Environmental and Construction Professional Insurance: FAQ

Are you an insurance broker struggling to find comprehensive environmental and construction professional insurance coverage for your clients? Our program may be the solution you’re looking for. We have compiled a list of FAQs below to help.

What is Environmental and Construction Professional Insurance? 

Insurance provided under the program can be separated into two main categories:

Premises Pollution-Focused Products

Coverage is provided for pollution conditions on, at, under, or migrating from or through the covered fixed facility. Our policy revolves around one or multiple scheduled covered location(s) and provides coverage for clean-up costs, emergency expenses, third-party property damage, and bodily injury to third parties, as well as related legal costs. Legal costs may be provided in addition to the limits of liability.  Our policy form is menu driven and may include coverage for related exposures such as non-owned disposal sites, transportation, contracting, business interruption, diminution in value, mortgage protection, litigation expense, disaster management costs, and subpoena expense.

Target classes include (but are not limited to) various commercial real estate, office buildings, apartments, condominiums, hotels, airports, redevelopment properties, manufacturing sites, warehousing, recyclers, waste facilities, healthcare facilities, agricultural facilities, greenfields, brownfields, etc.

Contractor-Focused Products

Coverage is provided for pollution conditions arising from contracting services and completed operations. Coverage is often enhanced to include the contractor’s professional liability exposures created by or on behalf of the Insured.  Our policies may be written on a practice (all operations) or project basis. 

Our policy forms are menu driven and may include coverage for related exposures such as:

• emergency expenses
• non-owned disposal sites
• transportation
• business interruption
• litigation expense
• ADA and FHA expense
• bankruptcy litigation expense
• building information modeling expense
• disaster management costs
• subpoena expense 

Policies revolve around the Insured’s scheduled contracting services and completed operations related to a construction contract and provides for clean-up costs, third-party property damage, bodily injury to third parties, as well as related legal costs. Legal costs may be provided in addition to the limits of liability.

Professional liability is provided for actual or alleged acts, errors, or omissions from professional services performed by or on behalf of the Insured and is not tied to pollution. 

Target classes include (but are not limited to) various commercial contractors such as construction managers, design-build contractors, environmental contractors, general contractors, trade contractors, street and road contractors, HVAC contractors, roofers, plumbers, industrial cleaners, electrical contractors, fixed base operators, mechanical contractors, painting contractors, masons, etc.

Targeted project classes include (but are not limited to) civil construction, commercial, educational, habitational, healthcare, hospitality, industrial, institutional, retail, and warehouse.

What types of coverage do you offer? 

Distinguished offers the following lines of coverage:  

• Contractor’s Pollution Legal Liability Plus (CPL) – This policy is triggered in the event of a pollution condition resulting from contracting services or completed operations.  
• Contractor’s Pollution and Professional Legal Liability Plus (CPPL) – This policy provides coverage for professional liability resulting from actual or alleged acts, errors, or omissions from professional services performed by or on behalf of the Insured as well as Contractor’s Pollution Legal Liability.  
• Owner’s Professional Protective Indemnity Plus (OPPI) – This policy provides indemnity coverage to owners against losses from an act, error, or omission in the rendering of subcontracted design services on their project, or from a pollution condition resulting from subcontracted contracting services. 
• Pollution Legal Liability Plus (PLLP) – This policy provides coverage for pollution conditions on, at, under, or emanating from a specific scheduled location(s). 
• Follow Form Excess Liability – This policy provides additional layers of coverage above an underlying scheduled policy(ies). We can write this policy above another carrier or ourselves when providing the coverage types we offer, i.e., pollution risks for premises and contractors with professional liability exposure.  

Who are my underwriters?

We pride ourselves on employing the best-proven underwriters in the business for this unique space.  We have extensive experience in the environmental and construction professional space and are known as experts in the field.  Our team has a vast collective background in environmental consulting, underwriting, and other insurance-related matters.  Our authority is in-house and we provide timely, knowledgeable service.

Who is the carrier? 

Coverage is provided by SiriusPoint, an AM Best and S&P A- rated carrier. Limits of Liability are available of up to $25,000,000 per occurrence / $25,000,000 in aggregate.

How are my Insureds claims handled?

Claims on our policies are handled by our experienced in-house claims attorneys.  Our Claims Team is an integral part of the Distinguished Environmental and Construction Professional Program.  Our Claims Team works with our Insureds from the time a claim comes to its conclusion, communicating and working with our Insureds each step of the way.

How do I submit business?  

To submit business, brokers new to Distinguished must first register their brokerage on our website and then fill out the applicable application. Please email completed applications to Doug Stepenosky at DStepenosky@distinguished.com.  

Already familiar with us? Feel free to reach out to your favorite Distinguished Environmental and Construction Professional Underwriter.

Contact us at Distinguished Programs to learn more about our environmental insurance solutions and how we can help you meet your client’s needs. 

About Distinguished Programs

Distinguished Programs is a leading national insurance Program Manager providing specialized insurance programs to brokers and agents with specific expertise in Fine Art and Collectibles, Environmental and Construction Professional, Executive Lines, Inland Marine, Real Estate, Community Associations, Surety, Hotels, and Restaurants. Property and Liability products are distributed through a national network of agents and brokers. Serving the same core markets and partnering with the most stable and reputable carriers, Distinguished’s high-limit Umbrella programs remain the clear choice in its area of specialty for superior coverage, competitive pricing, and attentive service. Through thoughtful innovation, stemming back to 1995, Distinguished Programs fosters growth and opportunities for its brokers, carriers, and employees.

View a full list of our programs and submit business with Distinguished.

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DISCLAIMER: The information contained herein is intended for marketing and summary purposes only. Insurance coverage in any case will depend upon the type of policy in effect, the terms, conditions, and exclusions in any such policy, and the facts of each unique situation. This document does not provide a complete description of coverage terms, conditions, or limits, nor does it purport to restate, explain, or interpret any insurance policy.  Only the applicable policy contains a complete description of all the provisions of the coverage.