An annotated copy of the document (PDF, with in-line comments) and a short covering note summarising the two or three points most likely to affect your PI position.

Free document review

Free document review · UK architects & engineers

Send us your appointment or collateral warranty. We’ll flag the clauses your PI insurer will care about — before you sign.

Q: What types of document do you review?

Appointments including RIBA Standard Professional Services Contract, ACE Agreement, JCT Consultant appointments and NEC4 Professional Service Contract, bespoke appointment letters, collateral warranties, letters of reliance, novation agreements, sub-consultant appointments and framework agreements.

Q: Do you look at Building Safety Act obligations?

Yes. Where an appointment engages the higher-risk building regime under the BSA 2022, or the longer limitation period under the Defective Premises Act as amended by s.135, we flag it.

Q: Is what I send confidential?

Yes. Documents are held on our secure systems, seen only by the broking team members reviewing them, and not disclosed outside Apex without your consent.

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

If you are a UK architect, engineer or design consultant, the terms of your appointment and any collateral warranty you sign are the terms your professional indemnity insurer will judge a claim against. Apex is a specialist PI broker. Send us the draft — a JCT or NEC appointment schedule, a proposed collateral warranty, a letter of reliance, a novation, a party appointment — and we will read it against the insurability points your insurer looks for, then send you back a marked-up copy with a short covering note.

There is no charge. There is no obligation to place your PI cover with us afterwards. The work is done by our broking team as part of how we serve professions across the built environment.

Send your document Call 0117 325 0027

What we look for in an appointment or warranty

A well-drafted appointment protects both parties and stays inside the cover an ordinary PI policy will respond to. A poorly drafted one can leave you personally exposed on a claim your insurer refuses to pay. These are the clauses and wording types we flag when we read a draft.

Net contribution clauses Whether one is present, how it is drafted, and whether it lines up with how a court is likely to apportion liability between consultants on the same project.
Fitness-for-purpose obligations Wording that raises your duty above the ordinary reasonable-skill-and-care standard. Most PI policies exclude fitness-for-purpose liabilities assumed by contract.
Extended limitation periods Deeds executed for 12 years rather than 6, or express contractual extensions. This matters for run-off cover after retirement or dissolution.
Uncapped indemnities Broad indemnity language that goes beyond compensation for breach and captures liabilities your policy does not cover.
Joint and several liability Language that exposes you to the whole loss where another consultant, contractor or specialist has caused part of it — particularly relevant on projects with several designers.
Principal-designer duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 (s.135 amendments to the Defective Premises Act) How the appointment describes your role, the higher-risk building duties you may be taking on, and whether cover follows.
Assignment and third-party rights How many times the appointment can be assigned, to whom, and whether that opens up claims from parties you never contracted with.
Collateral warranty and reliance letter drafting Consistency between the underlying appointment and the collateral warranty. A warranty that widens your obligations beyond the appointment is a common source of uninsured exposure.
Insurer notification triggers and PI-cover warranties Clauses that require a specified level of cover, aggregate versus each-and-every-claim wording, and notification obligations that can inadvertently prejudice a claim.

How it works

Send us the draft. Use the form at the bottom of this page, or email info@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk. A short covering note with the project name, the counterparty, and the deadline you are working to is enough.
We read it against insurability. Our broking team marks up the wording that will matter to a PI insurer at renewal or in a claim — and, where relevant, flags the drafting we would want to see amended.
You get the marked-up document back. Within a target of five working days from receipt. You receive the annotated PDF and a short covering note that summarises the two or three points that most affect your PI position.
You decide what to do with it. Take it to your solicitor, negotiate with the counterparty, or file it. There is no obligation to place your PI cover with Apex.

Why we do this

Two reasons, both stated plainly.

The first is that we are a specialist PI broker. We see how insurers underwrite architects and engineering firms every day. The wording that causes an uninsured loss five years into a project is usually visible in the appointment on the day it is signed. Reading appointments in advance is part of the work we already do for existing clients — opening it up to firms we don’t yet act for is a natural extension.

The second is commercial. If your PI renewal comes up and you have not been happy with your current broker, we would like to be one of the firms you invite to quote. Providing a useful piece of pre-sale work is how we introduce ourselves. If your current arrangement suits you and you never speak to us again, you still walk away with a document that is better than it was.

Nothing about this service is contingent on you moving your cover. The review is done on its own terms.

Frequently asked questions

Is this legal advice?

No. Apex is a firm of insurance brokers, not solicitors. The review is provided from an insurance-broking perspective — the points that affect your PI cover and how an underwriter will read the wording. For legal opinion on contract terms, obligations under statute, or drafting alternatives, consult a solicitor. Where a point falls on the legal side of the line, we will say so and suggest you take legal advice on it.

What types of document do you review?

Appointments (including standard forms such as the RIBA Standard Professional Services Contract, ACE Agreement, JCT Consultant appointments, NEC4 Professional Service Contract), bespoke appointment letters, collateral warranties, letters of reliance, novation agreements, sub-consultant appointments, and framework agreements. If you are unsure whether a document is in scope, send it and we will tell you.

Do I have to buy PI insurance from Apex to use this service?

No. The review is free and there is no obligation on either side. If you are already happy with your current broker, keep the relationship and use the marked-up document as you see fit. If your renewal comes up and you would like to invite Apex to quote alongside your existing panel, we would welcome that.

How long does the review take?

Our target is five working days from receipt of a clean copy of the document. That is a target, not a contractual commitment — a heavily negotiated bespoke appointment with schedules and side letters can take longer, and we will let you know in advance if it will. If you have a hard signing deadline, tell us on submission and we will confirm whether we can meet it.

What do I get back?

An annotated copy of the document (PDF, with in-line comments) and a short covering note that summarises the two or three points most likely to affect your PI position. We do not rewrite the document for you — that is drafting work for a solicitor — but the mark-up will identify where amendment would help and, where relevant, suggest the direction of the amendment.

Do you look at Building Safety Act obligations?

Yes. The BSA 2022 introduced a longer limitation period under the Defective Premises Act for dwelling-related claims (retrospective in some cases), and expanded principal-designer duties on higher-risk buildings. Both matter for PI cover, particularly the run-off position. Where an appointment engages the higher-risk building regime, we will flag it.

Is what I send confidential?

Yes. We treat the document as commercially confidential. Files are held on our secure systems, seen only by the broking team members reviewing them, and not disclosed outside Apex without your consent. If you would prefer a mutual NDA before sending anything, tell us and we will arrange one.

Who at Apex is doing the review?

The review is overseen by Matthew Bartlett, Director of Apex Insurance Brokers Limited, working with the broking team that handles the firm’s professions book. Matt is an FCA-approved individual (SMF3 Executive Director, SMF16 Compliance Oversight, SMF17 MLRO).

Ready when you are

Send your appointment or warranty for review

No obligation, no charge. A specialist PI broker reads the wording and sends you a marked-up copy with a short covering note.

Send your document 0117 325 0027

Send your document

Complete the short form below and attach the file, or paste the appointment text into the box. We will confirm receipt and let you know if the target turnaround is achievable for your document.