This year’s Claims Benchmark Data report highlights what over a decade of claims experience reveals about risk.
By Diane Mika
Senior Vice President, Risk Management Officer
Berkley Design Professional, a Berkley Company
March 17, 2026
As trusted partners to architects and engineers, Berkley Design Professional is committed to providing data-driven insights that help firms make smarter decisions about project work and risk management. The newly released report, Claims Benchmark Data, draws on more than a decade of data reported to Berkley Design Professional (from April 2013 through June 2025) to illuminate trends across disciplines, client types, project categories and contract structures.
Unlike past reports where findings could potentially be distorted by a few high-dollar claims, our analysis now uses loss-cost metrics, combining frequency and severity relative to fees earned. This approach provides a more accurate and balanced view of risk, ensuring a discipline doesn’t appear riskier or safer than it actually is and that trends are meaningful for all sizes of firms.
Key Takeaways by Discipline
Structural engineers continue to experience the highest average loss cost, followed closely by mechanical and geotechnical engineers. It’s not surprising that “foundational” roles such as structural and geotechnical engineers face heightened scrutiny when issues arise, since claimants tend to look for errors that occurred from the ground up. Mechanical engineers face above-average exposure primarily due to the complexity of HVAC systems and client expectations for performance.
Architects show above-average claim frequency, often due to vicarious liability for subconsultants’ work. The report notes that while only one-third of architectural claims involve subconsultants, these account for 45% of total claim dollars, underscoring the importance of managing subconsultant relationships, responsibilities and insurance requirements with care.
Interior designers, environmental engineers and electrical engineers remain lower-risk groups, consistent with prior years.
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