As a business lawyer working with many interior designers, I've noticed a common thread: the excitement of transforming spaces often overshadows important considerations about working on client properties. Today, I want to share some key insights about protecting your interior design business when conducting site visits.

Understanding Your Workplace Responsibilities

Here's something that might surprise you: as an interior designer, your workplace isn't just your studio or home office. Every time you step into a client's home to take measurements, supervise a furniture delivery, or oversee an installation, that space becomes your workplace too. And yes, that means you're responsible for safety considerations in someone else's property.

Why Your Service Model Matters

In my business, I've worked with designers who operate in vastly different ways. Some primarily offer virtual services with occasional site visits for measurements. Others are regularly on-site, liaising with contractors and overseeing installations. Both approaches are perfectly valid, but they require different protections.

Here's what I always tell my interior design clients: there's no one-size-fits-all approach to risk mitigation. Your strategy needs to reflect YOUR specific business model. Whether you're creating mood boards from your home office or spending most of your time on-site, your protection needs to cover every aspect of your service delivery.

Documenting Your Services: A Business Essential

Clarity in your service agreements is your first line of defence. Your design agreement needs to explicitly outline:

The scope of your on-site services;
Your role in managing deliveries and liaising with contractors;
Access arrangements and responsibilities;
Quality control procedures;
Client obligations and responsibilities.

The time you spend being crystal clear about these details upfront can prevent significant headaches later.

Your Team Members

When interior designers start growing their team, there are additional considerations to keep in mind. If you're sending employees to site , you need to understand your Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) obligations – and your need to ensure your workers’ compensation insurance policy is up to date. This isn't just about ticking boxes – it's about protecting yourself, your business, and everyone involved in the project.

Insurance: Your Non-Negotiable Protection

Let me be clear about something I see interior designers sometimes try to skip; insurance. As someone who's dealt with the fallout of uninsured incidents, I can tell you that proper insurance coverage is non-negotiable.

Here's what you need, as a minimum:

Professional Indemnity Insurance: This isn't optional. Whether you're working remotely or on-site, you need this coverage to protect against claims related to your professional services.
Public Liability Insurance: If you visit client sites this is essential. I've seen cases where designers thought they weren't responsible for an incident, only to be drawn into claims through contributory negligence.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance: If you have employees, or if you are the director of your company, this is a legal requirement.

A Strategic Approach to Risk Management

In my years of working with interior designers, I've learned that the most successful businesses are those that take a proactive approach to risk management.

This means:

Having comprehensive, tailored service agreements;
Maintaining clear documentation of all site visit procedures;
Understanding and following WHS requirements;
Have appropriate insurance policies in place;
Regularly reviewing and updating your risk management strategies.

Remember, your work environment directly impacts your obligations and risk exposure. Whether you're measuring a space or overseeing an installation, you need proper protection in place. Don't wait for a problem to arise before thinking about these issues.

Take the time now to document your processes, clarify your responsibilities, and secure appropriate insurance coverage. Your creative vision deserves the protection of solid business foundations.

Need help getting your documentation in order? That's what we're here for. Every interior design business is unique, and we can help ensure your protection matches your specific needs.

If you have questions or you’re ready to work together to set your interior design business up for success, be sure to reach out and book a Complimentary Introduction Call here.

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Their Property, Your Risk | Things To Know About Working On-Site - Legal requirements for Interior Designers