Professional liability for architecture firms is written claims made, which means it only responds if the claim is made while the policy is in force and the work happened after your retroactive date. General liability is occurrence based, so it responds to old incidents even after you switch carriers. Who this is for: Architecture firms buying, switching, or cancelling professional liability.
The short version
- Claims made coverage answers when the claim arrives, not when the work was done.
- A lapse in a claims made policy leaves every past year of work uninsured.
- Ask any new carrier for full prior acts matching your original retroactive date.
- General liability and property are occurrence based, which is why they need no tail.
- Keep every expiring declarations page. It is how you prove your retroactive date later.
The difference in one table
| Claims made | Occurrence | |
|---|---|---|
| What triggers coverage | The claim being made against you during the policy period | The act happening during the policy period |
| Typical use | Professional liability for architecture firms | General liability, property, auto |
| Needs a retroactive date | Yes | No |
| Needs tail coverage when you stop | Yes | No |
| What happens if you switch carriers | Prior acts must be picked up or you buy tail | Nothing, past years stay covered by past policies |
Nearly every professional liability policy sold to architecture firms is claims made. That single fact drives three things you have to manage: your retroactive date, continuity between carriers, and tail coverage when you retire, sell, or stop buying.
What claims made really means for your file drawer
Under a claims made policy, the work you did three years ago is only covered if two conditions hold at the moment the claim arrives: the policy is in force, and the work happened on or after your retroactive date. Let the policy lapse for a month and every past year of work becomes uninsured, even if you buy a new policy the following week.
This is why architects should treat professional liability as a continuous obligation rather than a product they shop casually. Continuity is the asset. A cheaper policy with a fresh retroactive date is not a saving, it is a hole covering every year of work you have already done.
The switching rule
- When moving carriers, ask the new carrier to match your original retroactive date, which is called full prior acts.
- Never let coverage lapse between policies, even by a day.
- Report any known circumstance to the current carrier before the policy ends. A claim reported to the wrong carrier is often not covered at all.
- Keep copies of every expiring declarations page. Proving your retroactive date years later is much easier with the paper.
Where occurrence coverage still shows up
Your general liability, property, and auto policies are occurrence based, which is why nobody worries about tail coverage on them. If someone trips at your office in 2026, the 2026 general liability policy answers even if you report it in 2029 and have changed carriers twice. That is the practical difference and it is why the two forms are managed so differently.
More detail in the Morrow guides to occurrence versus claims made and tail coverage.
What this looks like in practice
Illustrative example. Numbers are typical of claims we see and are not a promise of how any specific claim would be handled.
The setup: A architecture firm switched professional liability carriers to save money and accepted a policy with a retroactive date set to the new inception.
The claim: The matter started with a dimensional conflict between the structural and architectural sets. The contractor claimed $310,000 in rework and delay.
The cost: $58,000 in defense costs and $190,000 in settlement, $248,000 in total, paid inside the policy limit after the retention.
The lesson: The claim involved work done two years earlier, before the new retroactive date, and there was no coverage. Matching the original retroactive date at the switch would have cost nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is my professional liability policy claims made?
Almost certainly. Professional liability for architecture firms is written on a claims made and reported basis in nearly every case. Check the declarations page, which will state the form and show a retroactive date.
Q: What happens if my claims made policy lapses?
Every prior year of work becomes uninsured for new claims. Buying a new policy afterwards typically starts a fresh retroactive date, so the earlier work is never picked up. Continuity matters more than price.
Q: Can I switch carriers without losing coverage for past work?
Yes, if the new carrier grants full prior acts and matches your original retroactive date. That is a standard request and a good broker confirms it in writing before you move.
Q: Why is general liability not claims made?
General liability is written on an occurrence form, so the policy in force when the incident happened responds regardless of when the claim arrives. That is why it needs no retroactive date and no tail.
Q: Do I need tail coverage if I retire?
If you are dropping a claims made policy for good, yes. Without an extended reporting period, claims that arrive after the policy ends have no coverage even though the work was done while you were insured.
Q: What does claims made and reported add?
It requires that the claim be both made against you and reported to the insurer during the policy period or an extension. It makes prompt reporting a coverage condition, not a courtesy.
How Morrow helps architecture firms
Morrow is a licensed independent commercial insurance brokerage that specializes in architecture firms. Protecting your retroactive date when you move carriers is exactly the kind of question we answer every week, and because we place this coverage every day we know which carriers write it well, which forms are broad, and which contract language actually needs an endorsement behind it.
- We read the contract clause and tell you what your current policy already does and does not do.
- We market your account to carriers that have real appetite for architecture firms rather than whoever answers first.
- We issue certificates the same day a client asks, with the endorsements listed correctly.
- We stay on the file at renewal so limits, retroactive dates, and contract requirements do not quietly drift.
Get in touch and we will see how we can help. Tell us what you do, send over any contract that is driving the requirement, and send us the question and we will tell you where you stand. Start at morrowinsure.com or reach the team through the contact options on that page.
One more thing. This article is general information for architecture firms and is not legal advice, tax advice, or a statement of coverage. Policy wording controls in every case, and forms vary by carrier and by state. Have a licensed advisor review your own policy and your own contract before you rely on any of it.
Last updated: Reviewed by the Morrow commercial lines team. Last updated August 2026.