News & Updates Why PI Insurance Might Matter More Than You Think by Stephen Barnes, Black Cat Co-Founder At Black Cat Building Consultancy, we talk about professional indemnity insurance a lot. It’s not glamorous. It’s definitely not a quick social post. It’s the quiet promise that sits behind every report, every piece of advice and every project we deliver. In our latest Black Cat Chat Podcast episode, co-founder Stephen Barnes sits down with Marketing Director Andy Clow and sets out why PI insurance should be front and centre for clients and surveyors alike, and how our approach is built to protect both. “PI insurance is our promise to clients that our advice is right, compliant and fit for purpose.” Stephen Barnes PI is Not Public Liability Some in the market have confused Public Liability with Professional Indemnity. Public Liability deals with physical incidents on site. PI covers the professional output itself, including advice, reports, specifications and designs. If advice is wrong and causes loss, PI is what puts the client back in the position they should have been in. That is why the scope and quality of the PI policy matters. It is also why exclusions and sub-limits can quietly erode the real protection a client thinks they are buying. “Most people presume all surveyors’ quotes sit behind adequate PI. They don’t.” The Problem with Exclusions & Sub-Limits Stephen highlights two common exclusions that should ring alarm bells: Fire – exclusions or low sub-limits on anything from fire doors to compartmentation. Basements – widely excluded, yet many UK buildings, particularly in London, have them. If a firm is not insured to advise on these areas, what is the real value of the report? Clients rarely see policy documents and may never know the limitations unless they ask. Vague Guidance, Real-World Risk RICS requires “adequate and appropriate” PI cover. Stephen is clear that, in practice, this phrasing is too vague. Minimum limits often lag behind the values and complexity of today’s assets and programmes. A £1 million limit can be inadequate once you factor in consequential losses. A practical rule of thumb is proportionality. If you are purchasing a £10 million building or running a multi-million pound project, PI limits need to reflect that exposure. “Adequate and appropriate PI must be proportionate to the value and risk of the instruction.” Our Approach at Black Cat From day one we set out to remove the ambiguity. Each year we work closely with our broker, Daniel Atkinson at Romero Insurance Brokers, to secure a policy with no exclusions and no restrictive sub-limits, and to set limits that match the scale of our clients’ assets and projects. We Then Do Three Things Internally: 1. Educate the whole team Everyone sees and understands the policy and how it applies to their work. Run a director-led model Two directors on every job. Every output passes both an Admin QA and a Professional QA before it goes to the client as a draft. Train for the market reality When people join us, we review their previous firms’ policies with them. It is an eye-opener. It also helps us explain clearly to clients where gaps often exist in the market. “We build our business around experienced people and rigorous checks, then back it with PI that has no exclusions.” A Note on Personal Liability PI is not only a client protection. It safeguards surveyors too. Cases such as Merrett v Babb (2001) underlined the potential for personal liability if a company fails and adequate PI is not in place. We therefore ensure our policy covers the services we provide, and we build protective clauses into our appointments. No one should ever face the risk of losing a home or livelihood because of a professional mistake. What Clients Should Ask For Stephen recommends one simple addition to every request for proposal: “Please confirm in writing whether your professional indemnity insurance is subject to any exclusions, limitations or sub-limits, and state your limit of indemnity.” If you ask the question, respondents must answer it. It creates a level field and lets you compare quotes on substance, not just price. “Alongside your fee, disclose any PI exclusions or sub-limits. Transparency protects everyone.” What Surveyors Should Do Every Chartered Building Surveyor should see and understand their firm’s PI policy. Know the limits. Know any exclusions. Operate within them. If your firm provides services under deed, remember the longer obligations to maintain cover at the stated level. “Do not work on assumptions. Ask to see the PI policy & understand it.” Setting a Higher Standard We believe the industry can do better. Clearer guidance, transparent disclosure and proportionate limits would raise standards and reduce risk. Until that happens, we will continue to set our own bar higher, educate our team and clients, and publish the questions everyone should be asking. If you would like to talk through PI in the context of your assets or programmes, or to sense-check your current approach, we’re happy to help. Listen to the full conversation on Black Cat Chat: The Building Podcast for practical pointers, real examples and the exact wording to include in your next RFP: Youtube  Apple Podcasts Spotify Latest News… All Posts Team News Insight Podcast Insight Why Professional Indemnity Insurance Might Matter More Than You Think November 19, 2025 Team News Welcoming Sam Scarborough, Ratings Surveyor! November 17, 2025 Podcast Black Cat Chat Ep: #005 with Ollie Folkes November 17, 2025

News & Updates Reflecting on Carbon Emissions in the Built Environment By Dr Sam Organ, Director & ESG Lead at Black Cat Nearly a quarter of Carbon in the built environment comes from heating, powering and operating commercial buildings – UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Since the 1990s, operational emissions have fallen, but both operational and embodied carbon must reduce dramatically to reach net zero by 2050 (RICS, 2022). Retail is especially carbon intensive and often harder to bring to operational net zero, making decarbonisation a knotty challenge… but at Black Cat we love a challenge! “We’ve been working with retail landlords and funds to decarbonise, showing that net zero in landlord areas is possible, and without being cost prohibitive, a major concern for many. By recommending pragmatic interventions, we can save 1,166 tonnes of carbon on average. Just as importantly, these solutions align with landlords’ existing plans without compromising business objectives.”Dr Samantha Organ, FRICS, ESG Lead Drawing on the expertise of the Black Cat ESG Team, in partnership with our Building Surveyors and Project Managers, we’ve supported the delivery of Carbon Reduction Measures through projects and Planned Preventative Maintenance strategies. Ensuring reductions are achieved in the most practical ways, with added benefits such as improved energy efficiency, lower operational costs, and even greater marketability of the asset once works are complete. Latest News… All Posts Team News Insight Podcast Insight Why Professional Indemnity Insurance Might Matter More Than You Think November 19, 2025 News, Team News Black Cat Launches in Ireland November 7, 2025 Team News Welcoming Sam Scarborough, Ratings Surveyor! October 27, 2025