Design Liability: Who's Responsible When Modules Don't Work?

Who pays when something goes wrong with your modular building? A defect shows up—water intrusion, structural issue, code violation. In modular construction, design liability is fragmented across architects, factory engineers, and consultants in ways that create expensive ambiguity and finger-pointing. In this episode of Built Different, we examine design liability fragmentation in modular construction. Traditional construction has relatively clear responsibility chains. Modular fragments design across multiple parties with contracts that often fail to clarify who owns what—and insurance policies that may not respond when claims arise. Topics covered: How design responsibility fragments across architects, factory engineers, and consultants Contract ambiguity that enables finger-pointing after defects emerge Professional liability vs. product liability coverage gaps Insurance policy triggers, exclusions, and limits for design defects Questions to answer before signing modular construction contracts Who this episode is for: Developers negotiating modular contracts, architects working on modular projects, factory engineering teams, construction attorneys, and insurance professionals covering modular construction. Key takeaway: Before you sign contracts, map design responsibility explicitly. Who owns connection details? Who certifies structural adequacy? Who is responsible for code compliance? Ambiguity is cheap until there's a claim. Built Different is produced by Spring Street Management Group. New episodes on modular construction liability, off-site building contracts, and volumetric construction drop every weekday at 6 AM Pacific.]]>