Design deadlines and long nights in the studio
Architecture has a reputation for long hours that starts at university and carries on through planning submissions, tender packages and late design changes. Most of the week happens at a screen, broken up by model making, client meetings and the odd site inspection.
The physical risk is modest. A site visit means boots and a hard hat, but you are observing rather than building. The more common problems are neck and back pain, wrist strain from detailed drawing work, and stress, anxiety or burnout. Income protection pays a monthly benefit if any of these keeps you out of work for longer than your deferred period.
Running a small practice
Many architects work alone or in practices of a few people. If you are the director or principal, fee income depends on you. A long illness can stall projects at planning stage, delay invoices and leave the practice paying rent, software licences and salaries with little coming in.
Personal income protection covers your own income. Key person insurance can help the business cope with losing you for a while. If you have co-directors, shareholder protection can fund a buy-out of your shares if you die or fall seriously ill, so your family receives a fair value and the practice carries on.
- Personal cover for your own drawings or salary
- Key person cover for the practice's lost fee income
- Shareholder or partnership protection between owners
Fees that arrive in lumps
Architectural fees often arrive at project stages rather than evenly through the year. A practice can have a brilliant year followed by a quiet one. Insurers deal with this by looking at your earnings over the last two or three years of accounts, which smooths out the peaks.
Salaried architects at larger practices are simpler to assess. Your payslips and P60s show what you earn, and your contract shows the sick pay you would receive. Line up your deferred period with the date that sick pay ends.
Occupation groups and the incapacity test for architects
Insurers sort occupations into risk groups that shape the premium and the definition of incapacity. Architects usually land in the lower-risk groups, which makes own occupation cover widely available. A claim then depends on whether you can work as an architect, which suits a skilled profession.
If your role involves frequent hands-on site work or you also act as a contractor, say so on the application. Most architects spend only a small share of their time on site, but the insurer needs an accurate picture.
Life cover and how we help architects
A life policy can protect your mortgage and your family. Larger practices may offer death in service, but many smaller ones do not. If you own a limited company practice, relevant life cover lets the company pay for your personal life insurance.
We help architects in every type of practice compare the insurers on our panel. We look at how your earnings are made up, explain the options for you and your business and help with the forms.