Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors

Is liability insurance necessary for a mechanical design engineer working as a contractor without an agency?

I am a mechanical design engineer working in product development in the U.S., and I am pursuing work as a contractor. I have a potential client that is willing to hire me and pay a gross salary without an agency. Do I need my own liability insurance? I am not a licensed PE, if that makes any difference.

Public Comments

1. If he hires you as an employee he assumes the responsibility. If it a a public safety issue then most states require a PE sign off on the work, but insurance is good, I doubt you get it without a PE, you may by a bond for the particular job, but no guarantees.
2. I don't know what state you live and work in but in all the states that I am familiar with, it is not legal to do engineering design work on your own, without a P.E. license from that state, unless you get your work reviewed and stamped by a P.E., which would be an option for you. Call the division of regulatory agencies in your state to find out what the laws require there. Even if you have a license, it would be foolish to do design work for pay and for others without liability insurance. I would be surprised if your customers don't require you to carry your own insurance, since it is for their protection too. I am registerd to work in seven states and certainly wouldn't bother to get the registrations if it wasn't required.