Source: Berkley Design Professional, https://www.berkleydp.com/

An architect was hired to renovate a garage and kitchen for a private residence with workspace under the garage. The architect did not confirm site conditions and did not realize the lot sloped considerably in the area of the renovations. As a result, the contractor excavated to the depth defined in the plans. The foundation and 12-inch thick concrete walls had to be torn out so that re-excavation could occur to achieve appropriate depth for the workspace. Berkley Design Professional paid nearly $23,000 on behalf of the policyholder to replace the walls and defense costs were $19,000.

Lessons learned:

It’s essential to check the existing site conditions prior to design. If a topographic survey is necessary to understand grades, require the owner to provide a survey. Don’t rely on eyeball assumptions.