What Is Standard of Care?
Standard of care is the level of skill, care, and diligence the law expects from a professional, such as an engineer, architect, accountant, or consultant. It is negligence-based: what a reasonable, similarly qualified professional would do under the same circumstances. It is a duty of competence, not a promise of perfect work.
This matters for insurance because errors & omissions (E&O) coverage responds to a failure to meet that ordinary standard. Contract wording that raises the bar to “best,” “highest,” or “first-class” service can create a duty beyond negligence that your policy will not cover. Our guide to engineering contract clauses explains how to keep the standard reasonable.
Questions about Standard of Care?
Our Ontario brokers can explain how it applies to your policy.
Talk to a Roughley broker