Interior designers (2024)

After you complete a project, a client claims your design and refurbishments have had negative consequences which will cost them money to rectify. As a result, they decide to take legal action. Even though they signed the plans off and you feel the circ*mstances are unfair, you still need to defend yourself. With professional indemnity cover built into your interior designer insurance with Hiscox, the legal expenses and settlement costs can be covered.

You meet the client at their property alongside a contractor and present your ideas with the help of computer aided design (CAD) software on your laptop. Your device is running low on battery so you plug in the charger – unfortunately, the contractor trips on the dangling wire. They injure themselves and file a claim. The work of an interior designer involves contact with people, so incorporating public liability insurance in your policy can help to protect against the unexpected.

You regularly update system security and do your best to keep client data safe. However, one morning your cloud server is hacked and a ransom is demanded. This not only puts you at risk of losing mood boards and house measurements, but your client contact details, too. Having cyber and data insurance as part of your interior designer policy can help to cover the ransom. It also gives you access to a specialist consultancy company to manage the situation.

Professional indemnity insurance is there to protect an interior designer against the costs of legal action from clients who claim there is a problem with your work. You might think a claim is unjust – a contractor might have let you down, or you may feel the client was unclear or changed their mind late in the day. Regardless, you’ll still need to defend your interior design business. Professional indemnity cover can provide invaluable reassurance by helping with legal fees.

Working with people is often part of your role as an interior designer and that’s why public liability insurance can provide such welcome protection. A customer or member of the public might claim they’ve been injured or their property damaged as a result of your activities and decide to make a claim against you and your business. In the event of legal proceedings, public liability cover can help with fees and compensation costs.

While running your own business, you could find you’re unable to deal with all the enquiries you have for your services. As soon as you take on another interior designer to lighten the load, you may require employers’ liability insurance by law (external link). This type of cover helps to safeguard your company in the event an employee makes a compensation claim for a work-related injury or illness – whether that’s an on-site fall or RSI from detailed drawings.