Run a compliant architecture or engineering practice

Every architecture, engineering or testing business — from a sole practitioner to a large multi-disciplinary firm or laboratory — has a set of duties that do not depend on the technical work it does. Put these in place first, then add the rules for your specific activity.

Protect the personal data you hold

Practices and laboratories process a great deal of personal data — client and project records, staff files, and (for testing houses) sample and subject data. You must handle it under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and unless you are exempt you must pay the ICO data protection fee. These rules apply across the whole UK.

Do not discriminate

You must not discriminate against employees, job applicants or clients because of a protected characteristic, whether in employment or in the professional services you provide. The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own equality law enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Designers also carry inclusive-design expectations through Part M of the Building Regulations (access to buildings).

Insure your employees

If you employ anyone — technicians, designers, administrative staff — you must hold employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million from an authorised insurer. This is a duty in Great Britain. Equivalent rules apply in Northern Ireland.

Manage health and safety

You owe a general duty to protect your employees and anyone else affected by your business — staff in design studios, people on site visits, and anyone in laboratories and testing facilities. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own corresponding health and safety order.

Carry professional indemnity insurance

Professional indemnity (PI) insurance covers claims that your advice, design or test results caused a client financial loss. It is not a general statutory requirement, but it is mandated by professional-body codes — the ARB Architects Code requires registered architects to hold adequate and appropriate cover, and RIBA, the Engineering Council bodies, RICS and RTPI impose equivalent obligations — and it is almost always required by client contracts. For higher-risk building work, insurers increasingly ask about Building Safety Act competence before they will offer cover.

Next steps

With the shared duties in place, follow the guide for what your business actually does:

• Architects' and engineers' design duties — if you design buildings or infrastructure
• Run a technical testing or analysis laboratory — if you test, calibrate, inspect or analyse

Then confirm everything with the architecture, engineering and testing compliance checklist.