the two regimes actually require

ARB Standard 8 of the Architects Code (2017, currently in force) requires an architect to have "adequate and appropriate" professional indemnity insurance and to maintain that cover through any run-off period after ceasing to practise. The Architects Registration Board publishes minimum limits (currently £250,000 per claim for turnover up to £100,000, rising with fee income) but adequacy is a facts-and-circumstances test, not a floor-tick exercise. The regulator's post-Grenfell guidance makes clear that Standard 8 sits alongside the substantive obligations under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Section 135 of the Building Safety Act 2022 extended the limitation period for claims under section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 to 30 years for dwellings completed before 28 June 2022 and 15 years for those completed after. In practice, an architect who acted as principal designer on a residential building 20 years ago can now face a claim they would previously have considered time-barred. The exposure attaches to the natural person or entity who took on the design responsibility — it does not automatically follow a firm's rebranding, incorporation, or dissolution. Adequacy of PI cover has to be reconsidered against this retrospective window.

The self-check

Answer honestly on the basis of what your renewal file, retroactive date and appointment forms actually say. The tool weights answers against known claim patterns and BSA s.135 exposure indicators, then classifies the composite score.

1. Practice type

2. Approximate annual fee income

3. Current PI aggregate limit

4. Do you work on Higher-Risk Buildings (18m+ or 7+ storeys with dwellings)?

5. When was your earliest HRB project completed?

6. Have you acted as principal designer under CDM 2015?

7. Does your PI retroactive date extend back to your earliest HRB or design work?

8. Have you had a PI notification or claim in the last five years?

9. Do you have a net-contribution clause in your standard appointment?

10. Have you reviewed your PI cover-adequacy documentation in the last 12 months?

11. Approximate number of live projects with cladding or facade work

12. Optional — number of fee-earning staff

Frequently asked questions

What does ARB Standard 8 actually require?

Standard 8 of the ARB Architects Code requires each architect to hold "adequate and appropriate" professional indemnity insurance and to maintain that cover through any subsequent run-off period. The ARB publishes indicative minimum limits linked to turnover but expects the architect to form a considered judgement on adequacy for the specific work undertaken.

How does BSA 2022 section 135 change the limitation position?

Section 135 of the Building Safety Act 2022 amended section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 so that claims relating to dwellings completed before 28 June 2022 can be brought for up to 30 years, and those completed after for up to 15 years. This is a retrospective change, and it applies to defective work carried out by principal designers, contractors and others who owed duties under section 1 of the 1972 Act.

Does a net-contribution clause protect me?

A well-drafted net-contribution clause can restrict the architect's liability to a fair share where other parties are also at fault. It is not a universal shield — enforceability depends on wording, the client's status (consumer versus commercial), and whether the clause is caught by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. Insurers view its presence favourably; its absence can push renewal terms harder.

Is my retroactive date the same as my inception date?

Not necessarily. The retroactive date is the earliest date from which work is covered under the current policy. If you have switched insurers or restructured the firm without a continuous cover arrangement, the retroactive date can be later than the date the underlying work was carried out — leaving a gap. This is one of the more common structural issues on architect renewals.

Do I still need cover after I stop practising?

Standard 8 expects an architect to maintain cover through a run-off period commensurate with the risk of latent claims. Given the 30-year window under BSA s.135 for pre-June-2022 dwellings, run-off arrangements for firms that worked on residential buildings need to be structured with that horizon in mind, not the traditional six-year Limitation Act default.

Will this self-check produce a quote?

No. It is an information tool that classifies your composite risk score into three bands. To obtain a quotation you would need to complete a proposal form, disclose full underwriting information (including claims history and appointments), and receive terms from an insurer.