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Renewal calendar · Architects

Architects annual PI renewal — the ARB Standard 8 conversation with BSA 2022 attached

Reviewed by Matthew Bartlett, Director, Apex Insurance Brokers Limited (FCA FRN 724952) · Published 14 July 2026

ARB Standard 8 requires PII ‘adequate’ to the practice — a qualitative test that leaves the specific limit and structure to the firm and its broker. The Building Safety Act 2022 s.135 has added a very long tail to that conversation. This page maps the annual renewal cycle for architectural practices in 2026.

ARB Standard 8 — the adequacy test

  1. ARB does not set a fixed minimum limit.
  2. The standard is qualitative: cover must be adequate to the practice profile.
  3. Cover must respond to civil liability arising from the practice.
  4. BSA 2022 s.135 has extended the effective tail for higher-risk-building work — 30 years for pre-June-2022 acts, 15 years going forward.
  5. Practical limits: residential-only sole practitioners often at £250k-£1m; small commercial £1m-£5m; higher-risk-building work £2m-£10m+.

What insurers ask at architects' renewal in 2026

  1. Building types. Residential vs commercial vs higher-risk building split.
  2. BSA 2022 exposure. Buildings above 18m or 7+ storeys with residential; principal designer role appointments.
  3. Fee income and construction-cost basis. Turnover trend, project mix, fee-basis.
  4. Personnel. Founding and current architect claims history follows the individual.
  5. Principal Designer under CDM 2015 and Principal Designer under BSA 2022. Distinct roles, distinct underwriting questions.
  6. Retro-date position. Long-tail cover requirement.

BSA 2022 s.135 — the 30-year question

Every architectural practice touching higher-risk-building work in the last 30 years now sits inside a materially extended limitation window. Underwriters are recalibrating.

  1. For pre-June-2022 acts on higher-risk buildings: limitation extended to 30 years.
  2. For post-June-2022 acts: limitation extended to 15 years.
  3. Retro-date on new PII must cover the full historic period; run-off on ceased practice must last the equivalent tail.
  4. Cover limits often need to rise materially where BSA-touching work is a meaningful part of the historic book.
  5. Some insurers apply BSA-specific sub-limits or exclusions — read the wording.

The annual cycle

  1. 3-4 months before renewal. Practice-mix review, BSA-touching project identification, personnel changes.
  2. 2-3 months. Full presentation drafted. Project list with building types. Any prior notifications documented with remediation.
  3. 6-8 weeks. Market pre-briefing. Specialist broker sounds out appetite for the specific profile.
  4. 4-6 weeks. Formal quotes. Comparison across insurers.
  5. 2-3 weeks. Bind decision, cover-note.
  6. Renewal day. New policy incepts.

Practice-profile drivers of premium

  1. Higher-risk building work under BSA 2022. Highest rating pressure.
  2. Principal Designer role. Specific PII question; some insurers exclude as standard.
  3. Design-and-build sub-consultancy. Different market, different rating.
  4. Contract administration and CDM Principal Designer (CDM 2015). Broader duty scope.
  5. Residential extensions and refurbishments. Lowest rating pressure.
  6. Retro-date and run-off tail. Long tails require long cover.

If the terms are unacceptable

  1. Remarket via specialist broker — the architectural PI market has appetite variation across insurers.
  2. Restructure — higher excess, sub-limits on BSA-touching work, ring-fenced practice areas.
  3. Practice-profile adjustment — discontinue higher-risk building work if commercially viable.
  4. Layered programme — primary insurer for straightforward work plus excess for BSA exposure.
  5. Consider ARB Standard 8 discussion with the regulator if truly uneconomic cover forces a practice-mix change.

Frequently asked

Do all architectural practices renew PI on the same date?
No. Architects' PII renewal dates spread across the calendar, typically aligned with the practice's original inception. No sector-wide fixed date as with SRA solicitors.
What PI limit is ARB-adequate for a sole-principal architectural practice?
ARB Standard 8 is qualitative — no fixed minimum. Residential-only sole practices typically hold £250k-£1m. Small commercial £1m-£5m. BSA-touching work materially higher. The adequacy test is: would this limit reasonably respond to a plausible claim from your practice?
How does BSA 2022 s.135 affect my PII decisions?
Materially. Higher-risk-building work done up to 30 years ago (pre-June 2022) or up to 15 years going forward now sits inside a live limitation window. Retro-date on cover, run-off tail on cessation, and appropriate cover limit all need to reflect the extended exposure.
Do RIBA-registered architects need different PII from non-RIBA?
No. RIBA membership is voluntary and does not change ARB obligations. Some RIBA guidance on cover levels exists but is not mandatory. Non-RIBA architects still need PII adequate under ARB Standard 8.
What is Principal Designer under BSA 2022, and why does PI treat it separately?
Principal Designer under BSA 2022 is a formal role for higher-risk-building projects with specific building-safety responsibilities distinct from the older CDM 2015 Principal Designer role. Some PI insurers exclude BSA Principal Designer duties as standard; some sub-limit; some cover fully. Confirm at inception.
Can I hold BSA-touching cover only when I have a live BSA project?
In practice no. PI is claims-made, so cover in place at the time of notification is what responds. A firm that did BSA-touching work in past years must maintain cover for that historic exposure, not just when a current project is live.
How does a design-and-build sub-consultancy affect PI?
Different underwriting profile. D&B sub-consultants sit inside a supply chain and may face different claim-notification triggers. Some insurers restrict cover for novated designers; specialist broker input required.
What if I retire from architectural practice — how long does run-off need to be?
For non-BSA work, typically 6-12 years post-cessation. For BSA-touching work, up to 15-30 years. Individual architects may need continuing personal PII beyond firm run-off for the longer tail.

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